Savoy Castle Alpine Botanical Garden, Alpine garden at Castel Savoia, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Italy.
Savoy Castle Alpine Botanical Garden sits at roughly 1350 meters elevation beside Castel Savoia, occupying about 1000 square meters of planted rock beds filled with mountain species. The beds cluster against the stone walls and display a colorful collection of Gentian, Eryngium, Iris, and Lilium varieties.
Castel Savoia was built in 1898 by Queen Margherita of Italy as her summer residence in this mountain valley. The botanical garden was added much later in 1990 to gather and display the region's alpine plant species.
The garden reflects how the royal family and European aristocracy valued alpine plants as symbols of natural beauty and refinement during the late 1800s. Walking through reveals how mountain species were treasured and displayed as botanical curiosities in a cultivated setting.
The garden opens from May through September during castle hours, with the best flowering display happening between June and September. Wear comfortable walking shoes since paths cross rocky terrain, and remember you are at a high altitude location.
The garden intentionally focuses on showy ornamental alpine species rather than the wild native plants found on the surrounding slopes. This makes it a collection of carefully selected varieties that you would not encounter on the mountainsides below.
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