The Botanical Garden was established in 1600, but moved a few times before settling on its current central site in 1870. The beautiful grounds are particularly noteworthy for the extensive complex of historical glasshouses. There are 27 in total, ranging from the grand Palm House that dates from 1874 to a specially cooled greenhouse used for growing arctic plants. It’s very much a working garden, used for scientific research, but for visitors it’s a beautiful—and free—spot to spend an afternoon.
Hot house, botanical gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark, Scandinavia, Europe
Charles Bowman/© Charles Bowman
The palm greenhouse, Botanical Garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe
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Gardens
Denmark has several pretty parks in the city center, but the Botanical Garden is in a league of its own. It’s free to enter, and you can happily wander along pathways lined with rhododendrons, through alpine gardens, and around the lake. The star attractions are the huge greenhouses, inspired by London’s famous Crystal Palace, that date from 1874. The main building, called the Palm House, has a vertigo-inducing spiral staircase that leads to a walkway suspended inside the dome at the height of the canopy of the palms. It’s simply remarkable.
