Gradina Botanica (Botanical Garden), Iasi

Grădina Botanică is the largest botanical garden in Romania and the oldest in the country, founded in 1856 by physician and naturalist Anastasie Fătu. It later moved, expanded, and became a major space for plant research, conservation, education, and quiet walks. The garden also preserves two silver lime trees planted in 1981, grown from root suckers taken from Eminescu’s famous lime tree.

The garden is arranged into thematic sections with flowers, medicinal plants, rare species, roses, conifers, and native and exotic trees. In the Systematic Section, the paths are designed like a living evolutionary map of the plant world, with plant groups arranged by their development. Lakes, meadows, and wooded areas add variety and support birds, insects, and other small wildlife.

A major highlight is the greenhouse complex, with tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean, and desert plants, including palms, orchids, cacti, and succulents. The garden also has rare female Ginkgo biloba trees that produce viable seeds. In autumn, the Chrysanthemum Exhibition brings large seasonal floral displays, while the wider grounds include quiet historic and spiritual layers, such as the Podgoria Copou Monastery.