Best gardens and parks in Europe
Best gardens and parks in Europe
Classic formal estate gardens and public grounds in Europe
Europe has been shaping its landscapes deliberately for a long time, and the range of what counts as a garden here is wider than anywhere else. Baroque palace grounds laid out to project political power, English landscape gardens designed to look uncontrived, Islamic courtyard gardens built around water and shade, hillside terraces on Italian lakes that have been cultivated for centuries. The traditions are distinct and often in quiet conversation with each other across borders.
Many of the destinations on this page are attached to larger historic sites – palaces, villas, châteaux – and the gardens were always part of the statement. But Europe also has serious botanical institutions, urban parks that function as genuine public space, and a few places that are harder to categorise. The diversity of climate across the continent means the plant life shifts considerably as you move between regions.
Timing varies more than people expect. The tulip season in the Netherlands, cherry blossom in some of the cooler northern gardens, the summer fountain displays at Peterhof. A lot of these destinations have a window when they're at their best, and it's worth knowing what that is before you go.
Lists by region
City in Germany
Potsdam
Prussian palaces and lakes near Berlin
Sanssouci Park surrounds the summer palace of Frederick the Great in Potsdam. Terraced vineyards step up to the yellow palace above a large fountain. Visitors can walk for hours between the Chinese House, the Orangery and the New Palace. The whole park forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Village in France
Giverny
Monet's living canvas of inspiration
Claude Monet lived in Giverny for 43 years and painted his own garden again and again. The famous water lily pond with its green Japanese bridge still looks much like his canvases. Visitors can walk through the Clos Normand, packed with tulips, irises and roses. The garden opens from spring until early November.
Region in United Kingdom
Cotswolds National Landscape
Honey-Colored Villages and Rolling Hills
Hidcote Manor Garden near Chipping Campden was created by Lawrence Johnston in the early 1900s. Its hedged garden rooms each follow a different colour or planting theme. Visitors can wander from the White Garden into the long Red Borders. Nearby Kiftsgate Court is famous for a rambling rose that climbs high into the trees.
Town in Italy
Bellagio
Pearl of Lake Como’s Shores
Villa Melzi's lakeside park stretches along the shore just south of Bellagio's old harbour. Azaleas and rhododendrons bloom here each spring beside a small Japanese pond. You can follow the gravel walk past classical statues with Lake Como beside you. Across town, the grounds of Villa Serbelloni offer guided tours up the promontory.
Region in France
French Riviera
Glamorous Mediterranean Getaway
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild sits on the Cap Ferrat peninsula between Nice and Monaco. Nine themed gardens surround the pink villa, from Spanish to Japanese. Visitors can watch the musical fountains dance in time to classical music. Further along the coast, Menton's Serre de la Madone grows rare plants in a sheltered valley.
City in France
Paris
The city of love, art and history
The Luxembourg Garden was laid out in 1612 for Queen Marie de Médicis. Its formal flower beds surround a large octagonal pond in front of the Senate. Children sail little wooden boats on the water while adults read in green metal chairs. Across the Seine, the Tuileries lead towards the Louvre.
City in Netherlands
Amsterdam
Canals, culture and a vibrant spirit
Vondelpark opened in 1865 and now covers about 47 hectares near the museum quarter. Ponds, winding paths and a rose garden with dozens of varieties fill the grounds. Cyclists, joggers and picnickers share the lawns on sunny days. In summer, the small open air theatre hosts free concerts and plays.
Town in Italy
Ravello
Romantic Gardens Above the Amalfi
Villa Cimbrone sits high on a cliff above the Amalfi Coast in Ravello. Its Terrace of Infinity is lined with marble busts facing the open sea. You can wander rose gardens and shady avenues on the way out to the balustrade. Down in the village, Villa Rufolo's gardens host a summer music festival.
