Parisian Walkways: Palais-Royal Gardens

“The serene Palais-Royal gardens remain one of Paris’s great discoveries. Hidden from view in the city centre, just behind the Louvre and the bustling Rue Saint-Honoré, the hushed arcades and sleepy gardens are like nowhere else in Paris.

Astonishingly, the Palais-Royal also seems relatively undiscovered. Once past its first inner courtyard – Place Colette, the setting for Daniel Buren’s site-specific contemporary sculpture – one has the feeling of having stumbled into another epoch. The gated arcades, manicured rows of linden trees and shop windows full of old coins, medals and silver cups that first greet visitors only add to the impression, hearkening back to another time, when kings and emperors ruled and the lively Palais- Royal was the beating heart of Paris.”