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In this historic botanical garden you can escape the bustle of the city and lose yourself on the shady tree-lined avenues, amid colourful flowerbeds, or the hothouses and exotic gardens. Or simply relax on the lawns.

Established as a medicinal herb garden for the king in 1626, these vast botanical gardens are a wonderfully tranquil spot. Paths are lined with statuary and mature trees, including the oldest in Paris, an Acacia robinia dating from 1636. There is also an alpine garden.

A stroll through the beautiful Tuileries Gardens is one of the must-dos of Paris. Before the Revolution this was a prime spot for the aristocracy to show off their latest fashions, and it remains a great place for people-watching.

These formal gardens were laid out in the 17th century as part of the old Palais de Tuileries and stretch along the Seine between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. The walkways are lined with lime and chestnut trees, and there is a series of bronze figures by Aristide Maillol.

Parisians love this centrally located park, set around the Palais du Luxembourg. The sweeping terrace is a great place for people-watching, while locals sunbathe around the Octagonal Lake or sail toy boats in the water. Statues are dotted throughout the grounds, and there is a café (see Panthéon).

Napoleon designated this the “garden of children”, and whether or not you have little ones in tow you’ll enjoy a walk through this favourite haunt of the Latin Quarter. After you’ve seen the octagonal pond and the Medicis Fountain, seek out the miniature Statue of Liberty and the statues of French queens.

These lovely gardens were once part of the Palais Royal, which now houses the State Council. They are surrounded by arcades which date from the late 18th century, and by an impressive modern pillar arrangement.

You can get your aerobic fix along the pathways of Paris’s parks and gardens.

A replica of the Statue of Liberty’s torch in New York was erected in 1987 by the International Herald Tribune to mark their centenary and honour the freedom fighters of the French Resistance during World War II. It is located on the right bank of the Pont de l’lma, the bridge over the tunnel where Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in an automobile crash in 1997. The Liberty Flame has now become her unofficial memorial and is often draped with notes and flowers laid in her honour.

This ornate 17th-century fountain with a pond was built for Marie de Médicis.