Jardin extraordinaire is a public park in Nantes, in the western part of the former Carrière de Miséry on the right bank of the Loire. It is located in the Bellevue - Chantenay - Sainte-Anne district and is accessed from the south by boulevard de Cardiff and quai Marquis-d'Aiguillon. The park was inaugurated on an unspecified date.
The site is characterized by a 25-meter-high waterfall and by vegetation adapted to the quarry’s microclimate, including giant water plants, ivies, banana trees, and tree ferns. A metal staircase designed by François Delarozière connects the garden to square Maurice-Schwob on the cliff top.
The eastern quarry part was planned to host the Arbre aux Hérons attraction in 2022, but the project was canceled that year. The second part of the park, covering 1.5 hectares, is expected to open in 2025 and will include a misty wetland, a vegetable garden, a via ferrata, and a natural basin with shallow water filtered by phyto-purification. The project also provides for the conservation of existing trees and new plantings. Biological inventories in the western part recorded bird, dragonfly, butterfly, and reptile species.
Nearby Objects
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Jules Verne Museum 300 m away -
Saint-Anne's Church 300 m away -
Les Anneaux 650 m away -
Maillé-Brézé 1000 m away -
Place Général-Mellinet 1300 m away
Design and planned development
Jardin extraordinaire is a public park in Nantes, located in the western part of the former Carriere de Misery on the right bank of the Loire, in the Bellevue - Chantenay - Sainte-Anne district. It is accessed from the south side via boulevard de Cardiff and quai Marquis-d'Aiguillon. The park was inaugurated on an unspecified date and includes a 25-meter-high waterfall, together with giant water plants, ivies, banana trees, and tree ferns that benefit from the quarry's microclimate.
A metal staircase designed by Francois Delaroziere links the garden to square Maurice-Schwob on the cliff top. The eastern quarry part was planned to host the Arbre aux Herons attraction in 2022, but the project was canceled in 2022 after the disenchantment carnival organized by the Commune de Chantenay collective.
The second part of the project covers 1.5 hectares and is expected to open in 2025. It will include a 4,680 square meter misty wetland, a vegetable garden, a via ferrata, and a natural basin with shallow water up to 40 cm deep for wading, with water naturally filtered by phyto-purification. The eastern part is intended to provide an immersive landscape inspired by Jules Verne's stories. The works for this part cost 5.3 million euros, and the project will conserve 150 existing trees and plant 280 new trees, for a total of 542 trees after completion.
Biodiversity in the Western Part of Intro
An inventory by Bretagne Vivante documented notable biodiversity in the western part of Intro. The survey recorded 27 bird species, including the common kestrel and the European goldfinch. It also identified 16 species of dragonflies and 20 species of butterflies in the same area. Reptiles and amphibians observed there included the wall lizard and the spotted salamander. These records highlight the ecological interest of the western part of the site within Jardin extraordinaire.