Leipzig University Botanical Garden

The Leipzig University Botanical Garden is a calm green pocket close to the city center. On about 3.5 hectares you will find roughly 10,000 plant species, from medicinal herbs and water lilies to tropical greenhouse plants. If you are looking for things to do in Leipzig beyond the old town, this is an easy, inexpensive stop, and the outdoor grounds are free to enter.

Why it is special

This is Germany's oldest botanical garden. It began in 1539 as a garden of medicinal plants for the university and moved several times before settling at its present site in 1876/77. Bombing in 1943 and 1945 destroyed much of the greenhouse complex, which was rebuilt by 1954. A major renovation followed between 1992 and 2004, and a research greenhouse for the iDiv biodiversity center opened in 2019.

What to see

• Greenhouses with a butterfly show, the best option on a rainy day.
• Pharmacists' garden and the scent and touch garden, focused on healing and fragrant plants.
• Open-air sections with flower beds and mature trees.
• A small historic Victoria greenhouse standing freely in the grounds.

Allow one to two hours.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

The outdoor sections are free. The greenhouses with the butterfly show cost EUR 5 for adults and EUR 3 reduced, children under 6 are free, and a family ticket is EUR 12.

• Outdoor grounds in October: daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; from November, daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Greenhouses in October: Tuesday to Friday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Winter: the greenhouses close from November to the end of February.

Short-notice closures can happen, so check the university website before you go.

Getting there

The garden is in Leipzig's Zentrum-Südost district, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the city center, at Linnéstraße 1. Leipzig has fast Deutsche Bahn connections from cities such as Berlin, Dresden and Munich; check the DB Navigator app for current times, then continue by tram or bus from Leipzig Hauptbahnhof. The university website does not describe parking or wheelchair access, so contact the garden at garten@uni-leipzig.de if you need details.

Nearby

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal) lies in the southeast of the city and combines well with a visit here.