A visit to a beautiful botanical garden or a castle garden gives you the opportunity to see and learn about plants. Often there are also activities for both adults and children. Many destinations also have a café or restaurant along with cozy little shops. Of course, you can also just relax and enjoy the greenery.
There are many lovely gardens both in Sweden and in our Nordic neighboring countries. Here you get tips on 20 Nordic gardens worth visiting in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
Gardens in Sweden
Sweden is home to many beautiful gardens. From Malmö in the south to Hemavan in Norrland – there are beautiful places to visit throughout the country. Here are five tips on gardens worth a detour.
Ulriksdal’s garden
Ulriksdal’s garden is one of the most famous castle parks in Sweden. It is located right next to Ulriksdal Castle, on the E4 outside Solna north of Stockholm.
The castle park is in a classic format with large areas, cut bushes, statues and urns. In the castle park’s orangery, built during Hedvig Eleonora’s time, there is an exciting environment with exotic plants and sculptures. In the nearby commercial garden there is a cafe and shop. In the area there is also a beach, an inn and nice walking paths.
Rosendal’s garden
Rosendal’s commercial garden is centrally located on Djurgården in Stockholm. It dates back to the 18th century and is today a given destination all year round. Many activities are organized here for visitors of all ages.
The grounds are large and include an orchard, a field of self-picking flowers, a rose garden, a kitchen garden, a children’s playground and also a café, farm shop and bakery. Stockholmers themselves call the area the city’s green living room, and there’s a lot to it.
Fagernäs garden
Fagernäs is one of the northernmost gardens in Sweden. Home since 1921 is the city of Boden in Norrbotten. The location is relatively central at Luleåvägen in the Fagernäs district.
Fagernäs is a commercial garden of the larger size with flowers, plants, seedlings and various accessories for sale. The greenhouse is filled with new plants every week.
Gunnebo garden
Gunnebo garden is located by the castle of the same name, less than 15 minutes by car from central Gothenburg. Here there are several different gardens with several different styles together with a shop, restaurant and bakery.
Next to the castle is a classic castle park with exotic plants, statues and bushes in a cut-to-shape style, which goes by the name Lustträdgården. In the area around the castle there are also two kitchen gardens and the so-called English Park.
Sofiero Castle Garden
Sofiero castle garden is located just north of Helsingborg in Skåne. Here there is both a classic castle park and many more innovative facilities. A specialty of the park is the collection of rhododendrons. Another is the collection of dahlias. Sofiero is one of the most famous and popular gardens in Sweden.
The castle building houses both a café, a shop and a restaurant. The latter has a beautiful view of the lush surroundings and Öresund.
Highlights at Sofiero:
● Queen Ingrid’s fragrant garden
● Jubilee garden
● Queen Silvia’s flower jewelry
● The Rose Walk
● Crown Princess Margareta’s flower street common questions
Which is the most popular castle garden in Sweden?
According to ratings and reviews on the travel site Tripadvisor, the park at Sofiero Slott is the most popular in Sweden.
FAQ – Botanical gardens
Which is the oldest botanical garden in the world?
Padova’s botanical garden (orto botanico) in Italy is said to be the oldest in the world. It was already founded in 1545.
What is garden called in different languages in the Nordics?
● Danish: have
● Norwegian: hage
● Finnish: tuttu
● Icelandic: garði
Which botanical gardens are there in Sweden?
There are 14 botanical gardens in Sweden. The largest is in Gothenburg. Different parks have different specialties, but what they all have in common is that they have sections with plants from different geographical areas in Sweden, the Nordic countries and the world.
Norwegian Gardens
Norway has a diversity of botanical gardens with different focus. In the south there are many classic parks and further north there are parks and facilities with a focus on the Nordic climate. Here are five tips on Norwegian gardens worth a visit.
Tromsø Botanical Garden
Tromsø Botanical Garden is a fascinating place. It is arctic-alpine and is actually far above the Arctic Circle. Unsurprisingly, it is the world’s northernmost botanical garden.
The 1.8 hectare area is in full bloom during the months of midnight sun. Plants from both the Arctic, Antarctic and alpine areas bloom here. The garden is located on the island of Tromsøya in northern Norway. The easiest way to get to the city and the place is by air.
The village park
The village park is centrally located in Norway’s second largest city, Bergen. It is a classic city park in a large format that functions as an oasis in the city.
The garden houses a beautiful pavilion, statues, trimmed bushes and trees and lots of floral arrangements. Directly adjacent is a landscaped pond with a fountain that is bordered by walkable avenues with deciduous trees.
Stavanger Botanical Garden
In Western Norway’s Stavanger is a botanical garden that houses more than 3,000 plant species from all over the world. A specialty is the geographic garden. Plants from all over the world are gathered here from places that have the same climate as Stavanger.
The garden also includes a park, a pond with unusual species and even a herb garden. The area is just south of central Stavanger.
Flower and Feather
Flor og Fjære is an exciting destination for both young and old. This park is located on an island outside of Stavanger in western Norway and requires a 20-minute boat ride from Stavanger to get there.
Flor og Fjære is built around small watercourses, each at the center of different environments with different types of flora and fauna. There is a restaurant here, but no accommodation.
