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You are here: Home / Belgium / Enjoy nature at the Botanical Garden in Meise, Brussels

Enjoy nature at the Botanical Garden in Meise, Brussels

April 13, 2022

Yup, I have affiliate links on this blog and there may be some in this amazing and completely free content below. If you book or buy something through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Looking for an afternoon spring or summer getaway in Belgium? The National Botanical Garden in Meise is a good place to go!

 

The National Botanical Garden in Meise, Belgium

meise botanical gardens

A bit of history on the Meise botanical garden

The history of the National Botanical Garden of Belgium dates back to the French Revolution when the first Botanical Garden of Brussels was founded. It took a while before the Garden gained some stability, suffering frequent name, location, and director changes.

Its future was finally secured in 1938 when the Belgian State – then the owner of the Garden – purchased the Domain of Bouchout from the royal family. The National Botanical Garden of Brussels has been located there since January 1, 1939.

The Castle of Bouchout dates back to the 12th century. Its last well-known inhabitant was princess Charlotte of Belgium, sister of King Leopold II, who died there in 1927.

But the last person to have lived on the domain was the painter Erwin Ganz, a friend of the royal family who was granted permission to continue living on the domain until he died, which was in 1948.

 

Visiting the Meise botanical garden

I visited the Botanical Garden in Meise in April and granted, it was a bit too early in the season. The Belgian winter was long that year and when entering the garden, the bright yellow daffodils contrasted heavily with the still leafless trees.

The garden doesn’t close during winter, though. It's open all year round and while there may not be any flowers to spot outside in winter, visitors can find all kinds of plants in the large greenhouse, also known as the “Plant Palace”. The Plant Palace consists of different smaller greenhouses that all simulate other climates and hold vegetation from those climates.

Tip: be sure to take off your jacket before you enter the Plant Palace because most of the rooms there are tropically hot!

meise botanical garden

I didn't visit the Plant Palace until I'd seen the rest of the garden as it was a lovely day and I was in the mood for a stroll. The National Botanic Garden of Belgium is 92 ha big, so there's a lot of strolling (yes, that's a word) to be done. I saw most of the garden in over two hours, but I have to say I think it would have taken me much longer if the flowers had been out already and if I hadn't been just by myself.

There were a lot of families there as well and I think it's a great place to let your kids play on the grass while watching them from a bench in the sun.

There's also a nice terrace where you can have a drink and a snack, plus you can find themed walks at the ticket counter that guide you along different species of plants/flowers according to the season. When I was there, the Garden had a “Magnolia Walk”.

You can check the activities available during your visit to the Brussels botanical garden website here.

Of course, I took some photos during my visit, which you can find below. At the bottom of the post, I've also gathered some practical information in case you'd want to visit the Botanic Garden in Meise yourself (you should!).

Some views of the Garden:

botanical garden brussels

 

Some flowers and blossoms up close:

brussels botanical garden

 

Spring has arrived at the Meise Botanic Garden:

botanical garden belgium

 

The Castle of Bouchout:

botanic garden meise

 

Inside the Plant Palace:

belgium botanical garden

 

Practical information

National Botanical Garden of Brussels
Domain of Bouchout
Nieuwelaan 38
Meise

By car: there's a parking lot in front of the entrance
By bus from Brussels:

  • lines 250 and 251, stop “Meise: Nationale Plantentuin” (You need to ask the driver to stop here as it's not a standard stop)
  • lines 260, stop “Meise: Private Dreef” (You need to ask the driver to stop here as it's not a standard stop) – the Garden is a 1-km walk from the stop

From Brussels National Airport:

  • by taxi: €32 – €42
  • by bus: line 821 to stop “Meise Boechtstraat”. The closest entrance to this stop is Entrance B (“Meise Dorp”) and not the main entrance to the Garden

Up-to-date visitor information can be found at the National Botanical Garden website.

 

And there you have it! The Botanical Garden in Meise deserves a spot high up in your list of things to see in Brussels, no matter the time of year. It has activities throughout the year, beautiful landscapes, plenty of spaces to relax, stroll at your leisure, take scenic photos, and learn more about plants and flowers from all over the world. It truly is an experience you can’t miss!

Don't forget travel insurance

Plan for the best, prepare for the worst. Travel insurance has you covered in case (part of) your trip gets canceled, you get sick or hurt abroad, and sometimes even when your electronics break or get stolen. I always make sure I'm covered every trip I go on.
Don't have travel insurance yet? Check out SafetyWing. They offer super flexible plans that you can even sign up for while you're already on your trip. On top of that, they were the first travel insurance to cover COVID, and when I got COVID, they reimbursed all of my expenses without making a fuss. Their customer support team is great and I can personally recommend them.
 

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Posted in: Belgium

Your Thoughts

  1. Tony says

    I’ve always enjoyed Botanical Gardens. The colors and varieties are incredible! Thank you for the post.

    Reply
    • Sofie says

      Me too, although they’re definitely not all as well-maintained or interesting.
      My pleasure:)

      Reply
  2. Karthik says

    A nice well-written and informative article added with nice captivating pictures. I’d like to pay a visit to the Meise Botanical garden. Is it open for all and is there specific “visiting” hours?

    Reply
    • Sofie says

      Thank you Karthik. It’s open for all the entire year long. You can find the visiting hours on the website I added in the “Practical information box”: https://www.plantentuinmeise.be/nl/home/

      Reply

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