Europe’s climate makes it the perfect place for beautiful gardens and they can become quite a tourist attraction. Here are our travel tips for ten lovely gardens in Europe.
Keukenhof Gardens, Netherlands
My all-time favourite gardens in the world are at Keukenhof in the Netherlands. As you might expect, they are famous for their wide variety of tulips and receive a huge number of visitors during their short season (approximately March to May each year).
Keukenhof Gardens by Amanda Kendle
Cragside House, England
The Cragside House Gardens near Rothbury in Northumberland are a National Trust estate and have a gorgeous display at any time of year. There is a Formal Garden and changing displays, and I rather like these fish sculptures in the ponds.
Fish sculptures at Cragside House Gardens
Rose Garden, Rome, Italy
The Rose Garden in Rome (or Roseto Comunale di Roma to the locals) can be found on the Aventine Hill with great views over Rome. It’s a relaxing place and even includes roses that apparently were known back in ancient Roman times.
Rose Garden in Rome by Kimberly Sullivan
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Biblical Gardens, Elgin, Scotland
The Biblical Garden in Elgin, Scotland is quite special as it includes all 110 of the plants mentioned in the Bible. It also contains sculpture illustrating various stories from the Bible.
Biblical Gardens in Elgin
Schoenbrunn Palace Gardens, Vienna, Austria
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Vienna is the Schoenbrunn Palace, and not just for the palace – the gardens are exceptional. The gardens have various sections reflecting the influence of different Habsburg family members over the centuries.
Schoenbrunn Gardens by MarcelGermain
Best of Vienna Tips
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Chelsea Physic Garden, London, England
Karen had a very interesting visit to the Chelsea Physic Garden in London which included all kinds of interesting plants in the pharmaceutical section – ready to heal all kinds of ailments.
Chelsea Physic Garden
Tips for What to Do in London
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Summer Garden, St Petersburg, Russia
In beautiful St Petersburg, the Summer Garden surrounds the Summer Palace, a previous residence of Peter the Great. It includes some great sculptures and statues.
Summer Garden by Amanda Kendle
Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France
Not only can you find Monet’s house in the village of Giverny, west of Paris, but you can also visit his inspiring gardens, and see some of the famous spots that ended up in his paintings.
Monet’s Garden by Hil
Botanic Garden, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
The Botanic Garden in Copenhagen has one of the biggest collections of plants in Europe – and has one of the largest fungi collections in the world, too.
Copenhagen Botanic Garden
Iris Garden, Florence, Italy
Florence in Italy is a city already full of beautiful surprises but here’s another one – the Iris Garden tucked down a pathway leading off the Piazzale Michelangelo. It’s a garden with thousands of irises plus views over Florence.
Iris Garden by Britt-Arnhild
Bluhendes Barock, Ludwigsburg, Germany
One of my favourite gardens was just “down the road” from where I lived in Germany, and that’s the Bluhendes Barock in Ludgwigsburg, not far from Stuttgart. As well as impressive gardens there is a fairy tale park featuring models and displays of well-known fairy tale characters amongst more gardens.
Bluhendes Barock by Amanda Kendle
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Source: flickr.com via Karen on Pinterest
Totally agree that the Keukenhof is an impressive garden. Last time I was there it was practically trampled by tourists though…I wish they could do more to preserve the place and limit the crowds.
Another interesting and unusual garden is the ‘Poison Garden’ at Blarney Castle in Ireland –
http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2011/05/blarney-castle-worth-visit.html
Thanks for sharing your Top 10!
Dr J – thanks for your tip about the Blarney Castle Garden. I’ve been a to the Poison Garden at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland:
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2007/06/28/the-alnwick-garden-northumberland/
@Karen – Thanks for sharing. It’s interesting that the Alnwick Garden required you to have a guide to see the Poison Garden. At the Blarney Castle, there were plenty of warning signs but you could walk right in and explore the garden yourself. I guess Ireland has a greater tolerance for risk than the UK.
What about the Bundesgartenschau every year in Germany. The location where it takes place changes every year. However it is every year amazing and pretty flower arrangements can be seen.