Saline Royale Gardens Festival
Where landscape art meets UNESCO World Heritage
About Gardens Festival
Saline Royale Gardens Festival: Landscape Art at the Heart of Heritage
Since 2001, the Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans, an architectural masterpiece by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982, has hosted a Gardens Festival that has become one of the most important landscape events in Europe.
Annual Renewal
Each year, nine 400 m² gardens are completely rethought and recreated around a renewed theme. These creations are located in the second half-moon of the Saline, where the salt workers' gardens once stood.
Some Themes from Recent Editions
- 2024: "Shade and Freshness" — nine cool oases designed by landscape students
- Each theme invites exploration of the relationship between humans, nature, and architecture
A Unique Educational Project
The Gardens Festival is, above all, a large-scale educational project. Each year, around 400 students from national landscape schools in France, Belgium, and Switzerland participate in the design and creation of the gardens, under the direction of Denis Duquet, chief gardener and Festival Director.
A multidisciplinary team of teachers, landscape architects, artists, and gardeners supervises this collaborative work, which unfolds over several months, from conception in winter to realization in spring.
An Exceptional Architectural Setting
The Saline Royale, designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux between 1775 and 1779, offers a unique architectural setting for landscape creations. The dialogue between contemporary gardens and the 18th-century utopian architecture creates a striking visual and sensory experience.
Accessibility and Duration
The festival is accessible from June to October, included in the Saline Royale entrance ticket. The gardens evolve with the seasons, offering a different experience depending on the visit period. It is a place for strolling, contemplation, and wonder for all audiences.
European Reach
Recognized by landscape professionals and cultural institutions, the Saline Royale Gardens Festival is among the major European garden festivals, alongside Chaumont-sur-Loire. It contributes to the influence of the Saline Royale and the Doubs department to a national and international audience.
Gardens Festival — edition 2026
The 26th edition of the Garden Festival of the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans takes place from June 7 to October 18, 2026 around the theme « Insects: the world of metamorphosis ». Nine new 400 m² gardens created by French, Belgian, and Swiss landscape architecture students invite visitors to discover the fascinating world of butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantises, carpenter bees, and antlion larvae, at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
26th Garden Festival — Insects: the world of metamorphosis
From June 7 to October 18, 2026, the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans hosts the 26th edition of its Garden Festival around a poetic and scientific theme: « Insects: the world of metamorphosis ». The nine new 400 m² gardens, installed in the monument's second half-moon, invite visitors to explore an often-unknown world — butterflies, stag beetles, praying mantises, carpenter bees, dragonflies — but also the organized societies of ants and the astonishing hunting strategies of antlion larvae.
A strengthened ecological approach
This edition is part of an ambitious CSR approach by the Royal Saltworks, promoting ecology, short supply chains, and the reduction of the carbon footprint in the design and creation of the gardens.
A European educational project
As every year, over 400 students from major landscape architecture schools in France, Belgium, and Switzerland participate in the design and creation of the gardens, under the direction of Denis Duquet, head gardener and festival director. Partner schools for this edition include ENSP Versailles, ENSAP Bordeaux, ENSAP Lille, Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, ESAJ Paris, HEPIA Genève, and Haute École Charlemagne in Belgium.
Over 30 gardens to discover
Beyond the nine new 2026 creations, the 13-hectare park offers about thirty permanent gardens: meadows, a miscanthus labyrinth, the Jura Arc garden, the dormancy garden, a presentation of cryptogams, and an edible forest.
Programme Gardens Festival 2026
The 7 selected ephemeral gardens for 2026
Selected through a call for projects among partner schools, here are the gardens of the 26th edition around the theme « Insects: the world of metamorphosis » :
- Vita Cyclum — on the life cycles of insects · HEPIA, Haute École du Paysage de Genève (Switzerland) · tutor: Julien Joly
- Ant-ique — on the social organization of insects · ENSAP Bordeaux (École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture et de Paysage)
- Aux Mille-Lieux — the world seen from the insect's point of view · ENSP Versailles (École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage) · tutor: Camille Frechou
- Jardin Kafkaïen — questions our perception of insects · Haute École Charlemagne (Belgium) · tutor: Edouard Vincent
- L'Odyssée des insectes — from soil to flight · Institut Agro Rennes-Angers · tutor: Vincent Bouvier
- Prière de ne pas marcher sur le jardinier — ENSAP Lille · tutor: Yves Hubert
- La marche des odonates — on dragonflies · ESAJ Paris (École Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins) · tutor: Renaud Barral
The complete list of the nine gardens will be published throughout spring 2026 on the official website salineroyale.com.
Activities and special events
Throughout the season, the Royal Saltworks offers guided tours, educational workshops, and special events related to the gardens (detailed program to be announced on the official website).
Highlights Gardens Festival 2026
- Theme of the 2026 edition: « Insects: the world of metamorphosis »
- 9 new ephemeral gardens of 400 m² to discover over 4 and a half months
- Over 400 landscape architecture students involved (France, Belgium, Switzerland)
- Over 30 permanent gardens to explore in addition across 13 hectares
- Strengthened CSR approach: ecology, short supply chains, carbon footprint reduction
- Exceptional architectural setting: UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982
- Festival included in the Royal Saltworks entrance ticket
Prices Gardens Festival 2026
Practical information — Gardens Festival
Practical Information
Dates
The Gardens Festival is accessible from June to October each year. It opens in early June, and the gardens remain visible until mid-October.
Location
Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans
Grande Rue, 25610 Arc-et-Senans
Prices
The festival is included in the Saline Royale entrance ticket. Prices: adult €11, reduced rate €9, free for under 6s.
Access
Arc-et-Senans is located 35 km southwest of Besançon via the D17. Arc-et-Senans SNCF train station on the Besançon-Mouchard line. Free parking on site.
Contact
Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans
Website: www.salineroyale.com
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Where does it take place — Gardens Festival
Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans
Grande Rue, 25610 Arc-et-Senans