While it's set above the Gare Montparnasse railway station, this garden is actually supposed to recall the luxury of travel on the high seas. Opened in 1994, the park, located on the rooftop of the commuter terminal, is designed to replicate a "ship" of green floating between office towers, with lampposts standing in as masts and a pair of raised walkways recreating the bridge of a ship.

Known more recently as the Jardin de la Nouvelle France, this park has entranced dozens of travel writers. Located off the crowded Champs-Élysées and accessible by a tiny set of stone steps, this 1.7-acre hideout boasts a footbridge, an artificial pond with carp meandering under the surface, and a white marble sculpture by Alfred de Musset fittingly titled "The Dream of the Poet." A thick blanket of flora, including orange and lemon trees, provide fragrant cover, with a canyon-like layout and waterfall completing your escape.

Populated with dozens of different species of trees, this park is named after Aristide Boucicaut, the entrepreneur who created the French department store Le Bon Marche, a Parisian equivalent to Marshall Fields (the original location, complete with a metal frame constructed by Gustave Eiffel, stands across the street) . Boucicaut's innovations included adding a reading room to his store for husbands to entertain themselves while their wives shopped, and creating the "white sale" to help during slow winter months. The park, which includes a sandpit, playground and children' carousel, also features a statues that honors the charitable work of Aristide's wife.

Hey romantics, this slice of green at the tip of the Ile de la Cite, named after amorous King Henri the IV (literally the "go-getter," or Vert-Galant) is for you. Shaded views of swans on the Seine, nearby buildings such as the Hôtel des Monnaies, as well as the nearby boat launch for small river cruises make this a compelling place to pass the afternoon hours.

Measuring four acres in total, this park in the 17th arrondissement would be better described as lesser-known as opposed to hidden, but still gets the job done for those seeking refuge (as well as a place to feed the ducks). Amidst the undulating lawns of this English-style garden, created by order of Napolean III from a once abandoned tract of land, one can find a variety of trees, from hazelnut to Siberian elm to Japanese cherry. The most poetic, however, may be the single palm tree stored inside a glass gazebo.

While it may seem like the Parisian landscape has been a collection of charming cafes and narrow streets for all eternity, it actually began in a state very similar to this small park near the Montmartre vineyard, the only "natural park" in the city. Formerly fallow ground was encouraged to stay wild, with a sculpted pond and pathway standing as the only man-made intrusions to the landscape.

A small grid of herbs planted near Montmartre, the medicinal garden was established by the ladies of the abbey centuries ago.

A tour of Paris' hidden and lesser-known gardens wouldn't be complete without sitting in the shade of the city's oldest tree. In 1601, the King's gardener, Jean Robin, planted a handful of seeds, one of which grew into this brute that has become so large, the city had to add a pair of concrete crutches to help it support its own weight. This small park also provides view of Notre Dame.

Part of the city's biodiversity initiative, this concealed organic garden contains wild oaks and hedgehogs, and the grounds carry the scent of chamomile. The adjoining Jardin Lesseps also features a rare outdoor amenity: a public ping-pong table.

Created by Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand, this small pocket park near Les Invalides actually offers a nice view of the Eiffel Tower away from the crowds.

Named after a nun who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary, this park now offers visions of vine-covered pergolas, ideal for a shaded picnic in warmer weather.

Part of the Musee Guimet, the city's museum of Asian art located inside a classical mansion, this array of giant bamboo fronds and a tea pavilion transports visitors to Japan.