University Botanical Garden (Fuveszkert)

6,000 plant species, 150 year-old Ginkgos, orchids, an 800-species collection of cactuses and succulents - this is a brief description of the botanical garden. It was created out of the three-hectare park formerly owned by the Festetics Family.

The main attraction of the garden is Victoria House. Its large pool is the home to the particularly beautiful, tropical Amazonian White Waterlily. The plant, which has leaves over 1 metre in diameter, blossoms here at the end of August, early September.

The establishment of the first Hungarian botanical garden is connected to the foundation of the Loránd Eötvös University Medical School in 1769. Besides playing a part in training doctors and pharmacists, it was also the place for research into Hungarian flora. The botanical garden moved to its present site in 1847 and its significantly sized palm house, which still stands today, was built between 1864 and 1865. The golden age of the Garden was during the last decades of the 19th century, when its collection numbered more than 12,000 species.

The garden was originally designed in English style; its lake fed by natural springs with an island and artificial ruins was a beautiful sight in terms of landscaping. It became popular thanks to Ferenc Molnár's world famous novel, Paul Street Boys (Pál utcai fiúk), in which the botanical garden provides one of the settings for an important scene.

There is access for the disabled. Guided tours are available on prior request and are only available at weekends.