Part of the Bois de Boulogne (check the Bois de Boulogne article) – the very varied park edging all the West of Paris on more than 8 km² – the Parc de Bagatelle is surely one of the most beautiful and romantic places in Paris if you’re looking for a calm, elegant, flowered and isolated garden, off the beaten tracks of touristic Paris.

Formerly an aristocratic garden laid out by a Scottish landscapist in the 1780s for king Louis XVI’s brother, it was owned by different British aristocrats in the 19th century (including Richard Wallace, famous for his elegant drinking fountains in Paris), before it was finally purchased by the Paris municipality in 1905, who increased its fame by organizing a yearly competition of rose growing and displaying.

June and July are probably the best months to visit Bagatelle, as the roses are at their best splendor. There are two areas with roses, but many more flowerbeds are laid out and changed regularly. But flowers are not the only attraction of the park: numerous peacocks bring an unusual attraction showing off throughout the pathways of the park, living in good harmony with barnacle geese and cats in this very peaceful environment, never overcrowded by tourists or locals.

You can reach Bagatelle with buses 43, 93, or 244 (or walk about 20 minutes from the Fondation Louis Vuitton).