Mlyňany Arboretum

Štefan Ambrózy-Migazzi began planting at Mlyňany in 1892 with a single idea: to make a garden that stayed green through the winter in a climate where almost nothing does, using evergreens collected from across the northern hemisphere. The core planting he made survives and the arboretum has grown to some sixty-seven hectares with more than 2,300 species of trees, run by the Academy of Sciences, with East Asian, North American and Korean sections added later.

History

Štefan Ambrózy-Migazzi founded the arboretum in 1892 on the estate that came to him through marriage, completed his mansion in 1894 and added its tower in 1905. It covers 67 ha, became a protected area in 1951 and is now a scientific institution of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Wikipedia, Arboretum Mlyňany).

The main sights

• The evergreen core - Ambrozy's original planting, designed to stay green all winter.
• The Asian sections - Chinese, Japanese and Korean collections added later.
• The species count - more than 2,300 tree species across sixty-seven hectares.
• The winter effect - a garden that keeps its colour when everything around is bare.

When to go

April to November is the main season, and the point of the place is best appreciated in late autumn and winter when everything else is bare. Rhododendrons flower in May. The arboretum closes early in winter.

Practical notes

The site is large and covering it takes a couple of hours of walking. Labelling is largely in Slovak and Latin. Facilities are limited.

Nearby

Topolcianky is north, and Nitra is southwest.

Key facts