There are many ways in which the historic city of Delft will tempt you, should you find yourself sojourning through the lowlands. You can create your own pottery in an authentic Delft Blue porcelain factory (or have some shipped straight to your home from local vendors); you can stroll through the same streets as painter Johannes Vermeer did in the seventeenth century, during the highly influential Dutch Golden Age; you will definitely gape at the leaning tower of the fourteenth century Old Church and the Renaissance-style City Hall.
But if you’ve seen all of these attractions and still have time to spare (or if you’re looking for a patch of green amid all the cobblestone streets), let your feet guide you to the Delft Botanical Garden (Delft Hortus Botanicus).
Here are nine things you should know to make the most of your visit to Delft Botanical Garden.
3 Things you should KNOW before you visit Delft Botanical Garden
+ The TU Delft botanical garden is a research garden. Due to its affiliation with the university, the garden is less focused on the esthetic aspect of plants and more focused on their technical uses. That’s why you’ll see expos about the way humans have cultivated and used different spices throughout history, or read about the latest research in water filtration with plants. Occasionally, you will stroll by an ongoing experiment.
At 2.5 hectares, the garden is the largest single green area adjoining the city center of Delft.
+ Just like the botanical gardens in Bonn and Cologne, this one is also free to visit (if you have a Museumkaart, a Delft card, a Rotterdam card or if you are a TU Delft student or staff), or otherwise very affordable. At the time of publication, the general admission is 6 euros for adults and 3 euros for children and seniors.
Depending on your pace and the season, your visit will take between one and two hours, which makes the ticket a very good value-for-money choice. Keep in mind that there are some events that you can attend, such as band concerts, temporary exhibitions and food or ethnic fairs that are included in the price of the ticket. There is always an interesting exhibition every time I visit.
+ It’s very close to the city center. You can walk to the Delft Botanical Garden via several different routes. I recommend choosing the picturesque route that takes you through the old city gate – Oostpoort (Eastern Gate). Yes, you’re literally walking through the former gate of the city and along a pedestrian drawbridge. Oostpoort, a fine example of example of Brick Gothic northern European architecture, was first erected in the 1400s, and it’s the only remaining piece of architecture of what used to be the city walls.
3 Things to SEE when you visit Delft Botanical Garden
+ The greenhouses. No visit to the Delft Botanical Garden would be complete without a tour of the greenhouses. The greenhouse rooms have their own sub-climates: tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean, desert. For succulent and cacti lovers, this last room will offer a generous mix of species.
Since the 2004 tsunami, the research focus inside the greenhouses has been on the role that mangrove forests can play in protecting coasts in vulnerable areas.
Bonus points if you find the skittish pet spider. Worry not, he’s in a locked tank.
+ The living tree pavilion. This structure was designed by the Faculty of Civil Engineering at TU Delft to showcase one of the oldest building materials on Earth … trees. Because of their unique built-in optimization process, trees are able to repair weaknesses in their structure and can adapt to changing loads by producing extra wood.
The structure of the living tree pavilion consists of lime trees planted in a circle and fused together by living and growing joints. The visitor platform, which looms four meters above the garden, is currently supported by a man-made structure.
The trees surrounding it are growing around the observation deck and will eventually support it without the need for outside intervention.
+ Endangered plants area. This mesh-enclosed display garden showcases a variety of plants threatened with extinction due to land drainage, intensive farming, and warming temperatures – from alpine mosses to moor grasses. This collection was started in 2008 and it’s still a work-in-progress that aims to store the seeds of these endangered Dutch wild plants under controlled climatic conditions in seed banks.
Bonus! There are different themed ceramics exhibitions throughout the year.
3 Things to DO when you visit Delft Botanical Garden
+ Walk on the barefoot path. A sensory experience for kids and adults alike, the barefoot path is outdoors and available in all types of weather, though it might get a bit too muddy after heavy rain. If you’ve been strolling through the cobblestone streets of Delft all day, this is a great way to let your feet relax for a few minutes.
+ Read a book by the pond. This is by far one of our favorite ways to unwind in the city of Delft. The fish pond meanders through the garden, but the best place for a meditative rest is on the benches facing the Orangery. For a proper siesta, retreat on the benches surrounded by lavender bushes and enjoy a bit of silence and a cold drink from the concessions pavilion.
+ See the bee hives. If you’re not fazed by the buzz of hard-working humming bees, have a look at the bee house in the arboretum (as you enter the garden, take the path on the left). There are also a few displays for kids to learn more about the importance of bees for the ecosystem.
Just like the city of Delft itself, the garden is small but packs a lot of treasures. It’s a delight to explore and uncover them.
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More botanical garden guides this way:
Visit Phipps Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh, USA
Visit Leiden Botanical Garden, the Netherlands
Visit Keukenhof Tulip Garden, the Netherlands
Visit Bonn Botanical Garden, Germany
Visit Cologne Botanical Garden, Germany
