🇳🇱 Hortus Botanicus Leiden | Where Botany Comes Alive!

🌿 The Oldest Botanical Garden in the Netherlands 📍 Address: Rapenburg 73, 2311 GJ Leiden ⏰ Opening Hours: Apr-Oct: Daily 10:00-18:00 Nov-Mar: Tue-Sun 10:00-16:00 (Closed Oct 3) 🎟️ Tickets: Adults €7 | Children (4-12) €3 🚶 From Leiden Centraal: 15-min walk | 🚌 Bus 1/3 to Paterstraat ✨ A Living Piece of History Founded in 1590 by botanist Carolus Clusius, this garden started as a medicinal plant hub for Leiden University (est. 1575). Fun fact: Clusius planted the first Dutch tulip here in 1593 (from Turkish seeds)—sparking the iconic tulip trade! 🌷 📚 Scientific Legacy: Scholars like Linnaeus researched here. Today, it houses 10,000+ plant species across: Chinese & Japanese Gardens Clusius Garden (historic plants) Greenhouses: Tropical Winter Garden + orchid-filled Victoria Greenhouse 🌱 Why Botanists & Travelers Love It ✅ Original non-GMO tulips still bloom! ✅ 2 hectares of biodiversity (from 1,400 m² in 1587). ✅ DFA Exam Spot: Flower pros—test your Latin plant names here! (Shoutout to teacher Erik!) #BotanicalGarden #Leiden #Netherlands #LeidenUniversity #DFA #DutchFlowers #TravelNL #TulipHistory