Park an der Ilm, English garden in Weimar, Germany
Park an der Ilm is an English garden in Weimar extending about one kilometer along the river, designed with winding paths, bridges, and natural-looking landscapes. The grounds blend open meadows with tree groves and create sight lines that frame the river and surrounding city.
The park's design began in 1778, with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe helping shape it and later building his garden house within its grounds. It emerged during an era when English gardens were transforming European court tastes and reflecting new attitudes toward nature.
The park is part of the Classical Weimar UNESCO World Heritage site and reflects the intellectual movements that shaped German thought during the 18th century. Visitors today can walk through the same grounds that inspired writers, thinkers, and artists of that era.
The park is accessible through several entry points around Weimar and offers enough space to explore at your own pace. Well-marked paths make it easy to find your way, and visiting on a dry day helps you enjoy the landscape comfortably.
The grounds contain over one thousand documented trees, including native German species and varieties from North America, making it a botanical collection of remarkable diversity. This mix of local and imported species shows how Weimar's leaders and scholars were interested in plants from around the world.
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