City in Germany
Hanover
Baroque gardens, lakeside walks and big fairs
The Great Garden at Herrenhausen ranks among Europe's key baroque gardens. Electress Sophia shaped its geometric beds and hedges in the late 17th century. Visitors can watch the Great Fountain shoot water around 70 metres into the air. The nearby Berggarten grows orchids and cacti in glasshouses beside the royal mausoleum.
Town in Netherlands
Lisse
Blooming tulip paradise in Dutch countryside
Keukenhof in Lisse plants around seven million bulbs for its short spring season. The gardens open for about eight weeks from March to May each year. Visitors can walk through 32 hectares of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in flowing beds. Around the park, the striped bulb fields stretch towards the coast.
City in Austria
Vienna
A Symphony of Culture and Elegance
The Belvedere garden stretches between two baroque palaces built for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Terraced lawns, cascades and clipped hedges fill the slope between them. Visitors can look down from the Upper Belvedere towards the city centre. A short walk away, Stadtpark holds the gilded statue of composer Johann Strauss.
Island in Portugal
Madeira
Dramatic Cliffs and Eternal Spring
Monte Palace Tropical Garden rises on the hills above Funchal. Koi ponds, blue tile panels and swan lakes fill its steep valley. Visitors can stroll past cycads, Madeiran laurel trees and Oriental gates. A ride down in a wicker toboggan sled is a classic way to leave Monte.
Palace in Lisbon
Pena Palace
Majestic hilltop palace with eclectic charm
Pena Park covers around 200 hectares of forest around the colourful Pena Palace. King Ferdinand II planted it with trees from several continents in the 19th century. Visitors can follow trails to lakes, a fern valley and the Cruz Alta viewpoint. From the top, the view reaches the Atlantic on clear days.
Villa in Como
Villa del Balbianello
Romantic Lakeside Italian Villa
Villa del Balbianello crowns the wooded Lavedo point that juts into Lake Como. Its terraced gardens drop to the water in layers of lawn, statues and climbing figs. Most visitors arrive by boat from Lenno and walk up through the garden. Scenes from Star Wars and a James Bond film were shot on its loggia.
Town in Italy
Peschiera del Garda
Fortified Canals Meet Lake Magic
Parco Giardino Sigurtà lies a short drive south of Peschiera del Garda. The park covers around 60 hectares of lawns, ponds and rolling hills. Each spring over a million tulips bloom during its Tulipanomania event. Visitors can explore by bike, golf cart or the little tourist train.
City in France
Versailles
Royal grandeur just outside Paris
André Le Nôtre designed the gardens of Versailles for Louis XIV in the 1660s. Long avenues, trimmed hedges and around fifty fountains stretch out from the palace. Visitors can rent a rowing boat on the Grand Canal. On summer weekends the fountains play to baroque music in the Musical Fountains Show.
City in Germany
Constance
Lakeside old town on the Swiss border
Mainau, the flower island, lies in Lake Constance just north of the city. Its gardens change through the seasons from spring tulips to summer roses and autumn dahlias. Visitors can walk through a butterfly house full of tropical species. An old arboretum shades the paths with redwoods planted in the 1860s.
Village in Portugal
Furnas
A Geothermal Wonderland
Terra Nostra Park in Furnas dates back to the 18th century. Its gardens hold camellias, cycads and ferns from around the world. Visitors can swim in a large thermal pool with warm, iron rich orange water. Around the village, volcanic steam rises from hot springs where locals slow cook stew in the ground.
Region in France
Loire Valley
Châteaux, vineyards and riverside charm
Château de Villandry near Tours holds some of the Loire's most famous Renaissance gardens. Its ornamental vegetable garden turns cabbages and leeks into geometric patterns. Visitors can climb the viewpoint to see the hedged love gardens from above. A water garden and a sun garden complete the layered terraces below the château.
Town in Portugal
Sintra
Fairytale Palaces in Misty Hills
Quinta da Regaleira mixes lush gardens with grottoes, towers and hidden tunnels. Its famous Initiation Well spirals nine levels deep into the hillside. Visitors can walk down the stone stairs and exit through a dark passage. Nearby Monserrate Palace grows exotic trees from several continents on its own green slopes.