Rex Garden
Rex Garden is a unique nature park and garden in western Norway just north of Haugesund. Here, visitors are offered, among other things, a unique collection of rhododendrons in a lush environment on the mountain slopes.
The park contains several thousand rhododendron plants and is decorated here and there with wooden sculptures. The paths in the park are connected with paths on the mountain, which is perfect for those who like to combine beautiful views with exercise.
Danish gardens
If you are on holiday in Denmark, you have every opportunity to visit beautiful gardens and parks. Here you can find both classic parks, large castle gardens, modern botanical parks and other lovely oases.
Amusement park
Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen is not just an amusement park. In the area there are many green and flowering areas. Tivoli is centrally located in Copenhagen, right by the railway station.
The Parterre Gardens are an area of perennials, flowering shrubs and lots of dahlias. The Bambuskogen area has elements of bamboo in particular, as well as oriental plants and rhododendrons. Pergola Gardens focuses on edible plants with beautiful colors. Hanging Gardens is a park garden and in the orangery there are more exotic plants.
The Japanese Gardens
De Japanske Haver is a theme park with various gardens with a Japanese theme. The area is located in Broby on the island of Funen, just south of Odense.
The gardens are six in number. Oriental plants, natural stone and running water are characteristic of the environment. There is also a cafe in the area that has both Japanese and Danish menus.
Frederiksborg Castle
Frederiksborg Castle is one of Denmark’s most famous castles. It is located in Hillerød in northern Zealand. From Helsingborg on the Swedish side, the journey takes just over an hour and a half by ferry and car.
Frederiksborg Castle has a grand castle garden in baroque style with symmetry and geometric patterns in the center. The park is one of the largest castle parks in Europe. The grounds also include an English-style garden and a romantic-style garden.
Egeskov
Egeskov castle on Funen carries many stories and the castle is generally very well worth a visit. It is located in Kvändrup on Zealand. By car from Copenhagen, the journey takes about two hours.
The construction of the castle park began in 1713. Today there are three labyrinths here, one of which is probably the largest in the world. In addition to the unique labyrinths, there is a park area, lots of gardens with different orientations and many activities for both young and old.
Highlights at Egeskov Castle:
● Den Blå Have (labyrinth)
● Sculpture park
● Baroness’s Garden
● The English Garden
● Scent garden
● Garden of Life
Botanical garden in Aarhus
The botanical garden in Aarhus is a place with both Danish, European and tropical plants. In total, there are around 2,000 plants in the area. The botanical garden is located almost in the center of Aarhus in Jutland.
There is a park and a café in the area. At the center, however, are the enormous greenhouses that can maintain suitable temperatures all year round. There are a number of exciting themed locations to explore.
Finnish gardens
The relatively harsh climate in Finland means that the number of more typical gardens is fewer than in, for example, Sweden. Finland also does not have very many castles and manors with associated parks. There are still some good tips to mention. Here are five tips on gardens to visit in Finland.
Kajsaniemi botanical
Kajsaniemi botanical garden consists of an outdoor garden and a number of magically beautiful greenhouses. Outdoors, the focus is on specifically Nordic themes, while the greenhouses house more exotic plants. A specialty is the opportunity not only to see and smell plants, but also to feel them.
Kajsaniemi is centrally located in Helsinki, wall to wall with the railway station and with many good accommodations right nearby.
Runsala Botanical Garden
Runsala botaniska is a facility with above all tropical plants. It is located just outside central Turku in southwestern Finland. A journey by car from the center takes about 10 minutes.
Here you can see plants from rainforests, subtropical environments, Mediterranean climates, deserts and much more all year round. The garden consists of six parts with a total of over 2,000 different plants. Outdoors, from April to November, the facility also boasts 23 hectares of over 3000 different plants.
Botany
Botania is the name of a botanical garden in the city of Joensuu in eastern Finland, about a five-hour drive from Helsinki. There is both a large outdoor garden, a large area with exotic plants under cover and an aquarium. A specialty at Botania are all butterflies that live freely indoors.
Botania is also an exciting place for art lovers. There are both permanent and temporary exhibitions here. There is also a café to visit in the area.
Oulu Botanical Garden
In Oulu in northern Finland, there is one of the world’s northernmost botanical gardens. It is run by the University of Oulu and has room for more than 4000 different plants from all over the world.
The Romeo Greenhouse on the grounds houses tropical and subtropical plants including fruits, carnivorous plants and orchids. In the greenhouse Julia, the focus is instead on the Mediterranean climate. The outdoor area covers more than 16 hectares and has a mix of culinary and medicinal plants.
Arboretum Mustila Foundation
Arboretum Mustila Foundation is a so-called arboretum, i.e. a planting of shrubs and trees. The area is located in Elimäki in southern Finland, approximately 120 km northeast of Helsinki.
In the area there is a very extensive collection of trees and shrubs typical of the Nordic climate together with flowering plants such as azalea and rhododendron. Arboretum Mustila also has a small cafe which is open during the warm months.
Conclusion – Nordic gardens
As you have seen in this post, there are lots of beautiful gardens in the Nordics, well worth visiting this summer. Here in Gothenburg, where I live, we have Gunnebo Gardens and the Botanical Garden. I can advise you to visit the latter in late summer. That’s when their famous Dahlia garden blooms. It is an incomparable sight of beautiful majestic Dahlias of all kinds and sizes.
