Les Jardins d’Étretat
REGION: NORMANDIE

The Avatar Garden
In Sanskrit, ‘Avatar’ means the descent of the divinity upon Earth, namely, the guardian of creation, incarnate in the universe. This arrangement is symbolically set at the entrance to the gardens, balancing between the real world and the gateway to the surreal fairy-tale made of plant sculptures, where even the trees make music.

The Emotions Garden
This garden has been modelled after Marie-Antoinette’s first French oyster park, which historically lies at the foot of Les Jardins d’Étretat and is now home to a set of expressive faces. The garden plants are shaped to resemble a seabed.

The Impressions Garden
This historical part of the garden overlooks the Étretat cliffs. The plants seem to embody the flowing water, along with the tides and ebbs of the English Channel washing over the cliffs. This is the vantage point from which Claude Monet made a series of stunning landscapes while working on the upper terrace of the garden

D’Aval Garden
This is the meeting point for artists, where one may discover magical plants inspired by the world of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the yew arches that symbolize the famous Aval Cliff of Étretat.

The Zen Garden
According to Zen philosophy, the garden embodies the harmony between man and nature. The garden houses a sound installation, evoking the ideas of Gesamtkunstwerk. Hanging in the air, these earthenware pieces add to the calming sonic ambiance of the garden, as the word ‘art’ resounds in every language imaginable, both dead and alive, to represent the divine harmony of creation.

La Manche Garden
This centrepiece is composed of hedge mazes, shaped like waves, crashing against the cliffs and arches of Etretat.

D’Amont Garden
The garden majestically towers above the lower slopes of Les Jardins d’Étretat, imitating the rocky layers of the White Cliffs of Normandy.