Meise Botanic Garden

A spring escape in the city! See 4+ million different plant types all the way from as far as Africa. This botanical garden is full of natural gems.

Brussels' Meise botanic garden dates all the way back to 1796. It’s one of the biggest botanical gardens in Europe! The garden itself is 92 hectares, so you’ve plenty of room to stroll. Plus, the gardens are literally right next to a 12th century castle. Where else can you get a flower and castle combo like this in a Belgian spring?

The Meise Botanic Garden houses an impressive collection of plants. Here, you will find a herbarium filled with over 4 million species of plants that have come from faroff continents like Africa and South America. You will also find a botanical library filled with a magnificent collection of over 200,000 books!

Conservation is also important within this Brussels botanic garden. There are currently over 18,000 live plants within the garden, which includes several threatened species. There is also a seed bank that includes various wild bean species. Thanks to this, people from around the world will be able to come back annually to enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of the garden.

As of 2014, the Meise Botanic Garden became officially known as the ‘Agentschap Plantentuin Meise’ and is currently managed by the Flemish government.

GPS hunt: from the 1 Jan to 31 Dec, the GPS hunt is a treasure hunt activity through the botanical gardens. Who says gardens are only for the summer? This all year round activity adds something extra to your visit and you don't have to pay any extra for it. Simply open up your map app on your smartphone and follow along the riddles in the botanical gardens. Put the clues together to discover the correct GPS coordinates. Do the kids (or you!) need extra help with the hunt? They have a page of clues here.