The Tuileries palace is gone today (it was destroyed during the 1871 Paris Commune), and only a commemorative plaque remains. But this doesn’t stop the Jardin des Tuileries from easily living up to its reputation as a gorgeous locale. From the elegance of its carefully placed shrubberies and rows of trees (clipped and arranged in the geometric French garden style, bien sûr), to the pleasant surprise one gets by coming upon a group of sculptures (styles range from neo-classical to modern/contemporary) among the foliage and fountains, the Jardin des Tuileries offers a splendid place for an afternoon or evening stroll. At the eastern entrance, is the small pink marble Arc du Carrousel, which separates the Tuileries from the Louvre Museum. Looking west, one will see that this little Arc is directly in line with the Arc de Triomphe. This alignment is anything but coincidental: the Arcs (both built under Napoleon), along with the Louvre courtyards, the Jardin, the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde, and the Champs Elysées, make a straight line that extends through the heart of the city.

Artistic arrangement on a smaller scale can be found at the western end of the Tuileries, in the Jeu de Paume. This building, which was once the royal tennis courts, is today host to exciting art and photography exhibitions. Across from the Jeu de Paume is the Orangerie, which is now mainly known for its display of a series of Monet’s Water Lilies canvasses, stunningly arranged in a circular room.

All of this beauty only continues outside the Jardin and its museums. The streets to the north are full of designer shops, chic cafes, and stores selling chocolate, perfume, and luxury goods. English bookstore W.H. Smith is located just across from the Jardin’s northwest end. On the rue St. Honoré one finds St.-Roch, a Baroque church whose somewhat simple exterior belies a prettily sculptured interior that is definitely worth a look. Especially notable are the elaborately gilded and painted ceiling over the apse, and the sculpted clouds and rays of light in the center of the rear chapel. Many celebrity and government officials’ funerals are held at St. Roch. Sadly, the place seems to have a long history of fame and death – in 1795, a group of royalist insurgents were gathered on the church’s steps and shot in a bloody massacre.

Despite this sadness, or, perhaps, in part because of it, the Tuileries neighborhood makes for a great place to visit. Its blend of tragic and intriguing history, and the beauty of its streets and green space combine to make it a part of Paris that, for most people, is the stuff of dreams.