Botanical Garden Flora Olomouc

Flora Olomouc Botanical Garden is the larger of the city's two botanical gardens, spread across roughly 8 hectares in Bezruč Park, right along the left bank of the Mill Stream, a short walk from the historic centre of Olomouc. It's a place where the remains of the old town fortifications sit alongside a living plant collection of nearly 1,100 species.

How did the garden come to be?

The story begins in 1898, when Leopold Frank, a professor at the local commercial academy, founded an educational and scientific garden on the site of today's Smetana Park. By 1901 it was already operating, and in 1906 a greenhouse and a meteorological station were added. In the 1960s, this stretch of the old city walls was incorporated into the exhibition grounds run by Výstaviště Flora Olomouc, which is when the first naturalistic displays appeared, including an Alpinum and the Garden of Nations.

The highlights: the rosarium and the alpinum

The garden's signature feature is its rosarium, established between 1970 and 1972 on the initiative of Výstaviště Flora Olomouc together with the Rose Club of the Czech Gardening Association, to a design by architect Emil Zavadil. It now holds around 10,000 rose bushes, and in 2025 the rosarium received the prestigious Award of Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies, placing it among the notable rose gardens both in the country and internationally.

The second defining feature is the alpinum, laid out in 1979 — a miniature mountain landscape of rockeries, with dwarf conifers planted along the old fortification wall. A dedicated display of ornamental grasses rounds out the collection.

A garden built for everyone

In 2011 the garden opened its so-called Garden of Senses, designed for blind and visually impaired visitors — the plants here are chosen and arranged so they can be explored by touch and smell rather than sight alone. It's an unusual feature for a garden of this size in the region and one of the reasons school groups and families with children regularly stop by.

Beyond the plant collections

Besides its botanical displays, the garden includes a children's playground and a giant outdoor chess set, and throughout the season it hosts nature-themed competitions, educational programmes and cultural events.

Frequently asked questions

When is the garden open? It operates seasonally, typically from April to October, daily except Mondays, roughly between 9:30 and 18:00.

Are dogs allowed? No, pets are not permitted inside the garden.

How many plant species grow here? The collection includes around 1,100 species, plus roughly 10,000 rose bushes in the rosarium alone.

Is the garden accessible to visually impaired visitors? Yes — since 2011 it has featured a dedicated Garden of Senses designed specifically for blind and visually impaired guests.

Where exactly is the garden located? In Bezruč Park, along the left bank of the Mill Stream, close to Olomouc's historic centre.