The best parks in the world landscape design. Modern landscape design as a full-fledged partner of architectural composition - wonderful works of leading designers
France
Gardens of Versailles
On the official website of Versailles, it is advised to allocate three hours to explore the gardens and park. And yet, it seems that this time is only enough to just look around here. To study everything, you need a day to walk around - two. Luxury - 900 hectares of a classic regular French park, designed and brought to shine by the landscape architect and court gardener of Louis XIV Andre Le Nôtre - does not tolerate fuss.
Fountains and water parterres, endless bosquets - each decorated in its own way - green labyrinths, perfect lawns, trees with crowns in the form of balls and cones, lawns and flower beds... In the end, at some point you just might want to get lost here .
Vatican Gardens
The fact that the Vatican began to allow tourists into its legendary gardens is no longer news. The news is that it is now much easier to get there. No restrictions: the gardens are open every day except Monday - and there are queues - tickets for mini-tour buses are sold online on the website of the Rome Diocesan Pilgrimage Service (www.operaromanapellegrinaggi.org; from €48 per ticket, the price of which also includes an audio guide in Russian and visiting the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel). The route starts at Piazza Pius XII and covers all the main attractions of the gardens, including the famous Grotto of Lourdes, the huge flowerbed in the form of the papal coat of arms at the entrance to the Roman Curia and the English Garden, where Pope Francis is rumored to like to stroll.
Claude Monet's Garden
Giverny, France
Claude Monet's Garden
The town of Giverny, 85 km north of Paris, has long become a center of attraction for all lovers of impressionism. They are attracted not only by the house-museum of Claude Monet - a mansion surrounded by flowers with green shutters - but also by the charming landscaped garden. The artist created it himself and constantly drew inspiration from it: “Reflection of clouds in a pond with water lilies”, “Irises”, “Weeping Willows” and the famous “Water Lilies” - all of them come from here. “I’m good for nothing except painting and gardening,” Monet liked to repeat. And although the master was probably being modest, the garden in Giverny is rightfully considered one of his pictorial masterpieces.
Alhambra
Granada, Spain
Alhambra
To find yourself in luxurious oriental gardens, you don’t have to travel outside of Europe - just go to Granada, on the hills of which lies the magnificent architectural and park ensemble of the Alhambra. It was built during the reign of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty on the Iberian Peninsula (XIII-XV centuries) and is considered an example of Moorish architecture and garden style.
Pools with crystal water that reflects the blue sky, silver jets of fountains, shady colonnades and arches with patterned arches, alleys of cypress trees, fragrant boxwood and lush thickets of purple bougainvillea... Many people want to see this beauty, so it is better to book tickets in advance.
Garden of Solitude (Liu Yuan)
Suzhou, China
Garden of Solitude (Liu Yuan)
A place for philosophical conversations and reading, painting and calligraphy, the delightful Liu Yuan is the embodiment of the ideal garden landscape in the Ming era. As they said in China at that time, inside a good garden there is always another garden - and here this principle is reflected:
Liu Yuan seems to split into many independent, but complementary species. Retired official Xu Taishi, who founded the garden at the end of the 16th century, sought inspiration in classical Chinese poetry, and every view here - a gazebo in the shade of young bamboo, a pine tree dropping needles into a stream, sharp stones sticking out of the water - is like a quote from Li Bo .
