Created for the 1937 International Exposition, the gardens descend from the Palais de Chaillot toward the Seine and the Pont d'Iéna. At their heart, the Fontaine de Varsovie lines up 56 water jets and 8 water staircases, facing the Eiffel Tower. Free access, with the Aquarium de Paris on site.
Laid out for the 1937 International Exposition on the site of the earlier 1878 garden, the Trocadéro gardens cover nearly 94,000 sq m, designed by the architect Roger-Henri Expert. They occupy the slope that drops from the Palais de Chaillot down toward the Seine, opening the grand vista that continues through the Pont d'Iéna, the Champ-de-Mars, and the Eiffel Tower.
At the center, the Fontaine de Varsovie is the centerpiece. A series of cascading basins crowns a large pool whose water cannons throw fifty-six plumes that end their run in eight water staircases, the whole composition aligned on the Iron Lady. Along the basins, monumental statues (Hercules Taming the Cretan Bull by Albert Pommier, Apollo Musagetes by Henri Bouchard) and gilded bronze animals punctuate the walk.
The gardens offer open, free access. It is also here, on the esplanade Bernard-Dupérier at the foot of the Chaillot hill, that the Aquarium de Paris is set.
Historical facts and the description of the fountain are drawn from the Wikipedia entry: Jardins du Trocadéro. Some links to ticketing services are affiliate links (see Transparency).
List of 01/10/2026, closest first.
In the gardens, on the esplanade Bernard-Dupérier. More than 13,000 marine animals.
Explore →At the far end of the Pont d'Iéna, a few minutes on foot. Skip-the-line tickets and summit.
Explore →Boarding docks at the Pont d'Iéna, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Explore →It is the great fountain of the Trocadéro gardens: a series of cascading basins crowns a large pool, and its water cannons throw fifty-six plumes that end their run in eight water staircases, aligned with the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.
Yes, the gardens are a public space with free, open access. No ticket is needed to stroll through them or to see the Fontaine de Varsovie.
Yes. The Aquarium de Paris - Cinéaqua sits in the gardens, on the esplanade Bernard-Dupérier, at the foot of the Chaillot hill.
Métro Trocadéro, lines 6 and 9. The gardens descend from the Palais de Chaillot toward the Seine; the Pont d'Iéna leads to the Eiffel Tower.
Dive into the Aquarium de Paris, right there, or cross the Pont d'Iéna to head up the Eiffel Tower. Book your skip-the-line tickets.