Botanischer Garten Grugapark

The Botanischer Garten Grugapark is a municipal garden in Essen with multiple themed sections, including an Alpinum with mountain plants, an Asian garden, and Germany's largest climbing plants collection. Three modern greenhouses contain tropical rainforest, desert, and Australian plant species.

The garden was founded in 1927 as a teaching and experimental space for scientists and gardeners. After suffering war damage, it was rebuilt and completely redesigned for the 1965 Bundesgartenschau national garden exhibition.

The Westphalian cottage garden displays how local people historically organized their outdoor spaces, featuring heirloom vegetables and traditional flowers arranged as they would have been generations ago. Walking through it gives a sense of how families once lived with their gardens as an essential part of daily life.

Well-established paths run through all garden sections, with most areas easy to walk through, though some spots may be damp or uneven. The greenhouses provide shelter in poor weather and allow visits to be enjoyable in any season.

The Garden of Senses uses varied ground surfaces and raised planting beds to make the garden accessible to people with different physical abilities. Visitors can experience the plants through touch and other senses, not just through sight.