The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris go back to 1612, when Queen Marie de Médicis commissioned the palace and the park - consciously modelled on her native Florence. Today the French Senate sits in the palace, and the gardens are one of the rare spots in Paris where, in spring, it is genuinely worth coming just to sit.

The complex covers 25 hectares and combines two styles: the strict geometry of the French parterre with the freedom of English landscape design. More than 100 sculptures line the paths and lawns. The central pond, with toy boats for hire, is a favourite of Parisians and children alike. The iconic green metal chairs - which visitors are free to drag anywhere in the park - have become a symbol of the place.

The spring programme is full: beekeeping classes, gardening courses, children's theatre, concerts in the music pavilion. Every first Wednesday (April through October), the gardeners give themed tours of the park - a rare chance to hear what is behind all the greenery.

Around the corner: the Latin Quarter, the Sorbonne, the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, and the Panthéon with the tombs of Voltaire and Marie Curie. Park, history, coffee. Nothing more needed for a good Paris afternoon.