Things to see and do France

Less known than that of the Tête d'Or or that of Parilly, the park of Gerland is yet a green lung between the banks of the Rhone and the facilities of the Matmut Stadium. In the south of the city, this park is also called Confluent Park, offering natural continuity to the banks of the Rhone, or even privileged access to the Confluences Museum. Created by the landscape architect Michel Corajoud and inaugurated in 2000, this 18 hectare park occupies a former industrial site which has been preserved a building to house the Maison des Fleurs where you can discover all the natural interest of the famous Megaphorbiaie, the park's garden-promenade composed of 18,000 plans of 300 different species, water lilies, trees and vast lawns. A park naturally focused on sports activities: children's games, skate parks indoor and outdoor, carousel… You can also see many ducks in the canals or an astonishing chromatic garden that lights up in the evening.

These two gardens, located next to each other, are true haven of peace. The garden of the monastery lined by the "sacred wood" is ideal for meditation. It is the oldest garden in French Riviera. It is said that its plans have remained the same since 1546! Different varieties of flowers create colourful mosaics while old pergolas are adorned with climbing roses. Orange, mandarin and sour orange are found on a tidy lawn. On the lower part, ponds surrounded by benches in the shade make it a perfect spot for a refreshing break while the view on the eastern part of the city is splendid. Not far from there you will find the Garden of Arenas, speckled by the silvery touches of olive trees. This place is loved by bowls players of Nice who come there every season. A friendly atmosphere is guaranteed! There you will meet joggers as well as parents with their children.

A glass roof in place of the collapsed roof of an old church is an original idea to highlight the works of a sculptor from Angers, whose most famous works are far from his native town. You will see some preparatory drawings, statues, busts and medallions because, as you may have guessed, this was the speciality of David, known as d'Angers (not to be confused with the painter Jacques-Louis David, with whom he also trained). Most people know this artist thanks to the many streets that bear his name, but we often ignore his art. The sculptures of David d'Angers, which were generally commissioned, are to be found in the Espace Européen Gutenberg in Strasbourg as well as on the pediment of the Panthéon and in Père-Lachaise. In the former Toussaint abbey church, the plaster moulds of his works are on display, which he sent en masse to the Beaux-Arts of Angers in order to thank the city for having granted him a scholarship to study in Paris and then in Italy. The busts made by the sculptor are arranged on a mezzanine from which one can admire both the works as a whole and the elegance of the place, which would certainly have pleased this artist who himself nourished the architectural heritage by contributing to the Concorde bridge in Paris. This museum is out of the ordinary while reflecting a certain classicism, in the image of the artist that David d'Angers was, singular and yet admired by the Academy.

The fountain of the Three Graces is the emblem of the city. Located on the Place de la Comédie, it is a meeting place for many locals and tourists. A listed historical monument, the creation of the sculpture dates back to 1776 and is the work of Etienne Antoine. He represented characters from Greek mythology named: Aglaé, Euphrosine and Thalie. These "Charites" (Graces, in Roman) symbolize seduction, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility.