A regional site of the National Museum of Natural History, the Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden is located in the far southeast of France, at the gateway to Italy.
Sheltered in a valley, lush vegetation flourishes amid the coolness of fountains, ponds and shady paths, this acclimatization but also winter garden features 1,800 species of subtropical climate plants.
It has, among other things, beautiful collections of palms, bamboo, citrus and food or aquatic plants, as well as the not-to-be-missed rare plant of Sophora toromiro, native to Easter Island.
A bit of history
The estate, founded in the 19th century by the Monléon family, originally included farmland and a building dating back to 1875. Lord Percy Radcliffe, a general in the British Army, purchased it in 1905 with his wife Rahmeh Theodora Swinburne.
From that time, the transformation of the site then began, through the addition of new banks of land and the landscaping of the garden, decorated with exotic species including a splendid avenue of palm trees. In the 1920s the villa was expanded and renovated in the Italo-Provençal style by architect Henri Cerutti-Maori.
In memory of the English soldier’s wife who died prematurely, the site took the name “Val Rahmeh,” “valley of tranquility” in Arabic-Persian. Sold in 1934, it was enriched with new species at the discretion of successive owners, including Miss May Bud Campbell, who introduced rare and spectacular species from every continent.
Today, the estate is an exotic paradise, and visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the tropical magic of this amazing garden, which by the way has also been awarded the following labels: Heritage Garden, Tourist Quality Garden and EcoGarden.
Practical information
For more information visit jardinbotaniquevalrahmehmenton.fr
Address
Avenue Saint Jacques, 06500 Menton – France
Contacts
Phone: +33 4 93 35 86 72
Email: valrahmeh@mnhn.fr
Website: www.jardinbotaniquevalrahmehmenton.fr
Hours
Closed Tuesdays, May 1 and December 25
November to March 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
April through October 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Guided tours by a gardener every Thursday 10:15 a.m.
Rates
Full ticket
euro 8.00
Reduced ticket
euro 6,00
Family ticket
euro 24.00
NEW: ALCOTRA PASS!
VISIT AT LEAST TWO BOTANICAL GARDENS AND GET A 25% DISCOUNT ON THE SECOND GARDEN VISITED AND ON THE THIRD, PAY ONLY THE FIRST GARDEN AT FULL RATE.
HOW. PICK UP THE ALCOTRA NATURE AND CULTURE 2 CARD AT THE TICKET OFFICE OF THE FIRST GARDEN VISITED AND GET A GARDEN STAMP.