Experience the green world of the Hortus

The Hortus botanicus is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands, belonging to Leiden University. And if you ask us, also the most beautiful botanical garden in the Netherlands. The garden was established in 1590 to propagate and grow unusual plants and to conduct research on them. But the garden was also immediately opened to the public, which was very special in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Today, the garden forms the green heart of the city with many special and very old plants, including an exceptional collection from Japan and China. Carolus Clusius grew Europe's first large tulip collection here. Researchers and curious visitors come here every year to see and examine the extraordinary collection. The Hortus is also the place for a quiet walk or a little break in the greenery.