Giardino Botanico Fondazione André Heller

Gardone Riviera, Italy, Italy

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The Giardino Botanico Fondazione André Heller, also known as Giardino Botanico A. Hruska or Heller Garden, is a botanical garden located above Lake Garda at Via Roma 2 in Gardone Riviera, Province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy, covering about 2 acres (10,000 square meters).

Founded in 1901 (or 1903) by Czechoslovak doctor and naturalist Artur Hruska, who moved to Gardone Riviera seeking its mild climate, the garden was later acquired in 1988 by Austrian artist André Heller, who arranged it with plant species from around the world and became its owner and benefactor. The garden is a unique botanical encyclopedia showcasing over 500 species including cacti, edelbrice (snow pearls), ferns, magnolias, orchids, water lilies, lotus flowers, bamboo groves, streams, cascades, and ponds with aquatic plants, all set within lush and varied natural landscapes.

Unlike traditional botanical gardens organized by systematic classification, Heller Garden arranges plants to evoke the natural landscapes and habitats where they grow, creating an open-air encyclopedia considered one of the most original in Europe. The garden uniquely combines nature with contemporary art, featuring sculptures and installations by renowned 20th-century artists including Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Renoir, Auguste Rodin, Joan Miró, Mimmo Paladino, and others scattered throughout the park.