Palais Royal is a place filled with the essence of Paris which is reflected in its detailed and spectacular architecture, art, history, cafes and the magnificent gardens. Palais Royal is significantly popular amongst the visitors who mainly get drawn by its large and lush green gardens consisting of beautiful fountains and colourful flower beds running parallel to the art galleries. You would find locals as well as tourists taking a stroll around the gardens in the quaint evening hours.
Domaine National Du Palais Royal (National Domain of the Palais-Royal) is located in the north of the Louvre and was built and designed by the French architect Lemercier for residence of Cardinal Richelieu and the royal family. The Royal family resided here from its construction in 1633 up until they moved to the Palace of Versailles. The Palais Royal has the most beautiful and extensive gardens which are decorated by well-detailed sculptures created by Buren and Bury. A large colonnade designed by Daniel Duren cuts the courtyard of the palace in half, and is called The Colonnes de Buren. Visit the existence of this rich and historical place as a part of our Europe tour packages.
In half of the courtyard 260 black and white striped octagonal columns of different sizes and lengths are placed. These are closely associated with the city of Paris and are quite famous amongst the visitors. Later in the 18th and 19th century, the three wings bordering the gardens of the Palace were added. The quaint gardens of The Palais Royal never fail to leave a mark on the visitors with its grand fountains and fragrant rose bushes. The various art installations decorating these gardens makes it even more fascinating to take a stroll around.
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Highlights
• Enjoy some relaxing hours in the quaint and peaceful atmosphere of the large gardens of the Palais Royal and let the rose beds catch all your attention.
• Take a stroll around the arched passageways and colonnades that encompasses the famous garden of the palace called Jardin du Palais Royal and try to count the different shops, cafes and restaurants that once were stationed there.
• Spend a golden evening in the faded glow of the architecture of the palace and let its beauty make an impact on your heart.
• Appreciate the famous sculpture art put up in the inner courtyard, which is a collection of 260 white-black striped columns designed by the renowned artist Daneil Buren.
• The art piece called “Spherades” created by the Belgian artist Pol Bury is a sphere-shaped fountain. Sit by it after taking a walk and relax as it gently sprinkles water while making a round motion.
• Explore the different shops, cafes and restaurants which are placed in the arcade houses.Click Here To Book Now: 2 Days Paris Tour Package
How To Reach
By Metro: The closest metro stations to the palace are Pyramids (line number 14) and Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre (on lines 1 and 7). The Palace is just a few minutes walk away from here.
By Bus: The bus route numbers that pass by Domaine National Du Palais Royal are 66, 68, 72, 73 and 95. Leave the bus at the bus stations which are nearby the palace like: Palais Royal Comedie Francaise, Vistories and Palais Royal Musee du Louvre.
By Train: The train lines that make a stop nearby Domaine National Du Palais Royal are: H, L, N, R. You can check their routes and board them from a station near your place.
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Best Time To Visit
It would be most advisable to visit Domaine National Du Palais Royal during the seasons of spring and autumn and in the months of March-May and September-December respectively. You would see the beauty of Jardin du Palais Royal becoming more remarkable during these months. The flowers bloom in spring making the ambience more serene while in autumn when the trees shed their yellow leaves the hallways become ever more prettier. Make sure that you take either an evening or a morning stroll in the large garden of the palace.
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Other Essential Information
- The access to Domaine National Du Palais Royal is completely free, you need not buy any tickets to enter the gardens of the palace.
- Take note that you won’t find any guide around the palace to assist you in a tour, because it would be an independent tour.
- To enjoy a guided tour, you would require to make reservations in advance. A speaker session once in a while is organised by the Centre of National Monuments.
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Architecture
The renowned French architect Jacques Lemercier in 1624, had presented the design of the new residence of Cardinal Richelieu. The renovated palace turned out to be an architectural masterpiece. Its grand and eloquent gardens never fail to captivate the attention even today. Richelieu had a well planned palace, it had his apartments in the north eastern wing and a private theatre in the south-east corner. However, the Palace isn’t open to the public except for the large and beautiful gardens.
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Gardens
Jardin du Palais Royal is the name of the garden of the palace which has a pleasant vibe, large fountains and colourful rose beds. In its shaded pathways you’d find a haven of peace against the bustling of the streets of Paris. Because of its beautiful large garden, Domaine National Du Palais Royal is fondly called “Village in the City”. The tranquil garden covers an area of 2 hectares and is enclosed by the arched and colonnaded neoclassical galleries. The two dusty pathways of the garden are titled as Allee Colette which is parallel to the Galerie de Valois and the Allee Coctea alongside the Galerie de Montpensier.
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Sculptures
The inner courtyard of the palace is well decorated with the great sculptures designed by renowned artist Daniel Buren. “Les Deux Plateaux '' more famously known as “Les Colonnes de Buren” is his art installation which was put up for public appreciation on the request of Minister of Culture Jack Lang in the palace. The work is a contemporary work consisting of 260 black&white striped columns, which has over the time become a quintessential part of the Parisian landscape. Another beautiful artwork on display is the duo of the sphere-shaped fountains called “Spherades”, famously designed by the Belgian artist Pol Bury.
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Art galleries
The long arched colonnades encompassing the garden of the palace forms an important part of the architecture of the palace. These galleries are utilised as shopping passages to the 145 shops, restaurants and cafes which are housed in the palace. The mosaic floor of the passageways, which were named after the three sons of Philippe III d’Orleans still mentions the name of these shops like Pontillon and Kretty jewellers which were functional in the 19th century.
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Tourism Board Alliances
Domaine National Du Palais Royal FAQs
Why is the Palais Royal Famous?
Domaine National Du Palais Royal is widely famous for its remarkable architecture, large arched colonnades which are also art galleries and the pleasant gardens. Built in around 1633, the palace has faced the challenges of time to become an unforgettable piece of history of France. The various stories attached to the palace will help you understand its glory and why it continues to make an impact in the hearts of its visitors. The palace also has some of the greatly renowned sculptures, fountains and other art installations made by popular artists like Daniel Buren.
Can you go inside the Palais Royal?
The Palais Royal only welcomes guests in its gardens, arched art galleries and courtyards. The opening hours of the palace are between 8am to 10:30pm, in the months of April-September and between 8am to 8:30am during October-March.
Is Palais Royal Free?
Yes, the Palais Royal is freely accessible to all the guests.
What are the trees in the Palais Royal?
Jardin du Palais Royal, the royal garden of the palace is spread over an area of 20,850 metre square and it has been redefined time and again to suit the contemporary styles of gardening. Today the garden has over 500 trees, the four double rows mostly have liden and lime trees. The centre of the garden has two lawns beautifully decorated with colourful flower beds especially rose beds.
What happened to the Palais Royal?
The Ministry of Culture is seated in the Palais Royal now, the main building also acts as the house for the Conseil d’Etat and the Constitutional Council. Jardin du Palais Royal, the royal garden, has been opened to the public and the art gallery has more than 145 shops.
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