It’s easy to associate food and wine with France, but what about surfing? The Atlantic coast, particularly the southwestern region, is a world-renowned surfing destination with some beaches offering waves as high as 30 meters (100 feet). And while you’re there, take a look at Europe’s tallest sand dune, near Bordeaux, at 100 meters (330 feet) high. Who knew that we have a geyser at Vals-les-Bains that erupts every 6 hours? And now for today’s topic that you might not immediately connect with France—bamboo—and the park dedicated to this prolific plant located within the Cévennes National Park.

We first learned of La Bambouseraie (the Bamboo Grove) while watching a TV documentary about the touristic steam train that operates within the Cévennes National Park between the towns of Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard with a stop at the botanical garden. There are 1000 varieties of bamboo plus other tropical trees, plants and flowers that the park’s brochure says will take about 2 hours to see. 

Plantings began in 1856 and it took almost 100 years for the gardens to develop to the point where they were opened to the public. The six main areas are:

• Redwood Alley—right at the entrance you are welcomed by giant trees and bamboo soaring into the sky.
• The Labyrinth—a maze created from a type of Japanese bamboo with very dense vegetation and short branches that makes an ideal hiding place.
• Pond garden—water lilies and other flowering plants thrive in this moist environment.
• Bamboo forest—the park’s namesake plants that grow as tall as 25 meters (82 feet).
• Dragon valley—a Japanese-style Zen garden of winding paths, a meandering stream, and pruned bushes designed to evoke tranquility and peace.
• Laotian village—a recreation of an Asian village highlighting the architecture and landscape of Laos.

Hungry for some bamboo after your visit? Sorry, their Bambousnack café only lists some items that you would definitely link to France including sandwiches on baguettes, a Croque Monsieur, and crepes for dessert.

Getting there: here’s a link for the steam train (sometimes diesel) between Anduze and Saint-Jean-du-Gard that stops at La Bambouseraie: https://www.trainavapeur.com/# You can also take a regular SNCF train to Alès, walk 2 minutes to the bus station, and then take bus Ligne 81 towards Saint-Jean-du-Gard https://www.alesy.fr/les-horaires/ It looks like it’s a 6-minute walk from the La Bambouseraie bus stop to the park entrance.

Photo note: All photos come from the La Bambouseraie website, thank you.