Green love for all

The largely barrier-free egapark Erfurt can look back on a long history. The development of the gardens dates back to the 19th century. However, it was only in 1961, when the International Horticultural Show took place here for the first time, that the site, which now contains 120,000 varieties of plants and 2,400 trees, came into its own as a notable garden paradise. The landscaped garden design of that time has now been placed under a conservation order. The establishment of the Bundesgartenschau [Federal Horticultural Show] 60 years later and the associated renovations opened up a new era for the nature discovery park.

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Experience nature and the splendor of flowers, ©Steve Bauerschmidt, egapark Erfurt

A modern home for the desert and the rainforest

The trendy glass building “Danakil” has managed not only to create a wonderfully bright atmosphere, but also to integrate the lush nature outside the building into the overall picture. “Danakil” only opened in 2021, and the latest approaches were used for the design concept and the communication of information. The desert and the jungle, with water as the connecting theme, are presented as realistically as possible – including the sounds! There are not many signs, making the landscape replicas appear more authentic. Exciting scanners and interactive monitors or screens, which allow you to scroll digitally up to 35 metres into the depths of the desert, encourage you to gain knowledge in a fun way. The “Danakil app” helps with this.

Get a sense of what I am really like

If you want to reach the desert, you must first conquer the bleak wadi, accompanied by the sound of a storm that will make you dizzy and by a sound that is initially hard to identify: the call of bats. The depression, surrounded by high rock faces, leads to the heart of the desert, which is home to around 500 species of cactus and succulent. Now and then, little crowns point towards the “kings of adaptation”.

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Screens invite you to join in, ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

The lively fauna in “Danakil” will also astonish you. Watch high-spirited meerkats, desert ants with a highly intelligent navigation system, chameleons that are difficult to spot or African bullfrogs that burrow deep into the sand. The Gila woodpecker, which is presented as an animation, earns the visitors’ admiration: it flies up to 40 kilometres a day to provide its young with water.

The busy life of the jungle house

Your adventure in “Danakil” will continue in the jungle area, which is full of plants, trees and even banana plants. Exotic butterflies and birds flutter freely through the building, quails cross the bath and a grass-green tree python has wound itself around a branch, thankfully behind glass. A tribe of 20,000 leafcutter ants diligently carry leaves around and cultivate fungi in the soil, on which they feed and which are clearly visible to the visitors. Toothless fish with strong jaws that could crush walnuts romp about in the water. Close your eyes – can you hear the birds calling? Feel the humidity and the warmth. A pleasant memory that will remain with you.

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Primeval forest house in the "Danakil", ©Steve Bauerschmidt, egapark Erfurt

German Horticultural Museum – full of colourful surprises

This educational facility, which is of interest to adults and children alike, is located within the historic walls of Cyriaksburg Castle in the egapark. Take your time; there is a lot to discover here. The concept is unique in Germany and brings together the themes of horticulture and garden design along with the social aspects, provides insights into plant research and gives rise to visions of the future. The shopping rooms provide an informative tour for children, equipped with a borrowed tablet. Who would have thought that the cucumber once had spines and actually comes from India? For a colourful souvenir of your holiday: buy flower seeds in the museum shop!

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Exhibition area "Shoppingparadies" at the German Horticultural Museum, ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

Look forward to a relaxed day

The small livestock farm near the egapark play area is “home” to New Zealand Kunekune pigs, as well as sheep, which graze on the park meadows during the day. But not on the vast Philip’s Meadow. This is because a now legendary chilling area with hammocks is created here every summer. The “Gardeners’ Empire” play area is the largest in Thuringia and provides everything that children dream of: a paddling pool, a sandpit, slides, climbing frames and much more. Nearby is the “Konfetti” ice cream factory – delicious! The varied range of cafés and restaurants also includes the rustic restaurant next to the old fortifications at the German Horticultural Museum with its secluded beer garden – the idyllic location almost gives the restaurant insider’s tip status. It is worth taking a look at the egapark events calendar: the park is known for its creative events such as the Festival of Light or the eight-week pumpkin exhibition in late summer.

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Family fun at the playground „GärtnerReich“, ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH

What do you like best?

Everyone has a favourite area of the egapark Erfurt. For some, it is the large exhibition hall at the entrance; for others, the largest flower bed in Europe with 150,000 plants. Still others admire the charm of the Japanese Garden, the magical Lilies Garden by the pond or the splendid beds of roses – where innumerable rare treasures bloom – without the use of pesticides and using organic fertiliser. Perhaps you will meet Yvonne, the rose expert. She has looked after the queen of flowers for decades and therefore knows virtually everything about roses and their care: “We do not have aphids here. Our birds and ladybirds take care of this problem, which is a common one elsewhere.”

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Rose blossom at egapark Erfurt, ©Steve Bauerschmidt, egapark Erfurt

Headervideo: ©Moritz Kertzscher, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH