Paris1972-Versailles2003

Ok so looking back again, found me a picture in my cd rom vault that should be in m y blog for you and me. This is another fun spot in the jardin du Luxembourg my boys enjoyed tremendously, Therefore, let me tell you about the manège des chevaux de bois in the Jardin du Luxembourg of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

One of the grand site of my eternal Paris. Coming here since neons times and then with my boys to ride the boats in the basin, and more. Coming for work, I even stop by bus 82 to take glimpses of it. It is a sublime garden park, that is the Jardin du Luxembourg of Paris !!! The Carrousel du Jardin du Luxembourg  is the oldest merry-go-round in Paris is hidden in the shade of the chestnut trees of the Jardin du Luxembourg. Inaugurated in 1879, it is built to the plans of Charles Garnier, four years after the architect completed the Opéra (see post) which bears his name. 22 white, brown and black horses, three pairs of deer, an elephant, giraffes and two cradles make up this sublime rotating machine, but that’s not all! The one in the Jardin du Luxembourg has the riders on the outer circle of animals take a small spear from the operator, who then stands by holding a ring dispenser, the kids have to aim their stick and try to detach as many rings as possible as they go around. It’s a childhood ritual of which many Parisians have fond memories. Indeed !

The wooden horse carousel aka « ancien jeu de bague » or old ring toss, was created in 1879. It is the oldest carousel in Paris still in operation, based on the original animal designs of Charles Garnier, Garnier was, in fact, the godfather of the daughter of the carousel’s first operator, Madame Misset. Located near the Jeu de Paume (a tennis court), this carousel was the first attraction to be installed on the west terrace. The Luxembourg Garden carousel featured two gondolas, one red and the other green, about twenty horses, as well as a pair of lions, giraffes, elephants, and camels. Made of wood, probably in Germany, the figures combined finely carved decoration with colored highlights depicting eyes, harnesses, and hooves. Originally, the horses also had real horsehair tails. Leather straps ensured the children’s safety, and guides allowed them to imaginatively direct their mounts. Restored many times, successive owners ensured the animals retained their original appearance. Each had a name, proudly inscribed in capital letters. Its operation has never ceased since 1880. For conservation purposes, the “red and very mean” lion described by Rilke, “Sultan,” and the elephant “Toby” were removed from the riding arena in the 1970s and, having been donated, were restored in 2025.

The carousel enters literature in 1906 with Rainer Maria Rilke Rilke’s poem “Das Karussell”; it appears in a dazzling memory from Nathalie Sarraute’s “Childhood” and emerges as a watermark in the writings of Walter Benjamin. At the liberation of Paris in August 1944, it falls victim to its own reputation: a Wehrmacht soldier dismembers a dromedary and a zebra in order to transport them in one of the last trucks leaving for the German border. In Manchette’s thriller, “Ô dingos, ô châteaux!”, it serves as the backdrop for a dark story of child abduction.

By the 17C, jousting tournaments had been replaced by a less violent, more elaborate version of an equine extravaganza known as carrousel. Almost an equestrian ballet, a carrousel was an intricately coordinated pageant of a parade, with horses and their riders elaborately dressed. One of the most famous carousels of the time was that of 1662, a celebration Sun King, Louis XIV’s first son. It was held just to the west of the Louvre (the royal palace at the time), which is why this public square there is now called the Place du Carrousel.(arc see post)  Some of the oldest carousels in Paris are actually close in resemblance to their Renaissance ancestors.

The official Senat of France on the jardin du Luxembourg activities : https://jardin.senat.fr/en/activities.html

The Paris tourist office on the jardin du Luxembourg : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/culture/jardin-du-luxembourg-p1063

The City of Paris on the jardin du Luxembourg : https://www.paris.fr/lieux/jardin-du-luxembourg-1793

There you go folks, always a happening place, full of Parisians and visiting families fun for all and a must to visit while in Paris. The jardin du Luxembourg  is sublime. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the manège des chevaux de bois in the Jardin du Luxembourg of Paris !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!