What else can you see in Kraków – The Jagiellonian University Botanical Garden

The fact that I publish Kraków‑related texts every week helps broaden horizons. I’ll try to give you a thought or two about what else you might visit—whether you live in the beautiful city of Krak or are visiting it for the first or the tenth time. I have personally visited all the places I write about and recommend them based on my own empirical experience. Today I invite you to the Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University.

Practical information about the Botanical Garden in Kraków

The Botanical Garden in Kraków is located at 27 Kopernika Street, in the Wesoła district, right next to Rondo Mogilskie. It’s two tram stops from the Main Square, and you can reach it from the Old Town on foot in about a dozen minutes. It opens every day at 9 a.m., but—just to keep things interesting—closes at different times: in winter at 3 p.m., from April to August at 6 p.m., and in October at 5 p.m. It immediately reminds me of Bareja’s Miś: “Number seventy‑eight, table thirteen, seat three.” And from the Garden’s website: Attention! During the Corpus Christi long weekend, the Garden, greenhouses, and museum will be open. However, on July 5–7, 2026, the Winter Garden in the Jubilee Greenhouse will be closed. We apologize for the inconvenience! On Mondays, the Museum and greenhouses (except the Warszewicz Orangery) are closed.

As you can see, it’s essential to check the opening hours on the website: https://ogrod.uj.edu.pl/zwiedzanie/podstawowe-info. Don’t forget that the greenhouses and museum are closed on Mondays.

History of the Botanical Garden in Kraków

The JU Botanical Garden is the oldest institution of its kind in Poland, founded in 1783, during the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It covers nearly 10 hectares and is entirely a museum site; the Botanical Garden Museum is also located there. The Garden was established on land previously owned by the Jesuits, and after the dissolution of that infamous order, transferred to the National Education Commission. The Garden was expanded many times and reached its final shape after World War II.

In 1792, one of the oldest meteorological stations in the country was established on its grounds. For several hundred years, the then‑suburban area of the Garden also included a villa owned by, among others, the Czartoryski princes. The building was rebuilt in the early 19th century to serve the Botanical Garden and the Astronomical Observatory. To this day, you can see the two characteristic domes of the observatory. Of course, the city center is now far too bright for such observations—once upon a time, the building stood outside Kraków.

What can you see in the Botanical Garden in Kraków?

Since the mid‑19th century, the Garden has specialized in orchids, of which it has over 500 specimens. It also contains more than 1,000 trees and shrubs, and over 5,000 plant species in total. The oldest is the pedunculate oak known as the Jagiellonian Oak, which remembers the times of kings (not the Jagiellonians, more likely King Stanisław August—but still, it brings a tear to the eye). From the street, you can already see the huge, nearly 200‑year‑old palm—the Canary Island date palm—considered the oldest palm growing in a greenhouse in Europe.

The largest area is occupied by the arboretum, the park‑like part of the Garden (from Latin arbor—tree), where you can see hundreds of trees. It’s worth visiting in any season; even winter has its charm there. Among the plants you’ll find useful plants, alpine species, protected species, aquatic plants, carnivorous plants, cycads, and even… biblical plants.

The JU Botanical Garden also sells plants, but remember: “Those determined to purchase a given plant are asked to contact us by phone at 795 545 720 between 9:00 and 14:00. When making a reservation, please provide the plant’s name and a contact phone number. Reservations can be made for a maximum of 2 working days—if the specimen is not collected within that time, it will be returned to sale. Plants can be collected at the Garden’s ticket office from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 14:15.”

The Jagiellonian University Botanical Garden is a beautiful place where, right in the city center, you can commune with nature and admire the work of generations of scientists and gardeners. Interested in the JU Botanical Garden? Or would you like to explore another part of beautiful Kraków with me? Let me know https://krakow-tour.pl/en/contact/

Fot. from https://ogrod.uj.edu.pl/