Description of the attraction
The beautiful city of Valencia is teeming with greenery, lush gardens and stunning parks, one of which is the famous Valencian Botanical Garden. The exact date of its foundation is not known for certain, some historians call it 1633, others consider it 1567. Be that as it may, this garden is the oldest in Spain and also one of the best in Europe.
Valencia Botanical Garden is located in the city center, on the former bank of the Turia River. The botanical garden, which contains more than 3 thousand species of various plants, covers an area of 4 acres. The garden was founded at the city university of Valencia, where medicine has been taught since 1462, with the aim of growing medicinal plants and studying them at the university. Not far from the garden, a factory was opened for the production of medicines that were made from plant materials. The founder of the garden was the naturalist scientist Cavanillas, who devoted his life to researching the Iberian flora. The garden's collections were constantly expanding, new greenhouses appeared, new plots of land were planted.
The Botanical Garden has a wonderful large collection of age-old trees, tropical plants from all over the world, rare medicinal crops, cacti. It was here that for the first time in Spain, sweet potatoes, soybeans, peanuts and other plants began to be grown, which then significantly expanded the gastronomic range of the Spaniards. It also houses a large collection of herbarium, a library and a seed bank.
The territory of the garden is decorated with decorative fountains, cozy gazebos, sculptural images, shady paths. All this splendor makes a visit to Valencia's Botanical Gardens truly unforgettable.
