Flora Botanical Garden, Cologne

The Flora Botanical Garden is an expansive park that combines a botanical garden and a flower garden, and attracts approximately one million visitors every year. The park is about 11.5 hectares (28 acres) in size and is located in the south of Cologne.

The Flora garden, which is situated in the southern part of the park, was created in 1864 and was designed by the renowned Prussian gardener, Peter Joseph Lenné. The gardens were arranged symmetrically in a variety of styles, from very formal to landscaped. The Flora building, which is the centerpiece of the garden, was built in the same year and is a stunning orangery with a magnificent glass vaulting. It was modeled after the Crystal Palace in London and the Jardin d'Hiver in Paris. The building was used for floral exhibitions during the 19th century.

Unfortunately, the Flora building was severely damaged during World War II and was only partially restored without its signature glass roof due to financial constraints. However, in 2011, the city of Cologne decided to reconstruct the building in its original form, and it reopened in June 2014 as an event and banqueting hall.

The Flora garden has many highlights, including a cascade and a formally laid-out flower garden with a central fountain. There are also landscaped areas such as the heather garden, a Mediterranean garden, a fern garden, and a pond. Exotic plants such as orchids, cocoa plants, and succulents are housed in a large glasshouse.

The Botanical garden is situated in the northern part of the park and contains approximately 10,000 different plant species. The plants are systematically categorized into different gardens, and the alpine garden alone contains about 2,000 species of mountain plants.