Les Plus Beaux Jardins de France - (The Most Beautiful Gardens in France) - a network of gardens set up in 1998 to reveal a largely unknown botanical heritage to the public and to raise the art of gardening to the level of architecture and/or painting in the collective consciousness.
Each year the network undertakes numerous ventures such as:
- producing articles on the art of gardening or news regarding members of the network;
- organisation of events together with partners;
- promotion of the network through the creation of a digital community on the social networks.
Gardens belonging to the network of Le Plus Beaux Jardins de France are:
Parc floral d'Apremont-sur-Allier (Loire Valley)
The Apremont-sur-Allier floral park is a synthesis of the so-called ‘French style' architecture («à la française») and the English picturesque. Precision is united with mixed borders and the exotic inspiration of the pagoda-bridge, the symbol of this floral park.
Bambouseraie de Prafrance (Occitania)
The Prafrance Bamboo Garden was created 160 years ago by Eugène Mazel, a horticultural and natural sciences enthusiast. In 1856 he began to cultivate his first bamboo species, followed by other trees and plants from Japan, China, the Himalayas and North America. The Bambouseraie is now a unique botanical garden in France with a huge variety of bamboos and rare trees.
Château et les Jardins de la Ballue (Brittany)
The Ballue Palace gardens are one of those rare examples of the Mannerist style in France. They were created in the ‘70s, inspired by Mannerism and Futurism. They are reminiscent of Italian villas with terraced gardens and views over the landscape. From the first floor of the Palace there is a spectacular view over the bay of Mont Saint-Michel.
Château de Breteuil (Ile-de-France)
The Breteuil Palace is surrounded by a garden «à la française» and an English park. Everything in the palace and French garden evokes the friendship between Louis de Breteuil, minister to Louis XIV, and the famous author Charles Perrault.
Château de Chambord (Loire Valley)
Since 2017, after 14 years of historical research, visitors to Chambord Castle can stroll through the gardens «à la française» which have been restored to an early eighteenth century style. This is an unusual restoration involving the planting of 32.500 plants and 800 trees.
Château du Champ de Bataille (Normandy)
Spectacular is the key word when describing the Champ de Bataille Castle and Gardens. The baroque castle was built in the seventeenth century, probably by the royal architect Le Vau. The garden was possibly designed by Le Nôtre and certainly bears the mark of the maestro. Damaged over time, it has undergone extensive restoration maintaining its baroque imprint within a contemporary style in keeping with the genius loci.
Domaine de Chantilly (Ile-de-France)
The Domaine di Chantilly consists of different areas including the seventeenth century French garden, the eighteenth century Anglo-Chinese garden and the nineteenth century English garden. The French garden is a Le Nôtre creation. Of all the gardens designed by Le Nôtre, Chantilly is renowned as being his favourite.
Château de Chaumont-Sur-Loire (Loire Valley)
Chaumont-sur-Loire is famous for the International Garden Festival which has attracted gardeners and landscape designers of all nationalities since 1992. Innovation is the focus of the festival which changes theme each year.
Each year the network undertakes numerous ventures such as:
- producing articles on the art of gardening or news regarding members of the network;
- organisation of events together with partners;
- promotion of the network through the creation of a digital community on the social networks.
Gardens belonging to the network of Le Plus Beaux Jardins de France are:
Parc floral d'Apremont-sur-Allier (Loire Valley)
The Apremont-sur-Allier floral park is a synthesis of the so-called ‘French style' architecture («à la française») and the English picturesque. Precision is united with mixed borders and the exotic inspiration of the pagoda-bridge, the symbol of this floral park.
Bambouseraie de Prafrance (Occitania)
The Prafrance Bamboo Garden was created 160 years ago by Eugène Mazel, a horticultural and natural sciences enthusiast. In 1856 he began to cultivate his first bamboo species, followed by other trees and plants from Japan, China, the Himalayas and North America. The Bambouseraie is now a unique botanical garden in France with a huge variety of bamboos and rare trees.
Château et les Jardins de la Ballue (Brittany)
The Ballue Palace gardens are one of those rare examples of the Mannerist style in France. They were created in the ‘70s, inspired by Mannerism and Futurism. They are reminiscent of Italian villas with terraced gardens and views over the landscape. From the first floor of the Palace there is a spectacular view over the bay of Mont Saint-Michel.
Château de Breteuil (Ile-de-France)
The Breteuil Palace is surrounded by a garden «à la française» and an English park. Everything in the palace and French garden evokes the friendship between Louis de Breteuil, minister to Louis XIV, and the famous author Charles Perrault.
Château de Chambord (Loire Valley)
Since 2017, after 14 years of historical research, visitors to Chambord Castle can stroll through the gardens «à la française» which have been restored to an early eighteenth century style. This is an unusual restoration involving the planting of 32.500 plants and 800 trees.
Château du Champ de Bataille (Normandy)
Spectacular is the key word when describing the Champ de Bataille Castle and Gardens. The baroque castle was built in the seventeenth century, probably by the royal architect Le Vau. The garden was possibly designed by Le Nôtre and certainly bears the mark of the maestro. Damaged over time, it has undergone extensive restoration maintaining its baroque imprint within a contemporary style in keeping with the genius loci.
Domaine de Chantilly (Ile-de-France)
The Domaine di Chantilly consists of different areas including the seventeenth century French garden, the eighteenth century Anglo-Chinese garden and the nineteenth century English garden. The French garden is a Le Nôtre creation. Of all the gardens designed by Le Nôtre, Chantilly is renowned as being his favourite.
Château de Chaumont-Sur-Loire (Loire Valley)
Chaumont-sur-Loire is famous for the International Garden Festival which has attracted gardeners and landscape designers of all nationalities since 1992. Innovation is the focus of the festival which changes theme each year.