Meise Botanic Garden
A ninety-hectare botanical garden north of Brussels around a castle, with a large linked glasshouse complex.
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The Botanic Garden at Meise covers about ninety-two hectares of parkland north of Brussels around the moated Bouchout Castle, and it is one of the larger botanical gardens in the world by area, holding a living collection of some eighteen thousand species along with a herbarium of several million specimens that is a major research resource. The Plant Palace is the centrepiece, a linked complex of thirteen glasshouses running under one roof through tropical rainforest, desert, subtropical and Mediterranean sections, with a Victoria pool for giant waterlilies. Outdoors are an arboretum, a herbarium garden, a rose garden, meadows and the castle itself, where the Empress Carlota lived for decades. The scale means a lot of walking.
What you actually see
- The Plant Palace - thirteen linked glasshouses under one roof.
- Bouchout Castle - the moated house at the centre of the estate.
- Giant waterlilies - the Victoria pool in the tropical section.
- Ninety hectares of grounds - arboretum, meadows and specialist gardens.
When to go
April to October for the outdoor collections; the glasshouses work year round and are a good winter option. Half a day. Spring for blossom and bulbs, autumn for the arboretum. Weekdays are quiet.
Honest expectations
It is very large and involves a lot of walking; there is a shuttle in summer only. Some glasshouses are closed for restoration at times. Public transport from Brussels is a bus and takes a while. The cafe is limited.
Nearby
The Atomium and Laeken are south; Grimbergen abbey lies east.
What to pack for Meise Botanic Garden
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
