Valence’s parks and gardens: green oases in the city

A walk in the garden is a source of reverie and a real invitation to stroll around the alleys, the groves and the trees that awaken the pleasure of walking for both children and adults.

Here is a selection of parks and gardens to discover in Valence as the seasons change.

Nature in Valence

Nature has its place in Valence, since the city has 300 hectares of green spaces and 53 parks, squares and public gardens. Like all Valencians, this means that you always have a green space within a 10-minute walk of your hotel in Valence.

An eco-responsible management of parks

The Green Spaces and Nature in the City department maintains Valence’s parks using environmentally friendly methods.

In the Parc de l’Épervière, for example, the shredded material from the pruning of trees and shrubs is used as mulch in the flowerbeds, while the rubble from demolitions on the site was used to design the park’s pathways. Finally, the city uses topsoil from the cleaning of a rainwater basin on the site as part of the work.

Since 2009, the city of Valence has also committed to no longer using pesticides for the maintenance of its green spaces, its sports fields and for floral production. Thus, to fight naturally against harmful species, diseases or weeds, chemical pesticides are replaced by predators (especially insects) or natural products.

Many other environmentally friendly techniques are used in Valence to care for green spaces. These include:

• Mulching, which is a system that grinds the grass without collecting it in order to feed the lawn, like a compost;
• Reasoned mowing, which consists of respecting the life cycle and reproduction of animals and plants. In this way, mowing is voluntarily carried out at a variable height depending on the season and the site;
• A minimal lighting system in the parks, so as not to disturb the animal species;
• The use of wooden furniture;
• Lawns without watering…

What are the parks and gardens of Valence to visit?

The canals of the Châteauvert district

The fauna and flora that make up the canals of Valence form a particularly rich network of 40 km that crosses and embellishes various districts of the city, including that of Châteauvert. This pleasant walk is a great opportunity to discover the history and uses of these small waterways.

Tours are frequently organized by the city. For more information, we advise you to consult the city hall’s page dedicated to the canals. You can also contact them by phone at 04 75 79 20 86 or by mail at the following address: artethistoire@valenceromansagglo.fr

The Shared Gardens of L’Oasis Rigaud

Created in 2003, the shared gardens of the Rigaud oasis are located in the heart of the city and now include 49 gardened plots. The Rigaud Oasis now represents 8000m² of gardens.

On nice weekends, it’s a perfect opportunity to participate in the collective ornamental work site around the pond, chat with the gardeners and residents of the retirement home and let your children have fun at the educational plot.

Moreover, the oasis is an ecosystem in its own right with many different species of flowers, extraordinary vegetables and an unsuspected biodiversity.

The garden is located on rue Reynaldo Hahn, behind the Fontbarlettes library. For more information, do not hesitate to contact Meriem FRADJ (President) at 07 82 27 55 74 or at the following email address: mat.valence@gmail.com

The Shared Gardens of L’Oasis Rigaud

Created in 2003, the shared gardens of the Rigaud oasis are located in the heart of the city and now include 49 gardened plots. The Rigaud Oasis now represents 8000m² of gardens.

On nice weekends, it’s a perfect opportunity to participate in the collective ornamental work site around the pond, chat with the gardeners and residents of the retirement home and let your children have fun at the educational plot.

Moreover, the oasis is an ecosystem in its own right with many different species of flowers, extraordinary vegetables and an unsuspected biodiversity.

The garden is located on rue Reynaldo Hahn, behind the Fontbarlettes library. For more information, do not hesitate to contact Meriem FRADJ (President) at 07 82 27 55 74 or at the following email address: mat.valence@gmail.com

Museum of Valence – Garden of the Episcopal Palace

The garden of the bishop’s palace seems to have originated in the 16th century, since Belleforest’s Cosmographie, a representation of the city of Valence in 1575, shows several trees to the south of the palace, which testifies to the presence of a space devoted to greenery.

However, it was not until the 18th century that the first private garden was created in the French style, with geometric and symmetrical clumps.

It is during the following century that the garden is transformed and adopts a more picturesque style, inspired by English gardens, which it will keep until today.

The garden has been classified as a site since November 26, 1941, as is the terrace, and includes several species of rare trees including a cryptomeria.

You can visit the museum garden from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 6pm.

You can get more information about prices on the museum’s website.

The Jouvet park

The Jouvet park is a public botanical garden of 7 hectares located under the esplanade of the Champ de Mars. This garden of composite style, between the French and English garden, includes ponds, canals, menageries and trees of collections.

Thus, in the central area of the slope, around the monumental staircases, the style is regular “à la française” while on the largest part of the garden, the style is landscaped.

Strolling along its paths, you will discover a magnificent rose garden, several playgrounds for children, a rock garden, numerous water features lined with exotic plants, an aviary and a large shade room formed by plane trees over 40 meters high.

Entrance to the park is free of charge and some visits are provided by the Valence City of Art and History Department.

In February, the Jouvet Park is open every day from 7:30 am to 6 pm.

The Escargot garden

This pretty private city garden is 150 m2, and is located at 4, rue de Mulhouse, in Valence.

Created in 2010 at the foot of a 1930’s house by two landscape designers, it is laid out in different landscape scenes and includes a shade garden, an English garden, a Mediterranean garden and a Japanese garden.

The visit is free every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm.

For more information, please call 04 75 42 26 52.