Akureyri Botanical Garden

Akureyri, Iceland, Iceland

---

The Akureyri Botanical Garden (Icelandic: Lystigarður Akureyrar) is a unique and significant botanical garden located in the southern part of Akureyri, a city in Northern Iceland, situated on the west side of the inland end of Eyjafjörður fjord at an elevation of about 45 meters. As one of the northernmost botanical gardens in the world, it sits just 85 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle at 65.7°N latitude. The public park was first opened in 1912 after local women founded a park association, and the botanic section was added in 1957, with the park enlarged three times since 1912 to now cover approximately 3.6 to 3.7 hectares at 40-50 meters altitude. The garden's aim is to cultivate trees, shrubs, and perennials suited to the demanding climate of Northern Iceland, benefiting from a favorable microclimate in the shelter of Eyjafjord that protects it from the worst weather extremes. It houses an impressive collection of over 7,000 plant species, including 430 native species and 6,600 alien taxa that thrive despite the latitude just outside the Arctic Circle, with the overwhelming majority being non-native species including temperate and mountain varieties. The garden is open year-round and free to enter, with gates open from June 1st to September 30th (weekdays 8:00-22:00, weekends 9:00-22:00) and from October 1st to May 30th when gates remain open but facilities are closed during plant hibernation. Managed by Akureyri municipality, the garden serves multiple purposes including research to find robust species of perennials, trees, and bushes, as well as providing public amusement with both information and entertainment for visitors.