Jardin Serre de la Madone, Terraced botanical garden in Menton, France
The seven-hectare garden features multiple levels connected by stone pathways, decorated with classical statues, fountains, and Mediterranean plants throughout the property.
Lawrence Johnston, an American-born British soldier, established this garden in 1924 after acquiring agricultural terraces in the Gorbio valley of Menton.
The garden incorporates elements from English and French design traditions, with separate garden rooms showcasing plants collected during Johnston's expeditions across Asia and Africa.
Visitors can access the garden through guided or self-guided tours, with twelve water cisterns maintaining the irrigation system for rare plant specimens.
The garden contains tropical oak trees from the Himalayas and various exotic species that thrive in Menton's microclimate, unlike their original habitats.
Location: Menton
Address: 74, route de Gorbio
GPS coordinates: 43.77550,7.47550
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:49
France has several dozen botanical gardens combining scientific research and plant conservation. The greenhouses of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris host over 4,500 species in climate-controlled zones, while the Lyon Botanical Garden cultivates around 15,000 plants divided between historic greenhouses and thematic sections. Universities such as Strasbourg maintain scientific collections over 2.5 hectares with greenhouses dating from 1881, and the Nantes Botanic Garden conserves 11,000 species, including 50 protected French varieties. These facilities document four centuries of botanical study and serve both education and research. Coastal gardens utilize temperate maritime conditions to display unusual plants. The Roscoff Exotic Garden gathers 3,500 species from the Southern Hemisphere on a rocky promontory, cultivating Australian and New Zealand plants adapted to Brittany’s climate. On the French Riviera, the Èze Garden showcases Mediterranean and succulent collections at 1,407 feet above sea level, while the Saint-Jean-de-Luz Coastal Botanical Garden focuses on Atlantic coastal species. The Grandes Bruyères Arboretum near Orléans encompasses 15,000 trees and shrubs from Europe, Asia, and North America across 34 acres, organizing plantings according to their geographic origins.
Menton occupies a notable position on the French Riviera, a few kilometers from the Italian border, where the Maritime Alps descend into the Mediterranean Sea. This unique geographical location has shaped a town with a dual character, where French and Italian architectural influences blend naturally. Visitors can explore botanical gardens like Val Rahmeh and Serre de la Madone, religious sites such as the Basilica of Saint Michael Archangel and the Chapel of the White Penitents, as well as museums dedicated to art and local history. The waterfront is organized around the Menton Garavan Port, beaches, and the Promenade du Soleil which runs along the coast. Cultural heritage can be found particularly at the Jean Cocteau Museum Collection Séverin Wunderman, housed in a modern building by the water, and at the Palais Carnolès, a former summer residence of Monaco’s princes transformed into an art museum. The Halles Market offers regional products and local specialties each morning, while the Old Castle Cemetery perched on the heights provides an expansive view of the bay and reflects the city’s history through its 19th-century funerary monuments.
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Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Madone de Menton
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Ancienne chapelle de Carnolès
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