Roseraie de l'ancien Hôtel Baudy
81, rue Claude-Monet
About
If you're visiting the town of Giverny, the impressionists' favourite, (a must if you're planning a long stay in Paris), take yourself along to Hôtel Baudy and its splendid rose garden. Discovered in 1886 by American painter William Metcalf, Madame Baudy's small bistro became very popular thanks to the influx of artists who came to Giverny in search of inspiration. Have a look round its studio, built in 1887 for resident artists, and its vegetable garden. As for the rose garden, it stretches out over the hillside (which was previously a vineyard until it was wiped out by a fatal epidemic of phylloxera in the 19th century). Criss-crossed by little paths and stone stairways, it's an absolutely charming place. While you're in Giverny, visit the Musée Claude Monet too and, if you have the time, the Musée d'Art Américain. Directions: the museum is less than an hour from Paris. If travelling by car, take the A13 motorway and exit at Vernon or Bonnières. If travelling by train, take the train for Vernon from Paris' Saint Lazare main railway station and from there take the bus to Giverny.
