The Botanical Garden

Right in the city yet deeply peaceful: the Botanical Garden of Antwerp is a small green world with a long story. Known locally as “Den Botaniek,” it was created in the early 18th century by pharmacist Peter Van Coudenberghe for the nearby St. Elisabeth Hospital. He began with a collection of 600 medicinal herbs, which eventually grew to over 2,000 species.

What started as a teaching garden became a public park by the end of the 19th century. In the meantime, an orangery, greenhouses, classrooms, and exhibition spaces were added. Today, plant labels make it easy and fun for visitors to learn.

A statue of Van Coudenberghe stands in the garden, next to a koi pond that once held medicinal leeches. Four sculptures by Monique Donckers—Greening II—offer a visual illusion of rising and sinking forms. The result is calming and thought-provoking.

Among tall trees, chirping birds, and fragrant blossoms, Den Botaniek offers a place to walk, read, reflect, or simply enjoy the calm. A small park with a big soul.