Established in 1593 by royal edict of Henry IV, Montpellier's Jardin des Plantes is France's oldest botanical garden and the inspiration for the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The beautifully designed grounds include a lake, a systematic garden, an orangery, an arboretum and greenhouses with over 2,000 species of plants. Open in the mornings to university students and researchers and afternoons to the public, the garden is free of charge.