On the roof of Montparnasse station: a secret park. We'll show you how to get there.

updated on October 25, 2023 at 2:26 pm

The Luxembourg Gardens and the Orangerie are two of the most famous parks and gardens in Paris. But in the midst of all these famous sites, there is one that is less famous and more unusual. It's the Atlantic Garden. What makes it special? It's on the roof of Montparnasse station. We tell you more about this unique place and, above all, how to get there.

Vue du Jardin Atlantique, sur le toit de la gare Montparnasse à Paris.

Summary

A little corner of nature at the top of Montparnasse station
The Atlantic garden: the perfect place to "go green"!
Architecture in keeping with its name
How do you get to this secret garden?

A little corner of nature at the top of Montparnasse station

It's hard to believe that in the middle of Paris's 15th arrondissement, and especially on the roof of Montparnasse station, there's a green space where you can take your time and stroll. And yet, between the buildings of this business district, there is a place where nature takes pride of place. Welcome to the Atlantique garden!

La jardin Atlantique.

The Atlantic garden: the perfect place to "go green"!

Tucked away among the buildings, the Atlantique garden offers a breath of fresh air and a place to stroll in the heart of a city that lives at 100 km/h. This slightly crazy idea, which was born in 1994, was created by two landscape gardeners: François Brun and Michel Péna.

Vue du dessus du jardin Atlantique

Architecture in keeping with its name

There is a reason for the park's name: Montparnasse station is the station serving the French west coast and the Atlantic seaboard.

The landscape designers have taken great care to respect this theme. The colour blue, evocative of the ocean, is predominant in the park, and the curves of the paving stones echo the waves of the ocean. Nothing is left to chance.

How do you get to this secret garden?

Rather than waiting patiently for your train in the station concourse, surrounded by other travellers and the hustle and bustle, why not make the most of the time you have left to discover this unusual space?

Once in the Gare Montparnasse, go to track 1 in hall 1, where a staircase leads to the Atlantique garden.

Practical information

📍 Location: Pl. des Cinq Martyrs du Lycée Buffon, 75015 Paris

👛 Admission: free

⏰Opening times: open all week from 8am to 8.30pm and weekends from 9am to 8.30pm

Howto get there: by metro, lines 4, 6 or 12 / by bus, lines 28, 91 or 58.

Where to stay in Paris?

Booking.com

Hôtel Du Midi Paris Montparnasse 3*

In the Montparnasse district, just a few minutes from the catacombs, this 3-star hotel offers comfortable rooms at affordable prices for the capital.

8.2 Very good

From

£148 / night

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by Jude JONES | Staff Writer

Jude Jones is a writer and editor from Manchester, England. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in History and Modern Languages at the University of Cambridge. He has a keen interest in art, film and literature.