The summer has finally arrived and now is the time to start organizing lovely relaxing weekends away in Europe. If you an avid nature lover then you will want to spend your summer surrounded by some o the most exquisite gardens Europe has to offer. Botanical gardens in Europe are some of the most tranquil and relaxing places, perfect if you are trying to escape the busy city for a few hours. Here are a few botanical gardens to visit whilst in Europe just remember to pack your passport.
Kew Royal Botanical Garden, London
Each year millions of people visit this garden which is located in southwest London. The 121 hectare Royal Botanic Garden is one of the most famous botanic gardens in the world which features an extensive property with treetop walkway, Victorian glasshouses, and many exotic plants. The garden also has the largest collection of living plants in the world. With there being over 30,000 different plants and more than seven million preserved plants, the garden is filled with things to see.
Edinburgh Botanic Garden
Originally founded in 1670 by Dr. Andrew Balfour and Dr. Robert Sibbald, this is one place not to miss when in Scotland. The garden was first used to grow medicinal plants but now this garden is spread over four sites across Scotland. It has a collection of 15,000 plant species and over 3 million preserved specimen’s stored in the herbarium. As well as having so many different species of plant, it is also one of the most popular botanical gardens to visit worldwide.
Botanical Garden in Switzerland
This popular botanical is located in Zurich, which is known to be a rather special garden as it houses more than a thousand different species of plants and flower, some of which are rare and even endangered. If you are traveling to Zurich be sure to check out this botanical garden as it has some of the unusual flowers which include Madagascan Angraecum orchids, Christmas cactio and Chinese snowball flowers. The best thing is it is open to the public daily, and the entry is free.
Generalife In Spain
If you happen to be traveling to Spain this summer, and you like your nature then head to the Generalife which was the summer palace and country estate of Granada’s Nasrid Sultan Muhammad III (1302-1309). It was then Abu I-Walid Isma’il who later redecorated the garden. It is a large complex which even features a water garden in the courtyard, which also features fountains and pavilions. This botanical garden is fit for royalty, so it is a must see when in Spain.
Botanical Garden in Berlin
The botanical garden in Berlin, Germany was built between 1897 and 1910 and is meant to be one of the most visited gardens in the world. If you’re in Berlin and a big nature lover then you wouldn’t want to miss this garden which houses over 22,000 different plant species, a large herbarium and a library.
Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden in Russia
Commonly known as the Komarov Botanical Garden, Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden was not only founded in 1714, but it is Russia’s oldest botanical garden. This 18.9 hectares big garden has a huge collection of different plants and flowers. This botanical garden was originally built to grow medicinal plants and then in 1823 the garden was re-established as a botanical institution.