Albert Kahn Museum gardens

Nestled on the banks of the Seine, discover an almost-hidden garden paradise where landscapes and cultures from around the world merge. Come and lose yourself as you stroll through the Albert Kahn Museum Gardens in Boulogne-Billancourt.

A world garden

This 4-hectare garden is a true slice of nature set in an urban environment. Made up of plots of land laid out and designed just like stage sets by Albert Kahn and his landscape gardeners at the turn of the 20th century, it welcomes you in to wander in its bucolic calm. In the spirit of their former owner, the gardens are an invitation to discover and appreciate the diversity of cultures around the world.

The Vosges forest

As a tribute to his childhood memories, Albert Kahn devoted one of his gardens to a reproduction of the Vosges forest where he grew up. In the shade of conifers and deciduous trees from the mountains, you’ll enter a genuine forest with blocks of granite strewn along the dirt tracks.

The meadow and the golden forest

As you leave this wood, an expanse of grass stretches before you, bordered by another forest whose colours change with the seasons: the bright yellow of the spruce trees in spring is replaced in autumn by the golden leaves of birch. The meadow itself brims with the colourful hues of the wild annuals and perennials that bloom there.

The blue forest

You’ll move from warm yellow to the intimate blue of the American Atlas Cedars and Colorado Spruces in the blue forest. Take the time to admire the plant species beneath these tall trees, which vary according to the time of year.

The French garden

Continue on to the orchard-rose-garden, its orderly layout providing a contrast with the previous areas. The fruit trees are arranged symmetrically around squares, and the roses climb over arches to form an arbour. Framed by flowerbeds, the garden follows the geometric layout of the classical gardens created in the 17th century. Admire the glass and metal great greenhouse standing beside it, which houses the winter garden.

The English Garden

In contrast to the French garden, the English garden is characterised by lush vegetation grown to imitate nature. The cottage, one of the original buildings, still stands. Its fountain bears a carved image from a La Fontaine fable, and a narrow stream meanders across its lawn to a small pool.

Japanese gardens

The walk ends with a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, the highlight of the tour. The first part of this classically inspired garden represents a traditional village on the peninsula. The second represents contemporary Japan, in homage to Albert Kahn and his incredible openness to the rest of the world.

Albert Kahn, the pacifist philanthropist

A banker by trade, Albert Kahn was above all a man of peace and a great philanthropist whose enduring concern was bringing people together and raising awareness of other ways of life. These gardens, a testament to plant-based art, invite you on a journey, taking you from west to east in just a few steps. In the museum adjoining the gardens, explore the vast collection of photographs assembled between 1909 and 1931 to form the "Archives of the Planet".

Explore the Albert-Kahn Museum Gardens with your children by following one of the treasure hunts available in the Paris Region Aventures app. These are specially designed for families and available for free download.

To discover the other green spaces in the Paris Region, please visit our Parks and gardens section.