Jardin des Cimes

What Jardin des Cimes does

Jardin des Cimes is the trade name under which Association du Jardin des Cimes, a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) registered in Haute-Savoie under SIREN 537 534 940, operates a 3-hectare alpine botanical garden at 1,000m altitude on the Plateau d'Assy in Passy, France, with panoramic views of the Mont-Blanc massif. The site was opened to the public on July 5, 2008; the operating association was founded in 2011 and progressively took over full site management in 2013. The physical product is a themed garden comprising approximately 20 spaces — alpine atmospheres, gardens of the world, and a 3-hectare parcours integrating permanent artworks produced through the annual Artifex in Horto artist residency program (since 2018, run jointly with Association CREMERIE). The site carries the official French 'Jardin Remarquable' label from the Ministry of Culture and Conseil Régional.

The operation is seasonal, opening each year from May to September (the 2026 season runs May 23 – September 27). Beyond the garden visit — a one-hour self-guided tour — the site layers a full hospitality and cultural stack: the Café du Jardin restaurant (lunch service 12:00–14:00 on a terrace facing Mont-Blanc, with mains €19–24 and desserts €7), a boutique selling garden-related products, and a cultural program including Apéro'Jardin Friday concerts (€5/ adult, free for children), literary encounters, art workshops (€15–35), wellness activities including yoga and Qi-Gong (€12–15), and the shared garden Le Potager Idéal (added 2022). Educational animations for school groups from kindergarten through high school form a distinct institutional segment.

Commercially, Jardin des Cimes runs a multi-stream, predominantly transactional consumer model with one recurring element (annual association membership for free garden access and governance participation). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the physical site and online ticketing, supplemented by third-party booking (Coucou de France, HelloAsso) and gift vouchers (€25/€50/€100). The site itself has been owned by Mairie de Passy since 2020, following the municipality's purchase of SCIC Champ des Cimes assets; the association manages the site under a multi-year objectives convention with the town hall and receives public subsidies. The organization runs with 1 permanent employee plus 6–8 seasonal workers.

Name

Jardin des Cimes

Legal name

Association du Jardin des Cimes

Website

https://jardindescimes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jardin des Cimes is a French non-profit association operating a 3-hectare alpine botanical garden at Passy in the Mont Blanc region, offering seasonal visits, themed landscapes, an on-site restaurant, cultural events, and educational programs for tourists and school groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Cultural Tourism

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Botanical garden attraction
• Alpine landscape tourism
• Cultural event programming
• Garden education programs
• Mountain cultural tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Passy

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Garden Admission Fees: Visitors pay entrance fees to access the 3-hectare garden featuring themed spaces, alpine atmospheres, gardens of the world, and artistic installations. Ticket prices vary by season.
2. Restaurant (Café du Jardin): On-site restaurant open for lunch service (12:00-14:00) offering homemade dishes made from organic and local Savoyard products. Features terrace seating facing Mont-Blanc.
3. Boutique: Gift shop selling plant and garden-related products, including items made from the garden's own production. Open during garden opening hours.
4. Association Membership (Adhésion): Annual membership fees that provide free access to the garden during opening season, participation in governance, volunteer opportunities, and access to member-exclusive activities.
5. Event and Activity Fees: Fees for workshops, cultural events, concerts (Apéro'Jardin), wellness activities (yoga, Qi-Gong), and children's animations. Prices range from €5-35 depending on activity.
6. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers sold in €25/50/100 denominations valid for all products and services including garden visits, Café du Jardin, boutique, and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jardin des Cimes operates a 3-hectale alpine botanical garden and cultural tourism attraction on the Plateau d'Assy facing the Mont-Blanc massif in Passy, France. It offers garden admission, an on-site restaurant (Café du Jardin), a boutique, a year-round cultural and educational program including concerts, art workshops, wellness activities, children's animations, and an annual artist residency (Artifex in Horto). The association model provides annual membership with free seasonal access and governance participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Le Café du Jardin: The on-site restaurant offering home-made dishes with local and organic products, located on a terrace facing Mont-Blanc.
• Le Potager Idéal
• Artifex in Horto

