Hortus Botanicus Leiden

Leiden, Netherlands, Netherlands

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Hortus Botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in Western Europe, located behind the Academy Building on the Rapenburg in the historic center of Leiden, Netherlands, at Rapenburg 73. Founded in 1590 by Leiden University and planted in 1594 by Carolus Clusius (1526-1609), a Flemish doctor and pioneering botanist who served as its first prefect, the garden was established for educative and research purposes to provide medical students with medicinal plants. Clusius introduced the first tulips to Europe here in Leiden, laying the foundations for Dutch tulip breeding and the modern bulb industry, and the Hortus also helped popularize exotic crops like tobacco, tomato, potato, and maize. Over four centuries, plants from around the world have been collected, cultivated, admired, and studied in the beautiful gardens and greenhouses, with notable achievements including Philipp Franz von Siebold introducing about 700 previously unknown plants from Japan and China. Today, the Hortus houses a large collection of carnivorous plants and an extensive orchid collection, particularly from Southeast Asia, while serving as Leiden University's study garden where scientists continue biodiversity research. The historic site attracts over 250,000 visitors annually from diverse backgrounds including children, students, families, and the elderly, offering a peaceful oasis of green in the middle of the city with tropical glasshouses, botanical gardens, and a café with terrace.