Hortus Botanicus Lovaniensis, Leuven, Belgium

The Hortus Botanicus Lovaniensis is the oldest botanical garden of Belgium, dating from 1738. The botanical garden has always been linked with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. It first aim was to provide herbs for medical use. Later, the gardens became used for study purposes and they hosted an extensive collection of ornamental plants, cultivated plants that could possibly be used for economic purposes and rare plants. Despite the differentiating in use, in popular language the garden is still called the Dutch equivalent for 'herbgarden' (Kruidtuin).

Nowadays the Botanical Garden is maintained by the municipality of Leuven. In contrast with many other botanical gardens, this garden has free access and is used extensively by tourists and citizens alike. The garden functions sometimes as a place of exhibition for contemporary art.

References:

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Miscellaneous historic sites in Belgium

User Reviews

Stanislav Ivanov (2 years ago)
An incredibly beautiful corner, I had never seen such plants and flowers! And at the same time, visiting the botanical garden is free!

Soumani Mukherjee (2 years ago)
This place is free to enter and is refreshing amidst the city's hustle with its greenery and numerous trees. At the right time you can also view beautiful flowers blooming. Many people come for leisurely walks in the afternoon.

Holly Funk (2 years ago)
Holy moly! Completely stumbled upon this garden whilst walking around Leuven without any plan. It is BEAUTIFUL! Huge variety of flora and fauna plus sculptures dotted around. The grounds are easy to navigate as well as indoor areas such as greenhouses. There is even a compost space! It was so peaceful and lovely, I am so happy I accidentally happened upon it!

Gaith Bader (2 years ago)
A very nice and well maintained Botanical Garden. A public facility that is used for educational purposes to demonstrate for students how things can be done. They even had a kiwi orchard which looked almost ready to pick! The friendly person who worked there was very clear that no one is to pick anything from the different fruit treas and we felt we needed to mention that we didn't do any picking ourselves. We thought it funny how that chat went ? The place needs a small Cafe, it would have been perfect to sit in such surroundings and relax a bit and drink something, especially today because it was unseasonably hot at 30 or so degrees celsius!

Bharat Ram Ammu (2 years ago)
Beautiful botanical garden. Good for walks, office work with laptop, studying, strolling with kids. Peaceful and well maintained. Different varieties of plants and herbs. Must visit this hidden gem in Leuven. Its free of cost. Open everyday till 8 pm. Photography allowed. They also have greenhouses and slider turtles too.

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