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The World’s 100 Best Botanical Gardens · 2026

The Best Botanical Gardens in Europe

44 of the 100 venues in The World’s 100 Best Botanical Gardens 2026 are in Europe, in 15 countries. The highest placed is Bodnant Garden in Tal-y-Cafn, United Kingdom, at number 5 in the world. Gothenburg Botanical Garden in Gothenburg, Sweden (number 8) and Monte Palace Tropical Garden in Funchal, Portugal (number 16) follow.

Bodnant Garden
N° 5 · Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn

University gardens

Several of the European gardens belong to universities and are among the oldest on the list. The Orto Botanico di Padova was founded in 1545 to grow medicinal plants, and its circular Renaissance garden now sits beside a modern greenhouse arranged by climate zones. Hortus Botanicus Leiden dates from 1590, the garden of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków from 1783 and the one in Wrocław from 1811. Plants in these gardens carry labels, and most of them have glasshouses that can be visited in winter.

Hillsides above water

Many of the gardens in Italy, Spain and France are built on slopes above a lake or the sea. Giardini Botanici Hanbury descends from the coast road to the shore at Capo Mortola, and the climb back is strenuous. Marimurtra stands on cliffs above Blanes, Villa Taranto above Lake Maggiore, and the Jardin Exotique d’Èze at the top of Èze village. These gardens have steep paths and steps as often as they have plants.

Free entry

Entry is free at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, the Jardin botanique de Genève, Gothenburg Botanical Garden and the Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden in Tromsø. Most other gardens charge between about 3 and 18 euros.

