A little gem, well-known among lovers of original spots in the city, the Rosa Mir garden amazes and delights visitors who venture there. In an inner courtyard, just off the Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse, Jules Senis, a bricklayer by trade and refugee of the Spanish Civil War, created an extraordinary place, which he dedicated to his mother – Rosa Mir.

In a style that would have made French postman Ferdinand Cheval (creator of Le Palais Idéal) proud, in 1958 he began gathering shells and stones to transform an ordinary courtyard into an extraordinary garden, dotted with exuberant window boxes, stone frescoes and other wonders… The Croix-Rousse still has plenty of surprises left to discover! 

On the Isle of Batz, the Georges Delasselle Garden takes you around the world. This garden was laid out in 1897 by Georges Delaselle, a Parisian businessman with a passion for exotic species that he planted over a period of 40 years. It gives pride of place to summer-flowering plants that remind you of faraway places.

There are 2,000 species, representing all the continents, with plants from California, Australia, Chile or South Africa growing side by side with natives of other foreign lands. It’s definitely a change of scene!

The Arboretum des Barres is near Montagris in Central France. The Arboretum des Barres was begun in 1873 and covers 35 hectares. It is divided into three magnificent collections each with a walk around the collection ensuring that you see the best of the plants. It is classified as one of the "Remarkable Gardens" of France.

On either side of the mirror of water, Place de la Bourse, two large spaces are laid out with low plantings to clear the view: le Jardin des Lumières.  With its 33,000 plants, it offers a wonderful botanical show all year round. Pedestrian walkways and landscaped squares make it a charming place to stroll around.