Taxi Paris → Parc de Sceaux

The Parc de Sceaux is one of the landscape masterpieces of André Le Nôtre, the genius gardener of Louis XIV who also created the gardens of Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte and the Tuileries. Located just 15 km south of Paris in the Hauts-de-Seine department, this 181-hectare estate was commissioned in 1670 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's powerful Finance Minister. After Colbert's death, the estate passed to the Duke of Maine, legitimised son of Louis XIV, who enlarged the château and gardens. The current château, in Louis XIII style with brick and stone, dates from 1856 and was rebuilt by the Duke of Treviso who bought the estate during the Revolution. Acquired by the Seine department in 1923, it has housed since 1937 the Île-de-France Museum, dedicated to the history and landscapes of the Paris region. The park is famous for its monumental perspectives, its 1,100-metre-long Grand Canal, embroidered parterres, the Octogone (large basin), cascades and series of pools descending to the canal. The Orangery, built by Hardouin-Mansart in 1685, hosts exhibitions and concerts. In spring, the northern grove transforms into a magical spectacle thanks to its Japanese cherry trees in bloom, attracting thousands of visitors and photographers, particularly the Japanese community of Paris. This Parisian 'hanami' has become an event in its own right. Getting to the Parc de Sceaux by taxi from Paris allows you to be dropped directly at the estate entrance with all your picnic equipment, which the RER does not easily accommodate.