Lake in Italy
Lake Como
Alpine elegance meets Italian charm
Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo sits above the western shore of Lake Como. Every April and May its huge azaleas and rhododendrons burst into colour. Visitors can walk shady paths past a bamboo grove and a fern valley. Inside the villa, Canova sculptures and neoclassical paintings wait after your garden walk.
Garden in Florence
Boboli Gardens
Renaissance Splendor in Florence
Behind the Pitti Palace, the Medici laid out the Boboli Gardens in the 16th century. Their terraces and statues later inspired royal gardens across Europe. Visitors can explore Buontalenti's grotto with its fake stalactites and shell decorations. From the upper slopes, the view stretches over the rooftops towards Brunelleschi's cathedral dome.
Town in Portugal
Funchal
Island Charm with Lush Landscapes
Madeira Botanical Garden spreads across a steep hillside above central Funchal. Its patterned flower beds form a living carpet of red and green plants. Visitors can see cacti, palms and native trees found nowhere else outside the island. The Monte cable car links the town with more hillside gardens higher up.
Amusement Park in Copenhagen
Tivoli Gardens
Historic amusement with magical charm
Opened in 1843, Tivoli Gardens mixes flower beds and old trees with vintage rides. The park sits right in central Copenhagen beside the main train station. Visitors can walk around the lake past a Chinese pagoda lit by thousands of bulbs. After dark, lanterns glow in the trees and concerts fill the open air stage.
Museum in Rome
Villa d'Este
Lavish Renaissance gardens and timeless fountains
Villa d'Este in Tivoli lies about 30 kilometres east of Rome. Cardinal Ippolito d'Este built its Renaissance garden with hundreds of fountains and pools. Visitors can walk the Avenue of the Hundred Fountains along the hillside. The Organ Fountain still plays music using only water pressure.
Palace in Vienna
Schönbrunn Palace
Vienna’s Majestic Habsburg Retreat
Formal baroque gardens climb from the Habsburg summer palace towards the Gloriette on the hill above. Long avenues pass clipped hedges, marble statues and the Neptune Fountain. Visitors can walk up to the colonnade for a wide view over the grounds and Vienna. A hedge maze and a Palm House hide in the same park.
Park in Barcelona
Park Güell
Gaudí's Colorful Garden Wonderland
Antoni Gaudí designed this hillside park above Barcelona in the early 1900s. Its mosaic lizard, twisting stone paths and gingerbread gatehouses now form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can sit on the long serpentine bench covered in broken tile. The terrace looks out over the whole city to the Mediterranean.
Palace in Granada
Alhambra
Majestic Moorish fortress echoing centuries
The Generalife served as the summer garden of the Nasrid sultans of Granada. Its Court of the Water Channel runs between flower beds and arching fountains. Visitors can look across the valley to the red walls of the Alhambra palace. Rose gardens and cypress walks line the path back through the grounds.
Palace in Russia
Peterhof Palace
Opulent gardens and imperial grandeur
Peterhof's Grand Cascade tumbles down from the palace towards the Gulf of Finland. Peter the Great created this estate outside Saint Petersburg in the early 18th century. Visitors can see more than 150 fountains across the estate. Trick fountains hidden in the paths still splash surprised guests.
Botanical Garden in London
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Serene green oasis amid bustling cityscape
Kew Gardens holds one of the world's largest collections of living plants. Its Victorian Palm House and Temperate House are landmarks of glass and iron. Visitors can walk along the treetop walkway high among the canopy. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.
Palace in Istanbul
Topkapi Palace
Ottoman Empire’s Majestic Seat
Gülhane Park once formed the outer garden of Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans. Each April the old palace grounds fill with tulips during the Istanbul Tulip Festival. You can stroll under plane trees from the palace walls down towards the Bosphorus. Inside the palace, shaded courtyards open onto views of the water.
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