Venues

97. Les Jardins d’Eau 96. Parc Oriental de Maulévrier 95. Kasteeltuinen Arcen 91. Folly Arboretum 90. Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava 89. Huerto del Cura 88. Jardin Exotique d’Èze 87. RHS Garden Wisley 81. Prague Botanical Garden 80. Palmengarten 79. Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University 78. Trebah Garden 77. Hortus Botanicus Leiden 76. Parc Botanique de Haute Bretagne 75. Orto Botanico di Padova 73. Giardini di Villa Melzi 72. Parco Giardino Sigurtà 69. Jardín Botánico La Concepción 68. Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto 64. Jardí Botànic Marimurtra 59. Botanická zahrada Liberec 55. Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden 54. Parc Floral d’Apremont 52. Arboretum Wojsławice 51. National Botanic Gardens 48. Giardino di Ninfa 42. Giardini Botanici Hanbury 40. Jardín Botánico Atlántico 39. Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete 38. Giardini La Mortella 37. Powerscourt Gardens 36. Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław 31. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 29. Estufa Fria 26. Botanischer Garten Berlin 24. Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg 23. Parque Terra Nostra 22. Jardin botanique de Genève 21. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 20. East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden 19. The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle 16. Monte Palace Tropical Garden 8. Gothenburg Botanical Garden 5. Bodnant Garden
97. Les Jardins d’Eau 96. Parc Oriental de Maulévrier 95. Kasteeltuinen Arcen 91. Folly Arboretum 90. Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava 89. Huerto del Cura 88. Jardin Exotique d’Èze 87. RHS Garden Wisley 81. Prague Botanical Garden 80. Palmengarten 79. Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University 78. Trebah Garden 77. Hortus Botanicus Leiden 76. Parc Botanique de Haute Bretagne 75. Orto Botanico di Padova 73. Giardini di Villa Melzi 72. Parco Giardino Sigurtà 69. Jardín Botánico La Concepción 68. Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto 64. Jardí Botànic Marimurtra 59. Botanická zahrada Liberec 55. Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden 54. Parc Floral d’Apremont 52. Arboretum Wojsławice 51. National Botanic Gardens 48. Giardino di Ninfa 42. Giardini Botanici Hanbury 40. Jardín Botánico Atlántico 39. Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete 38. Giardini La Mortella 37. Powerscourt Gardens 36. Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław 31. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 29. Estufa Fria 26. Botanischer Garten Berlin 24. Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg 23. Parque Terra Nostra 22. Jardin botanique de Genève 21. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 20. East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden 19. The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle 16. Monte Palace Tropical Garden 8. Gothenburg Botanical Garden 5. Bodnant Garden
  1. Bodnant Garden N° 5 Bodnant Garden Tal-y-Cafn, United Kingdom Garden
  2. Gothenburg Botanical Garden N° 8 Gothenburg Botanical Garden Gothenburg, Sweden Botanical garden
  3. Monte Palace Tropical Garden N° 16 Monte Palace Tropical Garden Funchal, Portugal Garden
  4. The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle N° 19 The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle Merano, Italy Botanical garden
  5. East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden N° 20 East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden East Ruston, United Kingdom Garden
  6. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew N° 21 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew London, United Kingdom Botanical garden
  7. Jardin botanique de Genève N° 22 Jardin botanique de Genève Geneva, Switzerland Botanical garden
  8. Parque Terra Nostra N° 23 Parque Terra Nostra Furnas, Portugal Garden
  9. Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg N° 24 Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg Munich, Germany Botanical garden
  10. Botanischer Garten Berlin N° 26 Botanischer Garten Berlin Berlin, Germany Botanical garden
  11. Estufa Fria N° 29 Estufa Fria Lisbon, Portugal Glasshouse
  12. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh N° 31 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh, United Kingdom Botanical garden
  13. Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław N° 36 Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław Wrocław, Poland Botanical garden
  14. Powerscourt Gardens N° 37 Powerscourt Gardens Enniskerry, Ireland Garden
  15. Giardini La Mortella N° 38 Giardini La Mortella Forio, Italy Garden
  16. Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete N° 39 Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete Fournes, Greece Botanical garden
  17. Jardín Botánico Atlántico N° 40 Jardín Botánico Atlántico Gijón, Spain Botanical garden
  18. Giardini Botanici Hanbury N° 42 Giardini Botanici Hanbury Ventimiglia, Italy Botanical garden
  19. Giardino di Ninfa N° 48 Giardino di Ninfa Cisterna di Latina, Italy Garden
  20. National Botanic Gardens N° 51 National Botanic Gardens Dublin, Ireland Botanical garden
  21. Arboretum Wojsławice N° 52 Arboretum Wojsławice Niemcza, Poland Arboretum
  22. Parc Floral d’Apremont N° 54 Parc Floral d’Apremont Apremont-sur-Allier, France Garden
  23. Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden N° 55 Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden Tromsø, Norway Botanical garden
  24. Botanická zahrada Liberec N° 59 Botanická zahrada Liberec Liberec, Czechia Botanical garden
  25. Jardí Botànic Marimurtra N° 64 Jardí Botànic Marimurtra Blanes, Spain Botanical garden
  26. Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto N° 68 Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto Verbania, Italy Botanical garden
  27. Jardín Botánico La Concepción N° 69 Jardín Botánico La Concepción Málaga, Spain Botanical garden
  28. Parco Giardino Sigurtà N° 72 Parco Giardino Sigurtà Valeggio sul Mincio, Italy Garden
  29. Giardini di Villa Melzi N° 73 Giardini di Villa Melzi Bellagio, Italy Garden
  30. Orto Botanico di Padova N° 75 Orto Botanico di Padova Padua, Italy Botanical garden
  31. Parc Botanique de Haute Bretagne N° 76 Parc Botanique de Haute Bretagne Le Châtellier, France Botanical garden
  32. Hortus Botanicus Leiden N° 77 Hortus Botanicus Leiden Leiden, Netherlands Botanical garden
  33. Trebah Garden N° 78 Trebah Garden Mawnan Smith, United Kingdom Garden
  34. Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University N° 79 Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University Kraków, Poland Botanical garden
  35. Palmengarten N° 80 Palmengarten Frankfurt, Germany Botanical garden
  36. Prague Botanical Garden N° 81 Prague Botanical Garden Prague, Czechia Botanical garden
  37. RHS Garden Wisley N° 87 RHS Garden Wisley Wisley, United Kingdom Garden
  38. Jardin Exotique d’Èze N° 88 Jardin Exotique d’Èze Èze, France Botanical garden
  39. Huerto del Cura N° 89 Huerto del Cura Elche, Spain Botanical garden
  40. Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava N° 90 Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava Puerto de la Cruz, Spain Botanical garden
  41. Folly Arboretum N° 91 Folly Arboretum Badacsonyörs, Hungary Arboretum
  42. Kasteeltuinen Arcen N° 95 Kasteeltuinen Arcen Arcen, Netherlands Garden
  43. Parc Oriental de Maulévrier N° 96 Parc Oriental de Maulévrier Maulévrier, France Classical garden
  44. Les Jardins d’Eau N° 97 Les Jardins d’Eau Carsac-Aillac, France Garden

Best by region

  1. The NordicsGothenburg Botanical GardenGothenburg, SwedenN° 8
  2. EuropeBodnant GardenTal-y-Cafn, United KingdomN° 5
  3. AsiaRoyal Botanic Gardens, PeradeniyaKandy, Sri LankaN° 6
  4. The Middle EastDubai Miracle GardenDubai, United Arab EmiratesN° 13
  5. North AmericaThe Butchart GardensBrentwood Bay, CanadaN° 2
  6. The CaribbeanHunte’s GardensSaint Joseph, BarbadosN° 17
  7. Latin AmericaJardim Botânico do Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, BrazilN° 28
  8. AfricaJardin d’Essai du HammaAlgiers, AlgeriaN° 1
  9. OceaniaRoyal Botanic Gardens MelbourneMelbourne, AustraliaN° 15

Best by kind

  1. Display gardensThe Butchart GardensBrentwood Bay, CanadaN° 2
  2. Classical gardensKenroku-enKanazawa, JapanN° 12

Best by country

  1. United StatesHawai‘i Tropical Botanical GardenPapaikouN° 4
  2. JapanKenroku-enKanazawaN° 12
  3. ItalyThe Gardens of Trauttmansdorff CastleMeranoN° 19
  4. United KingdomBodnant GardenTal-y-CafnN° 5
  5. SpainJardín Botánico AtlánticoGijónN° 40
  6. FranceParc Floral d’ApremontApremont-sur-AllierN° 54