Beguiled by a secluded former French royal retreat

It’s probably pushing it a little bit to call a place that sprawls almost 500ha “a hidden gem”, especially when it’s right next door to Paris. But the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud definitely belongs in the “underappreciated” category. It’s a glorious summer’s afternoon and I have Parc de Saint-Cloud (as it’s also called), if not quite all to myself, then the vast majority of it.

I’ve seen a few young women picnicking together on one of the long grassy lawns, framed by avenues of horse chestnut trees. I’ve crossed paths with a group of joggers pounding their way up one of the steep shaded slopes. And I’ve seen a few young families pushing their prams along a terrace and pausing to admire the city of Paris spread out below.



But I’m constantly amazed at how few people are enjoying this beautiful park, which rolls in the hills above the River Seine to the west of the French capital, in the commune of Saint-Cloud (pronounced “San Cloo”). This became a royal domain in the 1570s when Queen Catherine de’ Medici, the wife of King Henry II, transformed a medieval house here into a stately residence surrounded by attractive gardens. The Chateau de Saint-Cloud was extended and embellished in the 17th and 18th centuries, when it became a favourite of Philippe I, the Duke of Orleans and brother of Louis XIV, and later Queen Marie-Antoinette arrived and had a rose garden added.

After the French Revolution, the Bonapartes made use of the chateau. Napoleon I seized power here during a coup d’etat in 1799, while after his proclamation as emperor, Napoleon III made the chateau one of the official residences of the imperial court. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war, a shell exploded in the Emperor’s apartments, sparking a fire that raged for two days, destroying the chateau.

Despite campaigns to have it rebuilt, you’ll have to use your imagination to picture it here today, although there is a small historical museum, located in the former Ecuries Basses building in the north-east of the park, that has a scale model showing how the palace looked before its demise. There’s so much else to take in as you explore the grounds, pausing by fountains, flower beds, topiary and statues of classical gods and goddesses. Much of the estate was landscaped by Andre Le Notre, the principal gardener of King Louis XIV and the mastermind behind the glorious gardens of the Palace of Versailles.

A contrast with the formal symmetry that fashions the majority of Parc de Saint-Cloud is the Trocadero Gardens, a 19th century pocket inspired by English garden design with paths twisting and curving by a lake and lawns shaded by cedar trees. If you haven’t brought a picnic, there’s a handful of eateries sprinkling the estate, including La Lanterne, which has impressive Parisian vistas, and l’Orangerie, which serves crepes and other dishes by the gardens’ 24-jet basin. As much as I have enjoyed my visit today, I do feel slightly unfulfilled, as I’ve not been able to walk around lower gardens, which are closed off this week as organisers are setting up stages and equipment for Rock en Seine, an annual music concert that’s held there in late August (Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey and LCD Soundsystem have headlined in recent years).

But my main regret is not getting to see the estate’s magnificent Baroque-style Grande Cascade in all its glory. Designed by Antoine Le Pautre in the 1600s, this lavishly-crafted waterfall, blessed with intricate stonework, is almost halfway through a four-year refurbishment. It should be restored to its former glory by 2027.

I have that date pencilled into my diary for another outing to Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, but if you’re in Paris before then, and looking for a nice escape from the city, I’d recommend it now, cascade or no cascade. fact file + Open daily from 7.30am, Domaine National de Saint-Cloud has free entry for pedestrians and cyclists, with vehicles incurring a charge.

There are Metro, bus and tram stops within walking distance of the park (particularly near the entrance gates of Saint-Cloud and Sevres). To help plan a trip here, see domaine-saint-cloud.fr + More information on visiting Paris is available at parisjetaime.

com.