Kobayashi-En Japanese Garden (Aix-les-Bains)
Kobayashi-en is a small Japanese garden located inside the Parc du Casino in Aix-les-Bains. It was designed in 1998 by Seiji Imanaka and Sadao Yasumoro.
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Oasis d'Aboukir
The Oasis d’Aboukir is a vertical garden designed by botanist Patrick Blanc and located in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris.
Grande Mosquée de Paris
The Grande Mosquée de Paris (Great Mosque of Paris) is located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris and is one of the largest mosques in France. It was built in the Moorish Revival architecture style and inaugurated in 1926.
Parc de Sceaux
The Parc de Sceaux is a large park located south of Paris. It used to belong to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who served as Minister of Finances of France under King Louis XIV. The park has a castle (Château de Sceaux), built in the 19th century, and an expansive garden designed by André Le Nôtre.
Parc de Saint-Cloud
The Parc de Saint-Cloud is a large park near Paris. It is located on the site of the Château de Saint-Cloud, a residence of royal and imperial families since the 16th century and destroyed in the 19th century. It has both a French and English-style garden, as well as a rose garden.
Keukenhof
In mid-April, I went to the Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest flower gardens, near Amsterdam. It is only open for 2 months every year (from mid-March to mid-May). It was a bit too early for tulips during my visit but the park has many other types of flowers.
Jinnah Garden
Jinnah Garden (Bagh-e-Jinnah in Urdu) is a well-maintained park in Lahore, Pakistan, located on Mall Road next to the Lahore Zoo. It is named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. The park has many kinds of plants, walking trails and lawns where to rest. It also houses a number of sports and entertainment facilities, as well as the Quaid-e-Azam Library.
Shalimar Gardens
The Shalimar Gardens (sometimes written as Shalamar Gardens) are a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore, Pakistan. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame) in the mid-17th century. The gardens have been laid out from south to north in three levels of terraces. In the terraces, there are basins with 410 fountains in total. Unfortunately, none of them were working while I was there.
Jardins Secrets de Vaulx
The Jardins Secrets (Secret Gardens) are a private garden and residence in Vaulx, near Annecy in Haute-Savoie. It was built over 30 years by one man and his family. It can be visited from April to October.
Naritasan Shinshoji Temple
On my last full day in Japan, I checked out early from my apartment in Tokyo and headed to a hotel next to the airport in Narita (Chiba prefecture). I then spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around Narita. The main highlight of the city is Naritasan Shinshoji Temple: It is a large buddhist temple dedicated to Fudo Myo. Besides the temple buildings, Naritasan is famous for its Gion festival, held every summer, its massive Great Pagoda of Peace and a large garden.