Clingendael Japanese Garden

Marguerite Baroness van Brienen of Clingendael travelled to Japan several times in the early twentieth century and had a garden laid out on the estate around 1910, importing lanterns, water basins, a pavilion, bridges and sculpture by ship and arranging them among the trees with moss, azaleas, maples and a stream. It is the only Japanese garden of that period in the Netherlands and among the older in Europe. It is also extremely fragile - the moss carpet and the original imported pieces cannot take year-round footfall - so the garden is opened for only about six weeks in late spring and a short period in autumn, with visitors kept to the paths, and closed entirely the rest of the year. Entry is free during those weeks and it gets busy. The rest of the Clingendael estate is a public park open all year with a rose garden and old woodland.

What you actually see

• A garden of about 1910 - the only one of its period in the country.
• Pieces imported from Japan - lanterns, basins, a pavilion and bridges brought by ship.
• A moss carpet - the fragile ground cover that limits when it can open.
• Six weeks a year - opened in late spring and briefly in autumn, closed otherwise.

When to go

Late April to mid-June, in the opening weeks. Two hours.

Honest expectations

Check the opening dates before travelling - the garden is shut most of the year and the dates shift with the season. It is small and busy during the weeks it is open. Stay on the paths.

Nearby

The Hague centre is south-west; Wassenaar and Voorlinden are north.