Ljubljana Botanical Garden

What makes it special

Start with the trees that are as old as the garden. The Marmont linden in the middle was planted for the opening in 1810, when Ljubljana sat in the French-run Illyrian Provinces, and the oldest ginkgo in Slovenia dates from the same beginnings.

Around them grow more than 4,500 species and subspecies, about a third of them native to Slovenia and the rest from elsewhere in Europe and other continents. This is still a working research centre of the university's Biotechnical Faculty.

The tropical glasshouse was built for the garden's bicentenary and holds over 380 species from the tropics. Outdoors, the plant system section lays its beds out as a tree of life, grouped by how closely the plants are related, so neighbouring beds are botanical relatives.

Visiting

Marmont's linden, in the middle of the garden, is the landmark to steer by. You walk in from Ižanska cesta, and the outdoor beds are yours to wander in any order. The gates open at 7:30 every day and close at 19:00 from April to October, earlier in winter.

The tropical glasshouse opens at ten and keeps shorter hours than the garden, so check its weekend times and whether it charges entry before you plan around it. In winter there is little growing outdoors, so make the glasshouse the main event; in summer, save it for the end of a slow loop outside.

Guided or on your own

The garden runs guided tours, workshops and excursions, mostly for groups, and can give them in languages other than Slovene by prior agreement. Phone the garden well ahead to ask whether you can join one; the beds are open to wander on your own.

Tips

Come in the heat of a summer day: the garden is not as hot as the city centre, so it makes a good midday stop. Autumn is the other season to plan around, when the colour across the beds is at its strongest.

On a cold or wet day, head for the glasshouse and take your coat off at the door. The tropical plants inside are kept warm and humid all year.