Located just 10 kilometers east of Tallinn city center, the Tallinn Botanic Garden offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Surrounded by pinewoods and nestled in the old valley of the River Pirita, the garden offers visitors a vast space to unwind and explore. Here’s what you can expect:
Picnic in outdoors
With its lush green lawns and tranquil atmosphere, the Tallinn Botanic Garden is an ideal place for a leisurely stroll, relaxation, and a pleasant picnic during summer. Visitors can bring their own blankets and picnic baskets to enjoy a nice meal on the lawn, but are reminded that fires are not allowed and to dispose of garbage properly. For those interested in organizing a larger party, the garden offers a picnic area for rent, which can be booked through their website.
Divine Diversity
Spread over 22.5 hectares of open landscape displays, the botanic garden boasts around 6,500 exhibit items, divided into four terraces of the Pirita River. Additionally, there are 2,000 plant items housed in greenhouses with approximately 2,000 m2 of usable area. The garden’s arboretum, the central exposition, displays over 1,560 plants arranged by their affinity, showcasing related species and their differences. The arboretum collection contains some rare plants that cannot be found anywhere else in Estonia, such as tree aralia, Chosenia arbutifolia, and giant fir. Other highlights include a rose garden with around 700 varieties, a garden of grass plants, and a Garden of Senses for visitors with special needs.
Greenhouse Wonders
The greenhouse expositions are organized by climatic zones and the regions of origin of plants. The largest plants are those of the tropical zone, including numerous edible and otherwise consumable plants, such as the coffee shrub of Arabia and the papaya tree. The Palm House contains orchids, fig trees, palms, and succulents, while the subtropical zone display features exotic species from Australia, the Mediterranean, and Japan.
Getting There
The Tallinn Botanic Garden can easily be accessed by following the directions found on their website. It’s just 3 kilometers from the Pirita Yachting Centre, and nearby the Tallinn Television Tower.
