Paris's legendary botanical gardens are as secretive as they are huge, and here scientific pursuits merge with fantasy lands on a regular basis.
Access the botanical gardens, or Jardins des Plantes, via the Rue Geoffroy St. Hilaire, where you'll find the oldest gate of the gardens. You might quickly stumble upon the stone arcade and spheric drinking trough of this remarkable lion fountain, sculpted in 1854 by naturalist sculptor Henri Alfred Jacquemart.
At first glance, this seems like just another decorative fountain toped with an arrogant felines. But on the contrary, this one is not your casual sculpture. Even though water no longer runs beneath this fountain, a closer look is mandatory.
While one of the sculpted beasts is roaring with a Metro Goldwyn Mayer attitude and protecting a cub between its giant paws, his bronze companion is actually snacking on something you might have some difficulty identifying. Get even closer, and you'll be horrified to discover that this lion's dinner is a rigid, detached human foot, severed at the ankle!
Suddenly, this whimsical fountain no longer seems so innocent, and although the beautiful craftsmanship almost captivates you enough to distract from the entirely morbid depiction of a human as dinner, it's not quite enough to get rid of that uneasy feeling as you admire it.