Kruidtuin (Botanical Garden)

The oldest in Belgium

The herbal gardens of Leuven are the oldest in Belgium. TheLeuven university created a first herbal garden in 1738 for its medical students.

Den botanieken hof

It soon needed expanding and in 1819 a second botanic garden was created on the lands of a demolished Capucin monastery, the current location. The neo-classical porch building, the orangerie and the picturesque lay out of the garden go back to this period and still define the precious atmosphere of the "Den botanieken hof",as it is called by the locals, today.

800 plants of different species

The botanic school, a garden with a grid pattern, presents almost 800 plants of different species according to the plant system of the famous botanist Linnaeus. It is still an important scientific source of information for students and herbalists.

In 1835 the garden was donated to the city of Leuven. In 1982 the orangerie was renovated to its original condition and a tropical greenhouse was built here. In the early Nineties the water garden was added, followed by the fruit garden and the sunken garden. The Alpine conservatory and the Victorian conservatory were built to English model.

Besides the scientific and educational value of the plant collection, the visitors will enjoy the heavenly beauty of the place. In July and August the garden is the backdrop for "Summer in the Herbal garden", an outdoor exhibition with national and international works of art.