When it comes to the Botanic Gardens of Meise, there are two important numbers: 92 hectares (that is 227 acres for our American readers) and 18.000 species of plants (which is about 6% of all known plants). Or in other words: this is one of the biggest botanic gardens in the world. Our first recommendation is thus very simple: take your time during your visit. A couple of hours is really not enough.
Our second recommendation may be a bit surprising: if possible, make a tour of the garden with the train. During most of the year, you can take this small train on Sundays; during the summer holidays (July and August), it is also available on weekdays. Just a word of warning: it is a very bumpy ride! On the other hand, it will give you a very clear idea of what the garden looks like. A full tour of the garden, by the way, takes about an hour.
The entrance fee is quite low. I paid 7 euros and Lars who turned 60 last year paid 1 euro less. We found the staff to be very friendly; they gave us a map and information in three languages, Dutch, French and English. Given the size of the garden, the map proved to be very useful.
How can you best plan your visit? According to the information on the map, if you are there for half a day, you best limit your visit to the Bouchout Castle, the Plant Palace, the Herbetum, the Garden Shop and the Orangery. In case of a full day, be sure to pay a visit to the Bouchout Castle, the Plant Palace, the Herbetum, the Balat Glasshouse, the Garden Shop, the Orangery, the Rhododendrons, the Hydrangeas, the Flower Theatre and the Dendrological treasure chest. In our opinion, the Plant Palace is an absolute must.
I took the first pictures at the entrance of the garden.
On top of the castle, you can have a beautiful view of the garden. We skipped it though, because, given the beautiful weather, we were reluctant to spend time indoors. By the way, there are some artworks spread all over the domain, some of which are quite unusual...
I was actually too warmly dressed for the summer weather and a cool drink was necessary. Luckily, we were very close to the Garden Shop, where we afterwards waited for the train.
During the train trip, I tried to make pictures as well. This was not an easy task, given the fact that it was quite a bumpy ride.
The Plant Palace was the highlight of our visit. These greenhouses show plants from all over the world, while simulating the climate of that particular region. Our first stops were at the Mediterranean House and the Cloud Forest with its fuchsias and orchids.
Mabundu takes you to the world of banana plants, coconut palms and cocoa trees.
The greenhouse with the giant water lilies is simply stunning. Whatever you do, don't miss this!
The Desert House shows how plants survive in this tough climate.
Lars and I realised that time was running out; closing time was fast approaching. So I took some quick random shots.
Meise is located about 10 kilometres to the north of Brussels, in the region of Flanders. The Botanic Garden of Meise is easiest accessible by car, but there are some possibilities if you (have to) rely on public transport. This and a lot more information is available on the official website.
