Botanisk Have — the Botanical Garden of Copenhagen — opened in its current location in 1874, making it one of Scandinavia's most enduring scientific green spaces. Spread across 10 hectares in the Indre By district, just behind the Natural History Museum of Denmark, it is administered by the University of Copenhagen and serves simultaneously as a public park, a living research collection, and an architectural landmark. Crucially for visitors, entry to the grounds is entirely free, a rarity for a collection of this calibre in a European capital.
The garden's crown jewel is its 19th-century Palm House (Palmehuset), a soaring cast-iron and glass greenhouse completed in 1874. Designed in the tradition of the great Victorian glasshouses — contemporaries of London's Crystal Palace and the greenhouses at Kew Gardens — it rises to a height of roughly 16 metres and shelters tropical and subtropical plants that could never survive a Danish winter outdoors. The structure is considered one of the most significant examples of 19th-century glass architecture in Denmark. Inside, towering palms, banana plants, and ferns create a dense, humid microclimate that feels startlingly remote from the cobblestones just outside. The Palm House celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2024, a milestone that underscores its remarkable state of preservation.
Beyond the Palm House, the garden's outdoor collections are arranged across themed sections: a rock garden planted with Alpine species, an arboretum of northern European trees, a systematic garden where plants are grouped by botanical family for scientific reference, and extensive beds of medicinal and economically important plants. The total collection spans more than 13,000 plant species, ranging from Arctic mosses to cacti. The garden's position adjacent to the former fortification lakes (Søerne) gives it a distinctive topography, with slopes, terraces, and ponds that make it feel considerably larger than its 10 hectares.
Visiting is straightforward year-round. The outdoor grounds are open daily without charge, while the Palm House and additional glasshouses have set opening hours and may charge a small admission fee. Spring, when the rock garden erupts with bulbs and the cherry trees flower, and autumn, when the arboretum turns gold, are the most visually rewarding seasons. The garden is a short walk from Nørreport Station, Copenhagen's busiest transit hub, making it an effortless addition to any itinerary. Bring a bag — the garden's small plant shop regularly sells propagated specimens from the collection.
