The country's oldest botanical garden, founded in 1590, with Clusius's original plot reconstructed inside it.
Carolus Clusius planted bulbs sent from Constantinople here in the 1590s, people stole them out of the beds, and the entire Dutch bulb industry followed from that theft — so the claim that this is where it started is unusually literal. The Clusiustuin has been replanted to the original layout. Beyond it there are glasshouses, a Japanese garden and very old trees, and the whole thing is a ten-minute walk from Leiden Centraal. It rewards an hour and a half.
Highlights
- Founded 1590
- Clusius's original plot replanted
- Glasshouses and a Japanese garden
Insider tips
- →Closing time moves with the season — later in summer, earlier from autumn onwards.
- →This is the sober year-round alternative to Keukenhof, which opens for eight weeks.
FAQ
Do I need to book Hortus Botanicus Leiden ahead?
Is this a good first-time visitor choice?
Where you'll find it
Leiden, Netherlands
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