Englischer Garten

The Englischer Garten is an expansive green space in Meiningen with multiple levels connected by stone steps and walls. The layout combines open lawns with planted flower beds, pathways, and various garden sections that extend from the palace grounds into the surrounding neighborhoods.

The garden emerged in the late 1700s as part of the Meiningen Palace and followed the fashion for English landscape design of that period. The tiered layout with stairs and multiple levels developed as a practical way to work with the sloping terrain above the river valley.

People from Meiningen use the garden for daily walks and gatherings, with certain areas hosting seasonal events and performances. This living use shows how the space has remained a meeting place for the community across generations.

Visitors can enter from multiple gates in the old town or from the palace and explore the different levels on marked pathways. Comfortable shoes are recommended because of the stairs and uneven surfaces, especially if you want to see all parts of the garden.

The garden walls and stairs are built to look like terraces from the valley below, offering unexpected views across the Werra River landscape. This stepped system allows visitors to see the surrounding landscape from several different heights.