The Lisbon Connection

Tucked away in the Principe Real dictrict, near the legendary Bairro Alto, the Botanical Garden is a lush retreat from the afternoon sun. It covers an area of extending uphill from the Rua da Escola Politécnica to the Avenida da Liberdade.

The University of Lisbon Botanical Garden was designed as a scientific garden, planting began in 1873 through the initiative of two professors, the Earl of Ficalho and Andrade Corvo.

Entrance with beautiful palms: Rua Politécnica 58, Principe Real

Ticket office in the garden. Adults: € 1,50 , seniors over 65: € 0,75, children op to 6 years: free

Ficus macrophylla (moreton bay fig)

The great diversity of plants gathered from every corner of the world under Portuguese rule by its earliest gardeners – the German, E. Goeze, and the Frenchman, J. Daveau – illustrated Portugal’s colonial power at the time, though in Europe it was seen as a small and rather peripheral nation.

It’s really wonderful to walk around and sit down for a while in this haven of tranquility and serenity. The park offers the ideal place to explore the vastness and beauty of nature. Wander along mosaic paths under tall palms, take in the scents of the herb garden and visit the colourful butterfly house.

Dracaena Draco (dragon tree)

The systematic collections serve various fields of botanical research, demonstrating to the public and visiting schools the great diversity of plant forms and various ecological processes. They also represent an important and effective way of conserving plants whose survival is threatened.

Some collections deserve a special mention. The outstanding diversity of palms, brought from all continents, confers an unexpectedly tropical atmosphere to several locations in the garden. Cycads, real living fossils representing ancient and mostly extinct floras, are one of the garden’s hallmarks. Nowadays they are extremely rare and certain species are preserved only in botanical gardens.

Pomegranade, native to semitropical Asia.

The garden is particularly rich in tropical species from New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan and South America, illustrating the mild climate and the special microclimates produced in the garden.

Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Lisboa
Rua Escola Politécnica 58
+351-213 921 800
Website: http://www.jb.ul.pt/

Open: summer (1 April to 31 October): everyday from 09:00 to 20:00. Weekends and holidays from 10:00 to 20:00. Winter: everyday from 09:00 to 18:00. Weekends and holidays from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Christmas and New Years day.

How to get there: underground Rato station, yellow line

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