Project "Eden"
Cornwall, UK
Project "Eden"
Here it may seem that you found yourself on some kind of fantastic space station - all because of the giant geodesic domes made of transparent plastic (if you remember the movie “Die Another Day”, you will understand what we are talking about: it was through these domes that people walked away from chase in one of the James Bond scenes). Greenhouses are located underneath them. total area 22,000 sq. m with a collection of plants from all over the world - so-called biomes, microclimatic zones characteristic of different regions of the planet, have been created here. And around there are paths for hiking, wonderful vegetable gardens with organic vegetables and a picturesquely neglected park with sculptures of Sue and Peter Hill seemingly growing out of the ground, whose works, by the way, can be seen in another park in Cornwall - the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Padua, Italy
Botanical Garden Orto Botanico
After looking at Giotto's frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel - and most people come to Padua for them - stay in the city for an hour or two and visit Orto Botanico. Firstly, this is the oldest botanical garden in the world - it was founded in 1545 at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Padua for the cultivation of medicinal herbs. Secondly, it is listed as a monument World Heritage UNESCO as the prototype of all botanical gardens. And finally, about a dozen of the oldest trees in Europe grow here. Among them, for example, is a 430-year-old palm tree, nicknamed Goethe's Palm, whose appearance is believed to have inspired the German poet and naturalist to write the essay “Metamorphoses of Plants.”
Quinta da Regaleira Garden
Sintra, Portugal
Quinta da Regaleira Garden
The architectural and park ensemble - a neo-Gothic palace with carved turrets and gargoyles and an adjoining luxurious garden with belvederes, chapels, grottoes and waterfalls - was built at the beginning of the last century for the eccentric Portuguese millionaire Carvalho Monteiro. This place is full of mysteries: decorative elements with a hint of Masonic symbolism, cunning labyrinths, secret tunnels, a spiral gallery symbolizing Dante's circles of hell, and a garden called Eden. Every detail here has its own meaning - even the collection of exotic plants was collected for a reason: they are all mentioned in the poems of the 16th century Portuguese poet Luis de Camoes, of whom Monteiro was a fan.
Garden of Cosmic Reflections
Dumfries, Scotland
Garden of Cosmic Reflections
One of the most amazing places in the world, The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, or Garden of Cosmic Speculation, is the brainchild of postmodern architect Charles Jencks and his wife, landscape designer Maggie Keswick. While working on the project, Charles was inspired by the ideas of modern cosmology, and Meggie, a specialist in traditional Chinese gardens, was inspired by the philosophy of the Celestial Empire. As a result, a garden of 16 hectares appeared on the territory of their family estate Portrack House, where each object is geometric ponds, unusually shaped emerald hills, sculptural compositions in the form of DNA spirals, countless steps - makes you think about the origin of the Universe, the meaning of life and the place of man in the world. The garden is open to visitors only once a year; Information about the next opening date and time is available at www.scotlandsgardens.org.
Grüner See Park
Tragos, Austria
Grüner See Park
If you find yourself here from October to May, you will see a common, although not without charm, picture: tall pines with amber trunks, paths, bridges, benches, an emerald lake and many streams flowing into it from the surrounding Hochswab mountains. But in May, the landscape changes: due to snow melting, the water level in the lake rises by 10–12 m - and the park turns into underwater. A fat trout suddenly swims out from under the bench, a mustachioed crayfish crawls onto the path, and purple bells sway in the clear water, like real algae. The composition of visitors is also changing - the place of “land” tourists is taken by divers who come to the quiet Austrian village of Tragös from all over Europe in the summer.
Lost Gardens of Heligan
Cornwall, UK
Sculptures by Sue and Peter Hill in the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
These gardens were indeed lost for almost 70 years. How is this possible, you ask. And you will learn the story about the estate, which belonged to the Tremaine family for 400 years, about the garden founded here at the end of the 19th century in the then fashionable Gardenesque style with a rich collection of exotic plants, and how during the First World War all 22 gardeners who worked in Heligan went to the front - and back have not returned. It was then that the garden began to overgrow, and gradually disappeared completely - under a blanket of wild ivy and blackberries. Everything changed only in the late 1970s, when garden architect Tim Smith launched an entire national campaign to save Heligan... Today, here again you can walk along the paths leading to romantic grottoes and lakes, and admire the same camellias and picturesque thickets of tree ferns, which delighted the eyes of Queen Victoria's contemporaries.
