The historic Val-de-Grâce Gardens: a sprawling green space reopened to the public this Tuesday

After more than a year of renovations, the Val-de-Grâce Gardens will open to the public on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, starting at 10:30 AM. Located behind the historic Val-de-Grâce Abbey, this sprawling green space covering over 16,000 square meters is returning to Parisians, who will be able to enjoy it during the warmer months. The gardens offer a unique blend of nature and heritage, home to nearly 430 trees and rich biodiversity, and have been classified as a Historic Monument since 1972.

[midroll]

These gardens are part of the original layout of the convent commissioned by Queen Anne of Austria (1601-1666) to celebrate the birth of Louis XIV (1638-1715). During the Revolution, the site was repurposed by the Convention into a military hospital: the intricate flowerbeds typical of French-style gardens gave way to shaded walkways better suited for the strolling of wounded soldiers.

In the 19th century, the garden was divided by hospital pavilions. These structures were demolished in 1974 to make way for parking lots. The same year, a modern hospital was built where the vegetable garden had been. Thanks to this restoration, the gardens have preserved their original layout, featuring groves, a geometric garden, accessible lawns, a half-moon prairie, and a central basin reconstructed from the original site’s remaining fragments.

Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce church, a royal edifice near the hospital in the Latin Quarter
Did you know that the Val-de-Grâce church was built at the request of Queen Anne of Austria, in gratitude for the birth of her son, Louis XIV? A majestic building in the 5th arrondissement, the church can be visited at the same time as the Musée du Service de Santé des Armées. [Read more]