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Square du Vert-Galant

The Square du Vert-Galant is a small triangular garden of 1,642 m² at the western tip of the Île de la Cité, next to the Pont Neuf, in Paris's 1st arrondissement. It is reached by going down steps that lead to a level seven metres below the rest of the island. The space is planted with lime trees, a walnut tree, a Katsura tree (the 'forty-coin tree'), a hornbeam and a weeping willow at the far end, and from it there is a broad view over the river, the Louvre, the Pont des Arts, the Hôtel de la Monnaie, the Institut de France and the Académie française. On Place du Pont-Neuf, the equestrian statue of Henri IV overlooks the garden, named 'Vert Galant' after the king's nickname. The place has a dense history: in 1314 it was the site of the burning at the stake of Jacques de Molay, the last grand master of the Templars, and a commemorative plaque stands at the entrance to the square. The garden was created in 1884 by joining two small islets to the main island, and in 2007 it received the 'Espace Vert Écologique' label. In strong winds or bad weather, the garden closes for safety reasons.

Near Square du Vert-Galant