Established in 1679, the Botanical Garden in Berlin is one of the world's most prominent and the second largest botanical garden in the world, with only Kew Gardens in London being larger.
It was started as an herb garden which was then enlarged to include vegetables and hops for brewing and soon became a place for extensive exotic plant collections.
Later, in 1879, the Royal Botanical Museum was also added making it a great centre for scientific research.
Today it comes under the jurisdiction of the Free University of Berlin and is a model of German order and scientific correctness.
Only the marshlands and native plant precincts have an air of free, untamed, rambling nature about them.
Covering 43 hectares, the sheer scale of these gardens and the extraordinary collections of plant life are stunning.
22,000 species are represented here in all, with many being endangered or very rare.
If you want to see all (or most) of this place then at least two days are required to visit - though one full day will give you a very satisfying experience.
The overall grounds are very extensive but the greatest intensity of plantlife is to be found in fifteen greenhouses, with the giant Tropenhaus being one of the world's largest glasshouses at 25 meters high, covering a floor area of around 1,700 square metres.
The Victoria House re-creates an authentic tropical environment with high humidity, loved by the orchids and lilies alike.
There's also very oriental bamboo bridge that takes you over the basin and into an exotic plant paradise.
Berlin Botanischer Garten is famous for its giant water lilies, carnivorous plant specimens and cactus, while there are also lovely open, lush meadows, lush with grasses and wild flowers to wander to lay out in on a warm summer's day and pretend you are not in one of the world's great cities.
Author: Bob Saunders.
A limited number of wheelchairs are available for disabled visitors and access around the facilities is generally good. For reservation call 030/838-50272
Entrance Königin-Luise-Straße or -Platz:
Bus X 83 (towards Steglitz) stops in front of the museum, bus X 83 (towards Dahlem) and bus 101 stops across the street.
Entrance Unter den Eichen:
Bus M48 (towards South) immediately in front of the gate, M48 (towards North) across the street.