Botanical Garden Fort Hoofddijk, University botanical garden in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Botanical Garden Fort Hoofddijk is a university garden in Utrecht housing a large plant collection from around the world. The site includes different sections like greenhouses for tropical species and planted beds where plants are arranged by their characteristics.
The garden was established in 1963 on the grounds of the old fort and draws plants from earlier botanical collections of the university. One of these older collections began in the 17th century as a medicinal garden.
The garden bears the name of the fort where it was built and displays plants from many different climates around the world. Visitors can discover tropical species alongside alpine plants and learn about the variety of plant life across the globe.
The garden is open daily from March through November and is easily reached by public transit. Sturdy shoes are recommended since paths can be uneven, especially in the hilly areas.
A special feature is an impressive stone formation with plants from mountainous regions, built with large natural stone blocks. This structure creates different elevations in a small space and shows how alpine plants grow in such environments.
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