Last year in August, my husband and I went to Groningen for a couple of days. I have shared with you several posts about what we did those days, but I’ve got one more thing for you that’s definitely a must-see: Hortus Haren!

First of all I will give you the links on the travelposts I have written about our 3-day trip to the north of Holland in August 2017:

• Giethoorn
• Eating and drinking in Groningen & Groningen by night
• Groningen, Martini Tower and Prinsenhof
• Groningen, city centre

And now I add one more post, one about Hortus Haren, one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in Holland, which is owned by Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

Several gardens

Hortus Haren consists of several gardens. Not all gardens are already fully grown, but I can certainly recommend the ones I mention below!

The Chinese Garden

This one definitely was my favourite! The gardens of Suzhou in China are centuries old and served as an example for the Chinese garden in Hortus Haren.

The garden is designed in a way that every season makes it interesting to visit! You certainly have to experience this garden. There are several galeries, pavillions, winding paths,… to make it interesting for the visitor.

In the Chinese garden you can also find a Chinese tearoom. We didn’t go inside as we were short of time, but the exterior looked very promising!

The Celtic Garden

In the Celtic garden, elements of the old Celtic mythology are used. Nature and trees were very important for the Celts and in this garden, trees and shrubs are certainly omnipresent 🙂

This garden oozes calmness and you can almost feel the Celtic magic floating around!

Rock Garden

We also liked the rock garden. This garden looks like an alpine garden as it has narrow paths going up and down. It gives a beautiful view over the surrounding gardens and this garden has some lovely rock plants and herbal plants on show.

As we walked from garden to garden, we enjoyed the piece and quiet of nature before heading back into the hustle and bustle of the city!

Practical information

• Location: Kerklaan 34, 9751 NN Haren. There is a big car park near Hortus Haren.
• Entrance fee: the normal fee for an adult is 5 EUR (low season) or 8,50 EUR (high season). There are however various reductions possible. Check the website!
• Website: https://www.hortusharen.nl/

Have you already visited Hortus Haren or another botanical garden? Let me know in the comments below!

(PS: do scroll all the way down as there are much more pics of the gardens!)

Love, Kathleen

Here you can read a post about some must-visit gardens in Europe!