It is one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. The garden is surrounded by four luxury shopping by four luxury shopping arcades. Cardinal de Richelieu had good taste. He used to organize walks and mini-hunts for King Louis XIII, to whom he bequeathed the Cardinal's palace and the garden. The garden, as we know it, dates from Charles X.

Balzac describes it acerbically in his novels. A place of all vices, the garden of the Palais-Royal in the 19th century, the Palais Royal garden was a haunt of gambling dens, brothels and young men such as Lucien de Rubempré in search of for oblivion. Only two sculptures remain: Martial Thabard, Le Charmeur de serpents & Paul Le Moyne, The Shepherd and the Goat.