Den Botanieken Hof (Botanical Garden in Antwerp)

Located in the Leopoldstraat in Antwerp, there is a unique piece of greenery between Antwerp's buildings. Den Botaniek or Den Botanieken Hof is a unique herbal garden that came into existence when Pharmacist and plant collector Peter van Coudenberghe started it in 1794 to support the nearby St.Elisabeth Hospital. The plant collection grew rapidly and the more than 600 herbal plants were used during the preparation of medication.

The garden was then transformed into its current state by doctor Claude-Louis Somme. Claude-Louis Somme embraced a military career in the armies of Napoleon after his surgical studies between 1790 and 1792. He presented his dismissal from the imperial armies in 1806 and became the chief surgeon at the St Elisabeth hospital in Antwerp. 
The garden became in important source for education, especially for medicine education and the study of herbal plants. Over the years, the selection of plants kept growing to its current 2000 types.

The gardener's cottage dates back to 1870 where the large entrance gate was designed in 1826 by the famous  architect Pierre Bruno Bourla. As the city architect between 1819 and 1861, he is responsible for many stunning buildings in Antwerp. His most famous work is the Royal theatre , known in Antwerp as "de Bourla", but he also put his stamp on the Antwerp Academy.  He also designed the Orangery for Den Botaniek which houses many tropical plants.

Within the garden are plenty of statues, one being that of Peter van Coudenberghe. The garden is a cultural-historical protected landscape owned by the City of Antwerp.
The garden is open between 8am to 8pm during the summer and 8am to 5.30pm during the winter with free entrance