PALMENGARTEN FRANKFURT: VISITING A BOTANIC GARDEN IN WINTERTIME

FEBRUARY 2025

When I visited Frankfurt for the Christmas markets, I had to visit another spot in Frankfurt that I had wanted to see for some time: Palmengarten Frankfurt. Winter might not seem like a good time to visit a botanic garden, but I was still really impressed with the enormous amount of original greenhouses that you can visit in Palmengarten Frankfurt. I can imagine that the grounds are even more stunning in spring, when the magnolias and cherry blossoms are in bloom, but even in wintertime I would highly recommend a visit!

Practical information for your visit

The Palmengarten is located a bit outside of the city center, but there is an U-bahn nearby, so no need to skip it! Tickets costs € 9 for adults and are free for children. We just bought tickets on site, I don’t think there are any queues unless there is a special event. On Sundays at 11AM there are guided tours that you can join for free. With the amount of greenhouses that the Palmengarten has, you can easily spend 4 hours in the botanic garden.

The greenhouses of Palmengarten Frankfurt

I had seen pictures of the Palmenhaus on Instagram, so I knew there was definitely something to see, even in winter. The Palmenhaus is one of the showstopping greenhouses of the Palmengarten, it was built in 1869, before the botanic garden was completed. The Palmenhaus has some seasonal displays, so the plants that you can see do vary slightly depending on the season. Make sure to walk around the whole Palmenhaus, because there even is a little grotto with fish tanks inside!

Besides the Palmenhaus you can find many other greenhouses scattered throughout the botanic garden. The Tropicarium was one I specifically liked, the building itself is very futuristic and it features a special display of cactei.

The Butterfly House definitely should not be missed. This is a greenhouse that has butterflies flying around. I found it quite hard to get good pictures as the butterflies move around quickly, so I couldn’t capture all of the sorts. Sometimes you had to watch out where you were walking as butterflies would fly into you, or sit on the floor, definitely a fun experience!

Besides the greenhouses mentioned above there are about 10 other buildings that you can enter that have their own set of plants specific to the climate in the greenhouse. The grounds of the botanic garden change the most according to the season. I can imagine it being such a lovely spot in spring, or in summer enjoying a picknick at the pond. The sight of the skyscrapers of Frankfurt in the back offered an interesting contrast.