I also write reviews on another site under another name, but I do not just duplicate these and try t...
I also write reviews on another site under another name, but I do not just duplicate these and try to write original reviews for each of the sites.
Member since:27.07.2006
Reviews:13
Members who trust:2
The area in Paris known as the Jardin des plantes is very tranquil and you would find it hard to believe you are in one of the major European cities of the world. In this area you will find a large park of botanical gardens and a menagerie. An ideal place to sit a while and take refreshments from the cafe, or wander around the pathways and sit for a while for a therapeutic break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
I have visited here several times, at different times of the year, and even in the height of the tourist season the area was not overcrowded.
The area is easily reached by several metro stations, RER and SNCF at Gare d'austerlitz and buses on routes 47 and 89.
Centuries ago the botanical gardens were used for growing herbs, for medicinal purposes.
The oldest public zoo, Menagerie, in France is situated in this part of Paris, at Rue Cuvier. It is open daily, but check first for opening times. There is an admission charge with reductions for students and disabled visitors and their carer also have concessions.
The zoo was originally set up in the tranquil setting of the Jardin des Plantes to house species which survived the Revolution from the royal palace menageries.
Nowadays the zoo specialises in small mammals, primates, reptiles and birds. It is fun to watch the baboons swinging around in their cages, especially at feeding time, and even more fun watching the visiting groups of school children laughing at their antics and exclaiming in French excitedly.
In the lion house when we visited in October this year there was only one lonely leopard. It seemed the rest of the animals had been rehoused elsewhere to allow for refurbishment of the premises. However on a previous visit we were treated to the sight of a number of large cats prowling around.
There are wild sheep and goats, a wonderful long haired donkey, as well as aviaries housing owls who seemed to know when we wanted them to pose for photographs!
Inside the reptile house several crocodiles basked by pools of water, snakes coiled themselves around tree branches whilst huge lizards camouflaged themselves in the vegetation.
In one area was a huge tortoise, being carefully watched over by a furry sloth lazing on the branch of a tree. Sit a while on the seat here and see if you can catch a glimpse of either of them moving. We sat for a short while, the tortoise never moved but the sloth did raise its sleepy headto see what the shuffling sound was as we moved quietly around.
If you are on a hectic visit to Paris with young children and they are fed up of trailing around the historic sites and museums, then a visit to the menagerie in the jardin des plantes may just be the diversion they need.
Well worth a visit, who would have thought you would find a leopard and monkeys in the middle of this crowded city!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
very helpful by (67%):
helpful by (33%):