Products and services

• Garden Admission (Garden Tour)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 children hosted through school group programs in 2025 season
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mairie de Passy (Passy Municipality)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The municipality of Passy, under Mayor Raphaël Castera, purchased the assets of SCIC Champ des Cimes in 2020 to become sole owner of the site. The municipality integrates Jardin des Cimes into its municipal tourist equipment and has established a Convention Pluriannuelle d'Objectifs (multi-year objectives agreement) with the association for site management. The municipality also funds renovation and new garden development works.
• Association CREMERIEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREMERIE is an association specializing in contemporary art diffusion at Plateau d'Assy. Jointly with Jardin des Cimes, they run the Artifex in Horto artist residency program, selecting annual artists to create permanent installations integrated into the garden.
• SCIC Champ des CimescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally created the garden and managed operations from 2008-2012 via emphyteutic lease with Passy municipality. In 2020, the municipality bought out SCIC assets. A tri-partite convention now governs the relationship between Jardin des Cimes association, SCIC Champ des Cimes, and Passy municipality.
• Association En Passant par la MontagneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1995 by alpinist Marc Batard, this association works with people facing social difficulties. The original concept of a garden at Mont Blanc was developed within this association's board as a social activity before leading to the creation of Jardin des Cimes.
• Tourism Organizations (Savoie Mont Blanc, local tourist offices)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with Savoie Mont Blanc tourism board, local tourist offices (Passy, Combloux, Saint-Gervais), and regional promotional organizations (Réseau Empreintes, Savoie Mont Blanc Juniors) for marketing and visitor referral.
• Montagne en PageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary association organizing the Salon International du Livre de Montagne de Passy. Partners with Jardin des Cimes to host literary encounters (Rencontres Littéraires) during the summer cultural season.
• Les Musicales d'AssyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival organization partnering with Jardin des Cimes to present concerts including Vincent Courtois jazz cello performance in the garden amphitheater.
• Coucou de FranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party booking platform (cc4.fr) used for reservations of certain activities and workshops at Jardin des Cimes.
• Les Nuits VagabondesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company that partnered with Jardin des Cimes to present 'Le Théorème du Pissenlit' theatrical performance as part of their Vagabondes d'Été festival.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jardin Albert Kahn: Boulogne-Billancourt garden featuring themed landscape collections (Japanese, English, French) plus cultural programming and educational offerings. Comparable thematic garden structure with event programming and educational audience.
• Fondation Maeght: Art foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence combining a sculpture garden with permanent installations and a cultural programming calendar. Comparable concept of art-in-garden as a permanent visitor experience with cultural event monetization.
• Villandry Gardens (Château de Villandry): Loire Valley château famous for its ornamental gardens, drawing cultural tourism visitors with events and on-site dining. Comparable French heritage garden attraction with event-driven monetization.
• Jardins de Marqueyssac: Another French 'Jardin Remarquable' featuring dramatic landscapes (Dordogne pergola gardens) plus cultural events and family programming. Directly comparable as a certified remarkable garden monetizing themed landscapes with events, admissions, and on-site F&B.
• Jardin Majorelle: Botanical garden in Marrakech renowned for permanent art integration (Berber Museum, Yves Saint Laurent Museum) and high visitor throughput. Closely comparable as an art-integrated botanical garden with admissions, boutique, and café revenue streams.
• Domaine de la Bourbansais: Brittany estate combining a château garden, animal park, and cultural events with admissions and on-site dining. Comparable estate-style visitor attraction combining gardens, events, and F&B.
• Parc Oriental de Maulévrier: Largest Japanese garden in Europe, located in western France, featuring themed landscape spaces plus cultural events. Comparable as a themed European garden with cultural programming and seasonal admissions.

Broad incumbents

• Longwood Gardens: Major US botanical garden combining themed outdoor gardens with year-round cultural programming, concerts, dining, and education. Comparable diversified revenue model (admissions, dining, events, education) at a much larger scale.
• Jardin des Plantes de Paris: Paris-based botanical garden under the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, featuring themed gardens, educational programming, and on-site amenities. Comparable nature park and botanical garden concept at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Alnwick Garden: UK-based contemporary garden featuring themed spaces, art installations, and a robust events program including concerts and wellness activities. Comparable modern garden with cultural programming and multi-revenue streams.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jardin-des-cimes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jardin des Cimes