Text: Anna Fedorova
Not far from the Vietnamese city of Da Nang there is a stunning place - mountain resort Ba Na, the path to which runs along the world's highest cable car. This is not the first time we have been on vacation in Vietnam and have already visited many interesting sights, but I can say that the impressions from the trip to Mount Ba Na are one of the most powerful. Although before visiting Ba Na Hills we read a lot of negative and neutral reviews from tourists. Perhaps this place is not for everyone. But personally, I highly recommend visiting it!
What is BaNa Hills?
Since 1920 BaNa Hills has been French resort, some buildings have survived to this day. Then during the war it was abandoned. But in recent years, a huge park complex has been created here, new hotels have been built, thereby ensuring an endless flow of tourists. To climb Mount BaNa, you need to climb the world's highest cable car. At the top there is a huge Fantasy Park amusement park, 3 hotels, several restaurants, pagodas, flower gardens with fountains and statues, a wine cellar, castles, catholic cathedral, spa, putting greens and my favorite Vietnamese sled.
The girls at the reception advised to go as early as possible, since there are a lot of people in BaNa Hills interesting places and entertainment. In addition, early in the morning the queue to enter should be shorter.
So, at 8 am we went on an excursion. The driver took us to the place in 30 minutes. On the way we admired the beauty of the surrounding nature. When we saw a huge queue to enter cable car, a little upset. We already imagined how we would stand here for three hours. The line started on the street, but there were even more people inside the building.
There were almost no Europeans in this huge line, and we certainly didn’t see any Russians. Mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, who looked at our company with great interest.
These places on the planet are definitely worth seeing: they are so abundant, vibrant and interesting.
Keukenhof Park, Netherlands. It is considered one of the most luxurious parks in the world. Located between Amsterdam and The Hague, in the town of Liss.
Each year, the park opens only for two months and then closes to carry out numerous restoration and maintenance works on the plants and arboretum. In the spring, usually April 13-15, a flower fair is held, where everyone can buy unique seedlings and ready-made bouquets. There are only five supplier companies trading in the park, which also offer souvenirs and postcards with gorgeous views parka.
Keukenhof is a kitchen park, this is the literal translation of the name. However, you can’t call it small; the park’s area is 32 hectares. It is literally buried in all kinds of flowers, canals, waterfalls, lakes. Tulips, roses, hyacinths, and daffodils are grown here. The park was founded in 1949 and is one of the most famous European, not just Dutch, attractions.
Park Xuan Nong Nooch Garden opened in 1980. This place in Thailand is considered one of the most popular. The huge plantation is planted with a variety of large decorative flowers and flowers; in addition, there is the largest selection of orchids in the country. The park regularly hosts majestic shows that will take your breath away.
In 1954, Mr. Pisit and Mrs. Nong Nooch bought approximately 243 hectares of land in Chonburi Province. At first they dreamed of growing fruits and flowers here and using the gardens for themselves, but when tourists poured in and the flowering lands were luxurious, the idea arose to create decorative elements. Gradually the garden grew and in 1980 it opened to visitors. Mrs. Nong Nooch handed over the management of the garden to her son, and she devoted her life to researching tropical plants. Thanks to her research, the garden contains many rare specimens.
Gardens and park of Versailles in France. Founded by King Louis XIV in 1661. He hired the best architects and artists who made his dream come true - Palace of Versailles and beautiful gardens.
The gardens and park of Versailles are considered part of the national heritage of France. Versailles is a village 24 kilometers from Paris. The gardens spread over 900 hectares. There are 1,400 fountains here.
Butchart Gardens in Canada is a group of flower gardens in Canada (British Columbia, near the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island). More than a million people visit this place every year.
Robert Pym Butchart, the founder of the gardens, wanted to produce cement on these lands. But in 1907, he met landscape designer Isaburo Kishida from Yokohama, who wanted to build gardens for his son. Robert Butchart was so inspired by the idea that he did not let the designer leave Canada until 1912. As a result, a park of amazing beauty was born.
