Hortus Haren

The Hortus at Haren was founded in 1626 as the botanical garden of the University of Groningen and moved to its present twenty-hectare site in the 1960s, with systematic beds, a rock garden, glasshouses and a large arboretum. Its unexpected element is Het Verborgen Rijk van Ming, the Hidden Empire of Ming: a Chinese garden of about eight and a half thousand square metres built in the 1990s in the style of the classical scholar gardens of Suzhou, with a walled enclosure, pavilions, a moon gate, rockwork, water and covered walks, constructed with Chinese craftsmen and materials shipped in. It is the largest Chinese garden in Europe of its kind. The university withdrew funding in 2012 and the Hortus has been run since by a foundation on volunteer labour and donations, which has been precarious more than once.

What you actually see

• A Ming-style scholar garden - walled, with pavilions, moon gate and rockwork.
• Built by Chinese craftsmen - materials shipped and assembled in the 1990s.
• A university garden from 1626 - systematic beds, arboretum and glasshouses.
• Volunteer-run since 2012 - after the university withdrew its funding.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Seasonal opening with reduced winter hours. Funding has been precarious and opening arrangements have changed - check before travelling. The Chinese garden needs maintenance it does not always get.

Nearby

Groningen is eight kilometres north; the Drenthe hunebedden are south.