Green Frankfurt: the Palmengarten, the Museum Embankment and the Green Belt

Frankfurt am Main is known for skyscrapers and the stock exchange, but Germany’s financial capital has a green side too. It has one of the country’s largest botanical gardens, and along the river runs an embankment where museums sit beside parks. Here is how to spend a day in Frankfurt among flowers and art.

Flowers delivered in Kyiv: imported roses and potted plants.

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The Palmengarten

The Palmengarten opened in 1871 and is now considered one of the largest botanical gardens in Germany. Under glass are tropics and deserts; outside are a rose garden, rock garden, ponds and seasonal beds.

• The Palm House. A historic glasshouse full of palms and tropical plants.
• The Tropicarium. Pavilions with plants of the rainforest, savannah and desert.
• Shows. Exhibitions of orchids, camellias, cacti and other plants are held throughout the year.

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The Museum Embankment and parks

• Museumsufer. More than a dozen museums line the Main, from the Städel art museum to museums of film, architecture and applied arts, many set in gardens.
• Grüneburgpark. A large landscape park next to the Palmengarten, with rhododendrons and azaleas flowering in spring.
• The Green Belt. A ring of woods, meadows and gardens around the city with walking and cycling routes.

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If you like gardens combined with architecture, see castles with gardens and Italy in bloom.

FAQ

How long do you need for the Palmengarten?

At least two or three hours, longer if a show is on.

When is Frankfurt at its best?

In April and May, when rhododendrons and lilac bloom, and in September while it is still warm.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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