It should be noted that the couple mined limestone until 1909, but then they finally came to the conclusion that further development was futile and began to work on the garden. The construction was completed in 1921, at which time the couple began to receive their first guests. The park is a family legacy, now owned by the Butcharts' great-granddaughter, Robin Lee Clark.
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden spread over 34 hectares. Hundreds of plant species grow here. The garden is located near Miami in Florida. The park was founded in 1938. Today it is a park, a research institute, and a plantation, which is supported by 45,000 volunteers who are interested in preserving rare species plants. In 2012, the park became the headquarters of the American Orchid community.
Landscape architecture projects have always attracted attention because their creators simultaneously implement many tasks. Each concept must be not only aesthetically attractive, but also functional. 10 truly amazing projects that have already been created in different countries peace.
Highline Park
New York, USA
Highline Park is clear proof that ecology can not only be created, but also restored. After train service stopped here in the 1980s, residents on the west side of Manhattan rallied to create a public park with a green roof on the site. Architects from Diller Scofidio + Renfro did their best to transform the crumbling landscape into a green clearing. The park extends over nine city blocks.
Vulcano Buono
Nola, Italy
This gigantic structure with a green heart is a tribute to the people of Pompeii. Thanks to the green roof designed by Renzo Piano, Vulcsno Buono is both a massive and light structure, designed as a retail and tourist center one of the main cargo cities in Italy. The project includes shopping mall, open theater and a hotel.
Shanghai Houtan Park
Shanghai, China
This marvel of landscape architecture design is deceptive in appearance. Shanghai's Houtan Park is also a place for public recreation and a complex ecological system. This park is located in a well-defined industrial area next to the almost incurably polluted Huangpu River. He was originally planned as a “doctor of the area.” Through a series of cascading terraces and a special filtration system, the waters of the Huangpu River, passing through Houtan Park, are purified to such an extent that life has returned to the river.
Mill Valley Residence's Green Roof
California, USA
Features of landscape architecture projects would not be complete without gemstone- green roof arrangement. This project is a multi-functional home built in a terraced manner on the sloping hills of California.
Tree Museum of Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Famed Swiss landscape architect Enzo Anea designed this museum as a serene retreat from city life. In this museum, 2,000 varieties of trees have been carefully planted and cultivated to show visitors one of nature's most majestic works of art.
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, USA
Renzo Piano, with his brilliant work for the California Academy of Sciences building, appears again in this ranking. The absolutely futuristic design of a living hill, inside of which everything necessary for the existence of an entire academy is located, is also his merit.
Crosswaters Ecolodge
Guangzhou, China
The complex design includes a terraced garden, water features, an observation tower and a beautiful bamboo bridge. All elements of the landscape are made in the traditional Chinese style.
Youth Center Roof Garden
Chicago, USA
Environmental education continues to gain ground in the United States. The Chicago Youth Garden is a wide, long, and intricate rooftop garden created by local youth. Teenagers take care of their plants themselves. For a huge industrial city, any such project is a great opportunity to attract young people to environmental issues.
Qinhuangdao Beach Restoration
Qinhuangdao, China
Until recently, this area was completely abandoned. The restoration of Qinhuangdao Beach is not only the work of landscape architecture designers, but also one of the magnificent environmental developments. Turinscape and Peking University of China have teamed up for a major joint campaign to transform a deserted, crumbling, litter-strewn beach into good zone for relaxation. The 60-hectare strip of land was reborn. A small wetland has also been restored on the beach, which should help wild birds make use of the new habitat. The project is a good example that almost anything can be fixed if desired.
Bridle Road Residence
Cape Town, South Africa
The design of this house in itself is worthy of respect, but when you realize that the project did not bypass the environment, respect becomes even greater. The house is located in Cape Town, South Africa, at the base of a mountain with panoramic views of the ocean bay. The Fynbos shrub, which grows only here, has become almost an endangered species with the growth of Cape Town. Landscape designers, as far as possible, covered the entire territory of the site with this rare plant.
