Gothenburg Botanical Garden

The garden covers about 175 hectares, of which around forty are cultivated and the rest is nature reserve, which makes it one of the largest in Europe by area. It opened in 1923. The rock garden, built in an old quarry, holds several thousand species from mountain regions and is generally reckoned the strongest part; the rhododendron valley flowers through May; there is a Japanese glade, a herb garden and long woodland walks up into Anggardsbergen reserve behind. The greenhouses hold a large orchid collection, a section of tropical and Mediterranean plants and the Easter Island tree, Sophora toromiro, extinct in the wild and kept alive in cultivation partly thanks to this garden. Entry to the grounds is by donation.

What you'll find

• A rock garden in an old quarry - thousands of mountain species.
• A rhododendron valley - flowering through May.
• Greenhouses with a large orchid collection - among tropical sections.
• Woodland walks into the reserve - behind the cultivated part.

When to go

April to September; May for the rhododendrons. Two to three hours.

Things to know

It is very large and involves hills - the far sections take time. Greenhouses are charged separately. Winter leaves little outdoors. The reserve paths are unsurfaced.

Nearby

Slottsskogen is north; Gotaplatsen is east.

Key facts