Brocken garden

The history of the garden is as interesting as its plants are extraordinary. The botanical garden on Brocken summit was established in 1890. Today it houses more than 1,500 plant species from high mountain areas from all over the world. It serves to protect and conserve species that are either threatened with extinction or very rare, and at the same time it shows guests from all over the world the flora of the summit.

Between mid-May and mid-October you can explore Brocken garden between Monday and Friday twice a day, accompanied by the Brocken gardener. During weekends and on holidays this is only possible in combination with a guided tour on the circular route around the Brocken, led by a ranger. For further information (in German) please click here.

History of the garden

Following its creation in 1890, the garden was mainly used for scientific and educational purposes. It was also used to publicly present plants from high mountain areas from all over the world. In 1961 it was closed for visitors because the Brocken was declared a military area. The work of scientists and gardeners ceased in 1971. Reconstruction began in 1990 and was led by the National Park Administration and the botanical gardens of the Halle and Göttingen universities.
The creation of various, ecologically different planting sites enabled the extension of the collection up to 1,500 species. In addition to research and public relations, the protection of species is one of the primary tasks of the garden. Moreover, rare and endangered species found a refuge in the garden. Therefore the restoration of the summit is one of our staff's goals.
The garden offers ideal possibilities to those who do not want to travel far to see plants from high mountain and tundra areas from all over the world in their natural environment.