Bastionsgarten, Botanical garden in Eichstätt, Germany.
The Bastionsgarten is a botanical garden at the foot of Willibaldsburg castle in Eichstätt, Bavaria, laid out on the grounds of a former fortification. The beds are arranged according to the natural growth cycles of the plants, so the garden changes its appearance through the seasons.
A prince-bishop established the garden in the late 1500s, but it was destroyed during the Thirty Years War in the following century. It was recreated in the late 1990s using historical references to restore the original planting scheme.
The name refers to the bastion on which Willibaldsburg castle stands, tying the garden directly to the fortified history of the site. Visitors can see plants that were once part of everyday life in this region, grown for food, medicine, or trade.
The garden is accessible from spring through autumn, and the paths are flat and easy to walk. A visit during the summer months is especially rewarding, as most of the plants are in full growth and easier to identify.
The planting selection draws directly from a 1613 botanical book written by a local scholar, which records hundreds of plant species known in the region at that time. This makes the garden a rare example of a space designed to reflect a specific historical document rather than a general collection.
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