La Roseraie du Parc Lebaudy on the Ile de Puteaux

Just a stone's throw from Paris, Parc Lebaudy is a listed site located on the Ile de Puteaux, behind the aquatic center. With a length of 2 km and shared between the communes of Puteaux (5/6th) and Neuilly-sur-Seine (1/6th), it is the largest park in the whole commune, with 33,200 m2 of greenery.

For the record, it was in 1942 that Madame Lebaudy, widow of a sugar industrialist, donated her land on the island of Puteaux to the commune. The park naturally adopted her name in the 1980s.

This lush green space is home to a sublime rose garden, reminding us that rose-growing, like vine-growing, was an important economic activity in Puteaux from the late 18th and throughout the 19th centuries. Did you know that the rose known in Latin as "Rosa damascena officinalis" or perfumers' rose, is also called"Rose de Puteaux" since it was grown in the commune?

It has to be said that this rose, true to the Damask rose, was much sought-after for its curative virtues and its scent. It was sold to pharmacists and perfumers alike. Factories linked to the perfume industry set up shop in Puteaux: Coty perfumes on the island, parfums d'Orsay and Houbigant on rue des Bouvets, Bienaimé perfumes on rue Félix-Piat and Caron on rue de la République.

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Today, the rose garden boasts some 1,600 rose plants and around 200 different species. All of which makes for a delightful stroll. With its fountain and watercourse set in a pretty French garden with sculptures, well, pruned trees and rose arches, this bucolic rose garden is sure to delight. Note that the beauty of this rose garden is at its best from May to June for an explosion of color, but it remains a sublime, pleasant and verdant spot the rest of the year.

For practical information, please note that the park is open free of charge from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm from October 1 to May 31, and from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm from April 1 to September 30.