The sublime Japanese garden of the Musée Albert Kahn and its other gardens that take us on a journey

< >
Published by My de Sortiraparis, Rizhlaine de Sortiraparis, Manon de Sortiraparis · Photos by My de Sortiraparis · Published on April 2nd, 2023 at 08:14 a.m.
The Musée Albert Kahn, which has just reopened its doors, unveils sublime gardens that are a must-see. Conceived as a scenic garden, this 4-hectare space features a magnificent Japanese garden and village, an English garden, a French garden and forests and meadows. A complete change of scenery.

The Musée Albert Kahn has just reopened its doors after 6 years of renovation. It's time to discover the renovated and redesigned museum, its new exhibition that takes us on a journey, and of course its park and estate, a must-see for garden lovers.

Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile

We're off to Boulogne-Billancourt, just outside Paris, to discover this unique green space, listed as a Historic Monument at the end of 2015, which transports us into different worlds.

Albert Kahn settled in Boulogne sur Seine in 1893. Initially a tenant in his private mansion, he fell in love with the place and became its owner two years later. An avid gardener, he gradually acquired neighboring plots. In 1910, he ended up with twenty plots covering a total area of 4 hectares.

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8814Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8814Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8814Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8814

From 1895 to 1920, Abraham Kahn (real name), the famous philanthropic banker, decided to create a garden of scenes. A great pacifist at heart, he imagined a garden where different cultures would mingle, convinced that knowledge of others would contribute to peace. In this way, his images and gardens enabled the elite of the time to discover the value and richness of cultural diversity.

The result is a personal map of his travels and discoveries. We're off to discover 7 landscape scenes in dialogue with each other. On the program of discoveries :

  • The Blue Forest and the marsh,
  • The golden forest and the meadow,
  • The Vosges forest,
  • The French garden and its orchard-rosery,
  • The English garden
  • The Japanese village
  • The contemporary Japanese garden

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos

The Japanese village was created following a trip to Japan in the late 19th century. Albert Kahn commissioned Japanese artists to design the layout and planting. We discover a traditional teahouse and 2 traditional dwellings transported from Japan. You'll be seduced by this harmonious, colorful, almost confidential space, where every element has its place.

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos

Then on to the Contemporary Japanese Garden, a tribute to the life and work of Albert Kahn, created in the 90s by landscape architect Fumiaki Takano. The red bridge is an obvious eye-catcher, and you'll be seduced by the colors of the flowers and the pond where colorful carp zigzag. The path of the water through the garden symbolizes the life of Albert Kahn.

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C9021Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C9021Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C9021Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C9021

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos

We then move on to the French garden. We discover 3 geometric blocks, characteristic of French gardens, in front of a large greenhouse still under construction. Roses, fruit trees, herbaceous beds and flowerbeds form the backdrop. It is bordered by two rows of lime and chestnut trees, accentuating the regularity of its design. The ornamental greenhouse, a magnificent piece of late 19th-century ironwork, serves as a winter garden.

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos

We then enter the large forest, which takes us from the Vosges to the meadow, where we discover birch, cedar and other wild plants. The meadow, with its multitude of wild plants, is inspired by a movement born in England at the end of the 19th century, which marked the search for an unfettered nature.

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos

We end with the English garden, characterized by the letting go of nature. This bucolic space features a flower lawn, rockery, pond and waterfall.

Les Jardins du musée Albert-Kahn qui nous emmènent en voyageLes Jardins du musée Albert-Kahn qui nous emmènent en voyageLes Jardins du musée Albert-Kahn qui nous emmènent en voyageLes Jardins du musée Albert-Kahn qui nous emmènent en voyage

In short, if you feel like going green, creating a sublime park and garden while traveling through different places and cultures, this is a walk that's well worth the detour.

Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8956Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8956Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8956Les jardins du Musée Albert Kahn, nos photos  -  A7C8956 JEMA 2024: meet the gardeners at the Musée Départemental Albert-Kahn
It's one of the most beautiful gardens in the Paris region: come and talk to the people who look after the garden at the Musée Départemental Albert-Kahn, during the Journées européennes des Métiers d'Art, on April 4, 6 and 7, 2024. [Read more]

Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Le nouveau Musée Albert Kahn se dévoile Musée départemental Albert-Kahn: the travel and photography collection
Head to the Albert-Kahn Museum to discover its newly renovated spaces. An opportunity to discover the new setting in which the philanthropist's collections are exhibited. [Read more]

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
Starts April 1st, 2022

×

    Location

    2 rue du port
    92100 Boulogne Billancourt

    Prices
    Tarif réduit: €5
    Plein tarif: €8

    Official website
    albert-kahn.hauts-de-seine.fr

    More information
    The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays), 11am to 6pm (October to March), 11am to 7pm (April to September). Closed May 1st, December 25th and January 1st to 14th.

    Comments
    Refine your search
    Refine your search
    Refine your search
    Refine your search