Gardens of Peace Project
In 2017, on the centenary of the First World War, the association Art & Jardins | Hauts-de-France set out to rethink how Europeans remember conflict. Along the former Western Front, from Belgium through northern and eastern France, memorials and cemeteries already marked the landscape. The Gardens of Peace Project (“Jardins de la Paix”) proposed contemporary public gardens on or near these sites, transforming former battlefields into living landscapes for reflection and dialogue. Together, the gardens form Europe’s first landscaped Peace Pathway trail.
Since 2018, 29 gardens have opened and by 2027 almost 40 will stretch across regions including Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Aisne, Oise, Ardennes, Marne, Meuse, Moselle, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Vosges and Alsace. Thirteen are located on UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Each garden is linked to one of the 24 countries formerly at war, from France and Germany to India, Morocco and New Zealand, and was designed by landscape architects from that country.
The project required detailed site selection, soil studies, regulatory authorisations and agreements with landowners and national authorities, including the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. Landscape designers collaborated with local authorities, heritage managers and residents. The gardens were conceived as permanent, climate-adaptive spaces, using endemic plants, local materials and low-water maintenance strategies. Each site includes a maintenance toolkit and long-term care arrangements.
Participation shaped the project from the outset. Volunteers from different countries contributed to the creation of each garden, including veterans, researchers, students and local associations. More than 750 people took part in construction phases. Educational initiatives involve close to 5,000 participants annually.
Close to 170,000 people visit the gardens each year. Guided visits, educational activities and public programmes in the gardens engage visitors of different ages and backgrounds. Special events are also organised annually for European Heritage Days. The project also reaches a wide audience through its website and social media platforms and maintains partnerships with remembrance sites, tourist offices and international institutions. The initiative has attracted substantial media coverage and received several awards.
The total production cost between 2018 and 2025 amounts to €2.7 million, with support from the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, Hauts-de-France Region and private national and international funders. Managed entirely by the association’s team, the trail continues to expand. The association also employs more than 100 disadvantaged people each year to support their social and professional reintegration while maintaining some of the gardens. A pan-European research initiative entitled Re-imagining Peace is in preparation.
The Awards’ Jury observed: “With its powerful concept and strong cross-border symbolism, the Gardens of Peace Project links purpose-designed landscapes to the memory of the First World War. The gardens bring together tangible and intangible heritage and offer strong educational value, particularly for younger audiences.”
Contact: Gilbert Fillinger | Art & jardins Hauts-de-France | contact@artetjardins-hdf.com | www.artetjardins-hdf.com