Real Jardín Botánico
The Age of Enlightenment lives on in these gardens next to the Prado. Carlos III, known as the mayor king because of his devotion to city improvements, had the architects Sabatini and Villanueva lay out tiered gardens to showcase the royal collection of plants from around the world. The king himself opened them in 1781. Throughout their history they have had their ups and downs—they fell into years of neglect after the War of Independence (1808–14) and lost more than 500 trees to a storm in 1886. Today, the botanical gardens are a center for scientific study and a living museum containing some 5,500 species and 1,500 trees, including an impressive collection of oriental bonsai. Choose from a range of self-guided tours that showcase ornamental, medicinal, and edible plants. The Villanueva pavilion hosts exhibitions drawn from a large collection of botanical illustrations, and there’s a good café too.
The Age of Enlightenment lives on in these gardens next to the Prado. Carlos III, known as the mayor king because of his devotion to city improvements, had the architects Sabatini and Villanueva lay out tiered gardens to showcase the royal collection of plants from around the world. The king himself opened them in 1781. Throughout their history they have had their ups and downs—they fell into years of neglect after the War of Independence (1808–14) and lost more than 500 trees to a storm in 1886. Today, the botanical gardens are a center for scientific study and a living museum containing some 5,500 species and 1,500 trees, including an impressive collection of oriental bonsai. Choose from a range of self-guided tours that showcase ornamental, medicinal, and edible plants. The Villanueva pavilion hosts exhibitions drawn from a large collection of botanical illustrations, and there’s a good café too.
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