Imagine this: the purest honey in all of France comes from the heart of Paris. It’s a hidden gem, a secret whispered by the bees that buzz through the city’s gardens and parks.
I stumbled upon this delightful fact during my recent trip to Paris. While the bees were snoozing, I embarked on a virtual honey hunt, just like those busy insects do when searching for the best pollen.
My journey started at the Jardin du Luxembourg, a sprawling green oasis in the city center. There, amidst the vibrant flowers and towering trees, I discovered a hidden apiary. A sign nearby pointed me towards the Beekeeping School, an institution with a fascinating history dating back to 1856. The school, which boasts the title of France’s oldest urban apiary, even holds an annual Honey Festival.
My curiosity piqued, I delved deeper into the school’s website. I was captivated by the image of the “monumental” apiary that once stood in the Jardin, a gift from General Marquis d’Hautpoul to a beekeeper named Henri Hamet. The website even depicts the beekeepers in their traditional top hats, which I couldn’t help but picture being tipped with a flourish as a bee takes flight, adding a touch of whimsy to the scene.
If you’re as intrigued by this Parisian beekeeping tradition as I am, you can learn more about the Societe Centrale d’Apiculture. One intriguing detail I discovered is the website’s translation of beekeepers as “listeners.” Could this be a nod to the age-old tradition of “telling the bees,” a practice where important events are shared with the bee colonies? If you have any insights, please share!
The website features stunning photographs of the beekeeping course, further fueling my desire to immerse myself in this fascinating world.
Returning home, I continued my exploration of Paris’ honey scene. I learned that the city’s honey is so exceptional due to the ban on pesticides implemented in 2019 and the abundance of diverse plants and trees. I can only imagine the unique flavors of honey from the Jardin Luxembourg, with its chestnut trees, and the Tuileries, with its fragrant linden trees.
But it’s not just the honey itself that makes Paris’ beekeeping story so compelling. It’s the people behind it, the characters who add a dash of magic to the city’s buzzing scene. One such character is Jean Paucton, a former opera props man who started keeping beehives on the rooftop of the Opéra Garnier, a tradition that continues today with a thriving colony of 450,000 bees, their honey sold alongside opera-themed souvenirs. Another fascinating figure is Audric de Campeau, of le Miel de Paris, who uses the unique environment of the Catacombs to age his honey wine.
You can explore more of Paris’ apiaries through these links [insert links here].
There’s so much more to discover about the world of Parisian beekeeping, but for now, I find myself dreaming of studying beekeeping in the City of Lights and becoming a “listener” myself. My own family has a connection to the Jardin Luxembourg, as my granddaughter Maisie attended a nursery there last year. Perhaps our “school” days in the garden will inspire me to embrace the art of beekeeping. Or maybe I’ll simply settle for a game of petanque under the shade of the chestnut trees.
The magic of honey, the buzzing stories of the bees, and the charm of Paris all come together in this enchanting journey. Let me leave you with these beautiful words from Jo Shapcott’s “Six Bee Poems”:
Believe me,
through my mouth dusted yellow
with their pollen, I spoke bees, I breathed bees.
