Rendez-vous aux Jardins - Go to the gardens

A new invitation to discover the richness and diversity of public and private parks and gardens by strolling, walking at your own pace to discover or rediscover the place, to stroll alone or with the family. Two guided tours are scheduled in Avignon: - Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6 from 10.30am to 12pm: Guided tour of the restoration of the Rocher des Doms garden. After 18 months' work, (re)discover the restored garden with Avignon's Monuments Historiques department. Designed in 1863 by the famous landscape gardener Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps, who also designed the Jardins du Luxembourg, Parc Monceau, Parc des Buttes Chaumont and Parc Montsouris, the garden, which has just been reopened to the public, is as much a leisure center for the people of Avignon as it is a must-see for tourists and visitors. The Rocher Des Doms garden is part of the Unesco World Heritage site, a listed site and, more recently, a protected historic monument. Departure point to be announced. - Saturday June 6 and Sunday June 7, 2.30 - 4.30 pm: Five senses in the garden: Sight Behind its medieval facades and centuries-old ramparts, the papal city hides another, more discreet but equally bewitching treasure: its secret gardens. True havens of peace, these gardens in Avignon offer a poetic breath of fresh air in the heart of the city, between historic heritage and preserved nature. Some are revealed in a quiet alleyway, others are hidden behind doorways. What they all have in common is their serenity, their bucolic charm and an atmosphere almost suspended in time. Whether nestled in ancient cloisters, perched on panoramic heights or hidden behind high stone walls, these green corners tell a different story of Avignon - one that's more intimate, more plant-based. While it's true that all the senses are stimulated in the garden, the first is undoubtedly sight. Sight is the first sense touched by the garden, by the diversity of plant shapes and colors. The garden becomes a veritable palette of colors. Departure point: Tourist Office - 41 cours Jean Jaurès Tours are free of charge and must be booked in advance: www.avignon-tourisme.com The Musée Louis Vouland (17, rue Victor Hugo) also offers a rich program: - À première vue... Sight is the theme of Rendez-vous au jardin 2026. We invite you to join us in the museum's garden, designed as a sensitive, sensory extension of the collections to promote biodiversity, and as a refuge for the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux (League for the Protection of Birds) since 2021. We invite you to walk, sit, lie down, observe, close your eyes, feel, see the invisible, and enjoy a few sensory experiences to gain a new understanding of this urban garden. You'll also have the chance to hear about the history of this garden, which hides the Canal de Vaucluse, from the Dominican convent to the present day. Open Saturday and Sunday, 2 pm to 6 pm Prices : Adults: €8 | Reduced: €5 | Children (under 12): Free - On your bike! Picnic tour For all, ages 8 and up Saturday, June 6, 1 pm to 3 pm Cyclists, how about a break at the Vouland Museum? A picnic. A siesta. A visit to the Bird Protection League's refuge garden, and a tour of the exhibits to discover the landscapes of Provence. You can park your bikes - with their panniers - in the garden, a stone's throw from the Via Rhôna, and let the birds and the fountain lull you to sleep in the shade of the maple tree. What a pleasant bike welcome! Rates : Adults: €8 | Reduced: €5 | Children (under 12): Free + €2 for visit and organic syrup - Observe For all, ages 7 and up Saturday June 6 at 3:30 pm Sunday, June 7, 2:30 p.m. At first glance, the garden is quite natural and abundant. But if we take the time to observe, step by step, the orientation, the architecture, the soil, the grasses, the trees, their foliage, the flowers, the insects, the birds, every nook and cranny of the garden, in the shade or in the sun, sheltered or open to the wind, what becomes our perception of the (mi)lieu? What if we describe and draw? What about touch, smell, taste and hearing? Open Saturday and Sunday, 2pm to 6pm The museum is Accueil Vélo, the garden an LPO refuge. Museum, exhibitions, garden, visit or activity: Adults: 8 € | Reduced: 5 € | Children (- 12 years): Free | - Calligraphy workshop in the garden Ages 10 and up Sunday, June 7, 4 pm to 6 pm Ji Dahai, calligraphy painter, presents his works from the "Resurgence" exhibition, before introducing you to the ancestral art of calligraphy in the garden. Born at the height of the Cultural Revolution, Ji Dahai grew up in Beijing. He learned calligraphy from his grandfather, then painting from the artist Lai Shaoqi. After studying French, he became a calligrapher and has lived in Provence since 2005. Museum, exhibitions, garden, visit and workshop: €20 | Young people (aged 10 to 25): €15 Reservations essential (limited to 10 participants) : T : 04 90 86 03 79 | musee@vouland.com www.vouland.com La Maison de Fogasses (37 rue des Fourbisseurs) presents a show, Saturday June 6 and Sunday June 7 at 6:30pm: Portraits affectueux des outils de jardin The wheelbarrow is the fruit of the love affair between the wheel and the lever... She doesn't make a fuss about it. Open tea room. Price: €5, reservations on 06 63 80 03 37 or 06 67 12 67 07 Further information at https://rendezvousauxjardins.culture.gouv.fr/