Saxony-Anhalt is home to gardens that are more than just places to linger. From Dessau to Wörlitz, Prince Leopold III Friedrich Franz von Anhalt-Dessau developed a garden kingdom that Goethe described in 1778 with the words "Here it is now infinitely beautiful". Over 8,600 rose varieties and species bloom in the Europa-Rosarium Sangerhausen, while the Elbauenpark in Magdeburg is still celebrating BUGA 99 today. Blankenburg's castle gardens, the Brockengarten at the top of the Harz Mountains and Hundisburg in the Börde region take you through centuries of European garden art. Historic parks characterize the cultural profile of Saxony-Anhalt - they combine the beautiful with the useful.
UNESCO Garden Kingdom Dessau-Wörlitz: World Culture in Green
In 1765, Prince Leopold III Friedrich Franz von Anhalt-Dessau and his architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff began a project in Wörlitz that made cultural history: the first landscape garden based on the English model. Over an area of 142 square kilometers in and around Dessau, a cultural landscape was created that enabled the beautification of the countryside and education, productive agriculture and nature conservation - all in the spirit of the Enlightenment - in a completely new way. Lakes and islands, bridges and visual axes as well as winding paths connect seven parks. Gondola rides in Wörlitz Park are still popular today, and paths take visitors on a journey past ancient temples, the original Wörlitz Synagogue, which has been preserved to this day, and the artificial Vesuvius.
6 Garden Dream Highlights
Europa-Rosarium Sangerhausen
The Europa-Rosarium in Sangerhausen is the most extensive collection of roses in the world. More than 8,600 rose varieties and species unfold on over 13 hectares - from wild roses, whose origins date back some 12 million years, to modern cultivars. The blooms are particularly impressive in June and July, when millions of buds open simultaneously and a carpet of fragrance covers the area between Kyffhäuser and Mansfelder Land. In addition to the collection, the Rosarium with its gene database is also used for research and the preservation of old varieties. Walks lead through themed gardens that show the diversity of the queen of flowers. Events such as "Rose meets art" or the "Night of a thousand lights" round off the experience.
Elbauenpark Magdeburg
Where the Red Army was stationed until 1994, the Elbauenpark Magdeburg was created in 1999 with the BUGA - a spacious area of modern garden art. The Millennium Tower, a 60-metre high wooden structure visible from afar, tells the story of 6,000 years of knowledge on six levels. All around are themed gardens, play and sports areas, water areas and quiet retreats. The lakeside stage is the venue for concerts and festivals in summer, while the zipline and summer toboggan run provide plenty of exercise. Magdeburg and its guests can no longer imagine life without the Elbauenpark. It shows how garden shows can be transformed into lively adventure spaces.
Blankenburg Castle Gardens
The Blankenburg Castle Gardens in the Harz Mountains reflect almost four centuries of garden development. At the foot of the Great Palace, the baroque terraced garden with its bubbling water axis, the mountain garden and the pheasant garden are located in the middle of the extensive palace park - baroque splendor and quiet corners. Geometric pathways, fountains and carefully tended plants tell of the design intentions of bygone eras, while vantage points open up views far into the Harz foreland. Another crowd-puller awaits not far away: Michaelstein Monastery with its monastery gardens.
Hundisburg Castle
Hundisburg Castle is considered the most important rural baroque castle in Saxony-Anhalt. In the middle of the Magdeburger Börde and a burnt-out ruin until the 1990s, the ensemble combines architecture and garden art in the most beautiful baroque form after its restoration. The baroque garden unfolds with parterres, avenues and a view of the bright blue Paris Gate. Beyond the strictly ordered axes, romantic paths open up to the Althaldensleben landscape park. Today, Hundisburg is a lively cultural venue: garden fairs, concerts and exhibitions fill the rooms and bring history to life.
Brocken Garden
The Brockengarten is located at an altitude of 1,142 meters in the Harz National Park and is the highest botanical garden in northern Germany. Plants from the world's high mountains have been cultivated here since 1890 - from the Himalayas to the Alps. Wind, cold and fog characterize this special location, which provides insights into the survival strategies of alpine vegetation. Visitor tours from May to October show how flora adapts to extreme habitats and what parallels exist between the mountain regions. This makes the Brockengarten both a place of research and a showcase for mountain flora.
Mosigkau Castle
Just outside Dessau lies Mosigkau Castle, an almost completely preserved rococo castle and park. It is often called "Little Sanssouci" because of its cheerful architecture. Ornamental flowerbeds, delicate pavilions and tree-lined avenues reflect the charm of the 18th century. Mosigkau is part of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Kingdom and still retains the lightness and elegance of the Rococo period. The core area and highlight of the palace is the gallery hall with one of the rare, almost completely preserved Baroque painting hangings in Europe. The interplay of architecture, art and garden can be experienced during guided tours and concerts.
Events in the Garden Year
Many parks are also stages. Every year in June, the Rendezvous in the Garden festival celebrates the interplay of culture and nature throughout Europe - and of course in Saxony-Anhalt too. From May to August, the Garden Kingdom Summer resounds with lake concerts, music in front of castle façades and the eruption of the Wörlitz volcano. Spring awakening, garden fairs and festivals in the Garden Kingdom enrich the calendar
Garden Dreams Saxony-Anhalt
Since the year 2000, the Saxony-Anhalt Garden Dreams network has linked the 50 most beautiful parks and offers an overview of all parks, their botanical features and current events. It also provides information on guided tours, services and seasonal highlights.