Winter garden

Entering the winter garden is the best way to discover tropical humidity. Beneath the canopy of the great palm trees sheltering numerous ornamental tropical plants, a trail dedicated to useful plants provides an opportunity for a close-up view of the sources of many of the products we consume every day: coffee, cocoa, spices, fibres, tropical fruits and many more.

An agreeable warmth

All year round the gardeners keep the climate warm and humid manually, unlike the other greenhouses, where the shade and watering are semi-automatic. Winter or summer, the winter garden offers visitors a stunning tropical atmosphere.

A relic of the Victorian era

The winter garden was constructed in 1911 by architect Henri Juvet and glassmaker Amiguet-Perrier. This highly sophisticated Victorian building is a testament to the industrial revolution and an exquisite miracle of elegance. Inspired by the palm house in the municipal flower garden at Auteuil in Paris, built in 1898, the structure here is much more delicate, as during its construction it benefited from the considerable technical advances of the time, particularly in glass manufacturing. Initially built where the avenue de la Paix now runs, the oldest greenhouse at the Botanical Garden was dismantled and reassembled in its current location in 1935, then lovingly restored in 1998.

Map of the garden