Oude Hortus

Oude Hortus is a botanical garden in Utrecht, between the Nieuwegracht and Lange Nieuwstraat. Founded in 1639 as a medicinal herb garden, it moved here in 1723 for Utrecht University. The garden supported medical teaching, botanical research, and plant classification across several centuries. Today, its paths bring together historical plantings, garden designs, and museum spaces.

The Regiustuin recreates the character of the seventeenth-century medicinal garden. Two eighteenth-century orangeries remain, with one sheltering potted orange trees during winter and the other housing the Zaadhuis museum café. The central garden follows the English landscape style introduced in the nineteenth century, while the Cottagetuin began as an early twentieth-century alpine garden. The former botanical laboratory became part of the Utrecht University Museum in 1996.

A Ginkgo biloba planted in the eighteenth century still grows here, counted among Europe’s oldest examples. The restored seed house now contains Museumcafé Ginkgo, adding another chapter to this botanical setting. Wheelchair access makes the garden available to visitors with different mobility needs.