Parc de l'Amitié, the superb Japanese park in Hauts-de-Seine

Do you love the beauty of Japanese parks and gardens? Have you heard of the Parc de l'Amitié in Rueil-Malmaison, just outside Paris? Just a stone's throw from the sublime Parc des Impressionnistes, this unusual 1.5-hectare garden in the heart of the town center is sure to win you over.

This neighborhood park is home to a stunning 2,500m2 Japanese and Zen garden. A surprising and exotic setting, with a sublime red bridge over a pretty pebbled stream. Around this Japanese bridge, rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias sublimate the setting in spring. In autumn, the park is decked out in the beautiful colors of its colored maples and water lilies on the water.

The bridge is reminiscent of the sublime Japanese garden at the Musée Albert Kahn, which we love so much. The good news is that this park is entirely free and accessible to all.

It's the ideal place to rest, meditate and relax. A Zen garden with traditional pebble arabesques can also be discovered just in front of the bridge.

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There are also other themed gardens: the secret garden, the Renaissance garden, the garden of scents with its aromatic plants where sage, mint, thyme and wormwood reveal their beautiful fragrances, and a beautiful rose garden with some 50 varieties of roses and a beautiful central gazebo.

In April, the tulip and narcissus displays brighten up this park, which is very popular with local residents, followed by the rhododendrons that brighten up the small pond. The park is open from 7.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October to the end of April, and extends to 8 p.m. from May to September.

So, how about an originalJapanese discovery?