Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University was founded in 1783 and is the oldest existing botanical garden in Poland. It stretches on almost 10 hectares at the foot of a 17th-century palace. Its establishment was initiated by Hugon Kołłątaj during the reform of the Cracow Academy. Since 1792 there has been an Astronomical Observatory and a Meteorological Station at the Śniadecki College, which has been continuously recording the weather since 1825.

The collection of the Garden comprises about 8 thousand species and varieties of plants grouped in several sections. The most important sections include plant systematics, protected and endangered plants, genetics and variability, Polish flora, floral ecology, morphological-biological, medicinal and useful plants, an arboretum and alpinaria: geographical and ornamental. Among the extremely valuable is also the collection of tropical plants gathered in three greenhouse complexes: Victoria, Jubilee and Holenderka. Visitors can admire one of the richest Polish collections of orchids, cycadales, palms, carnivorous plants, epiphytes, succulents and tropical utility plants.

The Botanical Garden Museum is also a part of the Garden, where one can get acquainted with an exposition presenting the history of the Garden, famous botanists connected with this place, and extraordinary exhibits from research conducted by Cracow botanists from the equatorial rainforest to the Arctic and Antarctic tundra zones. The Garden owes its present arrangement to Władysław Szafer, one of the most eminent Polish botanists.

We invite you to visit the Botanical Garden and take advantage of our wide educational offer for children, adolescents and adults.

Opening hours and the availability of greenhouse and museum facilities vary depending on the season. Before visiting the Garden please check the current opening hours on our website: www.ogrod.uj.edu.pl

(Garden visiting guidelines – link)