Garden of the Musée Rodin

A few steps from Les Invalides and the musée de l’armée, these grounds steeped in history extend over 3 hectares divided up by bushes, a pond, a rose garden, and lawns and flowerbeds. The gardens surround the Hôtel Biron, a prized example of Parisian Rococo architecture, which houses the musée Rodin. Described under the Ancien Régime as one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, it is now used as a prestigious backdrop for the works of Auguste Rodin: portraits, high reliefs, monuments, shown here in their definitive version.

An open-air exhibition

You will be enchanted by the courtyard as you enter. On your left, the “The Burghers of Calais” and “The Gates of Hell” blend harmoniously into the greenery. To the right, the heady perfume of the rose garden lingers by the monumental The Thinker, one of the artist’s most famous sculptures. If you walk south of the museum building and along the central flowerbed, you will discover two themed paths: the Jardin des Sources, mixes grasses and mosses and the Jardin d’Orphée, is covered with ivy and rockery.

At the far end, “Ugolino and his Sons” is the centrepiece of a fountain. Turning back towards the museum, the bushes are populated with sculptural treasures. This leads to the Marble Gallery, an outdoor collection of 30 masterpieces in marble. Before leaving, take advantage of the shady terrace of the museum cafe.