Jardin Botanique, Botanical Garden, Nice, South France

If you happen to be in the West Nice area, there is this beautiful hideaway, called Jardin Botanique. It has been opened to the public since 1991 and is located on the hilly, east side of the city, from where it offers some amazing views. Peacefully beautiful and well maintained throughout the year, it lies on a surface of over 3.5 hectares, with more then 3500 species of mostly Mediterranean plants (some tropical species are constantly in bloom).
The garden is unique in its reconstructed Mediterranean landscape. It was granted the 'Remarkable Garden' label by the Botanical Gardens of France and Francophone Countries.

We lived vis-a-vis this garden for 1.5 years and came to visit it almost daily. We had seen it changing colours from spring all the way through the year to winter. With each season the garden was showing its beauty to the ones who came to appreciate it. I have my favourite spots there, such as the Africa section, with its bench, and a beautiful view, an ideal place to meditate or read a book, surrounded by nature and the birds singing. We've had some animal friends greeting us as soon we arrived.., from the friendly cat stretching its back and finding its place next to us, to stunning butterflies spreading their wings and dancing to the first rays of morning sunshine.

It is nice to visit this garden all year round. If you come to the garden with children, there is a little children's playground, surrounded by benches for parents to sit and enjoy the sun (or shade) whilst children are playing. There are a couple of tables for a picnic, it is where kids birthday parties take place. There is a small fountain with drinkable water so just fill your bottles or splash each other if the sun is just too much to bear.

To enjoy the top views, and even see the planes landing/taking off from the Nice Côte d'Azur airport just go all the way up. You will find another section with benches, admire the gardeners at work, the baby plants in pots, tiny greenhouses and palm trees.

The garden would mostly suit people looking for some peace and quiet to get away from the busy city center and to let their children play and to relax.

Valuable info:

• Jardin Botanique is located at 78 av Corniche-Fleurie, 06200 Nice, and the opening hours are 9:00-17:00 (nov - feb), 9:00-18:00 (oct), 9:00-19:00 (mar-sept)
• The garden has no restaurant and no shop but drinking water is available at the children's playground
• If you would like to stop by a shop before you go to the garden, then I highly recommend to visit our favourite organic supermarket La Vie Claire, located at Espace, 2 Av du Dr Victor Robini (opened from 8:30am Mon-Fri and from 9am Sat, closed on Sun), car is recommended 

• Enjoy your own lunch, at the tables located at the children's playground or from the very top of the garden, whilst marvelling at the views
• The garden would mostly suit a nature lover, seeking a bit of peace and quiet, ideal for wellness and meditation 

P.S. This has been my most difficult post to write. 😊 I could easily dedicate a whole blog just to this beautiful garden. My photo albums are full of its beauty and our time here. Choosing just a few was a tricky task and I will probably dedicate a separate post showing this garden through all its beautiful seasons. Anyway, I am leaving you with few more pics for now.. Hope you enjoy 😊