Hortus Botanicus The 'Hortus' as it is being called by locals formerly belonged to the University of Amsterdam. Now it is independent.
Amsterdam’s Hortus (botanical garden) has from way back been known as ‘the town’s pride and joy’ – an oasis of peace and beauty at the very centre of the bustling city. The garden is almost 400 years old.
Established in 1638 as a herb garden for Amsterdam’s doctors and pharmacists, the Hortus has over the centuries evolved into a live museum with a unique range of plants from all continents. Behind the garden’s monumental entrance, at the boundary of the city centre and the Plantagebuurt district, are some six thousand different plant varieties.