The Botanical Garden in Munich invites you to a quick getaway

What’s on offer and when is the best time to visit?

• The Botanical Garden is open all year round. In winter, admission to the garden's outdoor area is free.
• You can discover a variety of plants for which you would normally have to travel the world for weeks: Over 19,000 species and subspecies are cultivated here.
• Great display greenhouses with 4,500 square meters of space await you, imitating the flora of humid tropical areas, hot deserts and cool tropical mountain forests.
• Browse through 2,000 species of orchids, look at whimsical aquatic plants in 15 aquariums, or feel like you're on vacation in the Tropical House.
• Breathe in the jungle air in the palm house, and the large cactus house with its wittily shaped spherical and columnar cacti and agaves is open all year round.
• In the outdoor areas you can observe blooming landscapes all year round.

Outdoors: Stroll through the huge garden complex!

During the peak season in spring and summer, some 14,000 different plant species grow on the 21.20-hectare premises, from carnivorous jungle plants to native walnut trees:

• Of course, you can recognize the rose garden just by its scent. Located directly behind the café, a blaze of blossoms and colors awaits you here, consisting of old rose varieties and new cultivars that reflect only a fraction of the diversity of this group of plants.
• The arboretum, on the other hand, is a pretty tree garden with deciduous trees and conifers from all over the world. There are also beds of useful and medicinal plants such as fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices.
• To the west of the arboretum, you'll find the Alpinum, a recreation of a hilly alpine landscape overlooking the large pond. It gathers alpine plants from all over the world, sorted naturally.
• It's not just plants that live here: You'll get to know all kinds of bird species and insects such as bees, bumblebees and even lovebirds. With its flowers, the botanical garden makes an important contribution to the preservation of endangered wild bees.

Indoors: Explore the exciting greenhouses!

In all 15 greenhouses (three larger halls and twelve smaller houses), plants of all latitudes are represented:

• A visit to the orchid house is a must, though the cactus and palm halls also have fascinating plants.
• There are also plenty of (selfie) motifs at the water lily pond in the Victoria House .
• Continue through the Africa and Madagascar Houses to the desert plants, the succulents, pepper and pineapple plants await you in the Mexico House.
• Around the aquariums, you will make an international journey through the world of aquatic plants.

Additional tips: Events, exhibitions, and the Planet Path

But there’s much more to see and do in the Botanical Garden - here are a few tips: 

• Take part in readings, lectures and guided tours under the guidance of biologists and botanists!
• An audio guide with 60 listening stations is also worthwhile. 20 of those specifically with entertaining information for children.
• Special exhibitions are also always being held - some about fragrant roses, some about exciting mushrooms. Even tropical butterflies sometimes make guest appearances in the Botanical Garden.
• The evening tours in the show greenhouses (irregularly between July and September) are a special highlight.
• For music fans, the Sunday choir matinees are worth a visit during the warm months.
• Another recommendation: the Planet Path. Here, you can learn about the enormous distances in our solar system. On a scale of 1:8,000,000,000 (1 cm corresponds to 80,000 km), its route begins with Neptune in the heath in the western section and leads to the sun at the pavilion in the east of the complex. At the end of the path you’ve walked just about 600 meters, instead of 4.5 billion kilometers.
• When it comes to relaxation, there’s an inviting café with large windows and a terrace. It closes 30 minutes earlier than the Botanical Garden.

History

There’s been a Botanical Garden in Munich since 1809. First it was located between Stachus and the Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station). Today, this park bears the name of "Alter Botanischer Garten" (Old Botanical Garden). However, it soon became too cramped in the city center and the air pollution became too strong. A new green lung needed to be created over a larger space.

The new Botanical Garden, considerably larger at 21.20 hectares, was laid out in Nymphenburg in 1914. The two gardens, the State Botanical Collection located on the same site and the Institute of Systematic Botany of the Ludwig Maximilian University, have been under joint management since 1966. The Botanical Garden is also an important training center for gardening apprentices and students.

Entrance Fees

• Day ticket €5.50, reduced rate €4.00, valid for greenhouses and special exhibitions.
• Combo ticket with the Museum Mensch und Natur: €7.50, reduced rate €5.00 (during ongoing special exhibitions, a surcharge applies when using the combo ticket)
• Free entry for children and young people under 18. Does not apply during special exhibitions or special events; here, children under the age of 12 have free admission and young people under 18 pay reduced admission.

Right Next Door: The Nymphenburg Palace Park

The back entrance to the Botanical Garden opens directly onto Nymphenburger Schlosspark (Nymphenburg Palace Park), one of Germany's largest and most important gardens.

It's worth taking another hour or two to see the park - possibly even pay a visit to the Nymphenburg Palace - once you've finished at the Botanical Garden.

Getting to the botanical garden is possible with bus 51 (Aidenbachstrasse), stop at Maria-Ward-Strasse and walk to the garden or bus 143 (Olympia-Einkaufzentrum) wich stops you right in front of the garden. You can also visit via tram 17 (Amalienburgstrasse) from the Munich central station.