Botanical Gardens Utrecht

Botanische Tuinen Utrecht, or the botanical garden in Utrecht is one of the oldest academic gardens in the Netherlands. It was established in 1639, shortly after establishing the local university, as a hortus medicus, i.e. a garden with medicinal plants for the purposes of educating medical students. Currently, the gardens are a public place with its own bamboo grove, a garden of discoveries, a rock garden and greenhouses with tropical flora.

Plants such as banana, mango, vanilla, cocoa tree, papaya, various species of lianas, orchids and many species of passion flower have found shelter in greenhouses. For some of them to grow, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of about 21 degrees Celsius and humidity of 55%. during the day and up to 95 percent in the night.

An interesting object of the Botanische Tuinen is the Bee Hotel, which is a special pavilion providing shelter to thousands of wild bees, dragonflies and butterflies. There is also a small apiary in the gardens, from which honey can be purchased at a local store.