La Jaÿsinia Alpine Botanical Garden

This alpine botanic garden was set up in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognac-Jaÿ who founded La Samaritaine department store in Paris. It is an exceptional garden.

Free admission. Guided tours for groups by prior arrangement. https://www.samoens.com/jardin-botanique-de-la-jaysinia-visites-de-groupes/ Please note: no pets, bicycles or scooters, no picnics, no plant picking.

The Jaÿsinia features 4,500 mountain plants, divided into 2,500 species. The Alpine botanical garden is carved into the south-facing mountainside overlooking the village. Covering an area of 3.7 hectares, La Jaÿsinia is located on a steeply sloping site (80 m vertical drop). This Alpine gem boasts 2,500 species of mountain flora from five continents. A total of 4,800 plants from all over the world make up this unique mountain botanical garden. From 1936 to 2023, it was under the scientific direction of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (department of Botanical and Zoological Gardens). The garden features a laboratory open to scientists. The laboratory houses a herbarium collection of plants from Savoie and the Alps. The "La Jaÿsinia" garden in the Haute-Savoie village of Samoëns is an exceptional natural setting in the heart of the region's heritage. It features impressive water features, cascades and tree-lined scenes. La Jaÿsinia is also home to the ruins of Château de la Tornalta, also known as Château de Montanier (12th century), and an 18th-century chapel. All these sites are visible from the bucolic path that winds through the garden. Both a place of study and a haven of peace, the garden is a must for visitors to Samoëns. A visit also means soaking up some famous local history. On July 1, 1838, a little Septimontaine girl named Marie Louise Jaÿ was born, whose destiny was to leave its mark on the village and...the capital! At the age of 15, the young girl set off to try her luck in Paris. It was there that she met Ernest Cognacq, whom she later married. Together, they founded "La Samaritaine". Success was immediate. At the head of an immense fortune, and without children, Marie Louise and Ernest devoted the rest of their lives to good works, and never forgot Madame's native village. In 1906, Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ created the botanical garden of Jaÿsinia. Once you've reached the top, the view of the village opens up. A walk and a panorama worthy of the finest paintings by romantic landscape artists. And the thousands of species of plants and flowers will delight your senses! In the event of adverse weather conditions (snow, ice, strong winds, storms), the garden is closed to the public.