6 Most Beautiful Gardens To Visit In The World

For a solid portion of human history, people have been cultivating flora in gardens for both practical and aesthetic use. But we’re not just talking about tiny plots in your backyard where you grow tomatoes. Gardening is an art form, from the Zen-like gardens of the eastern tradition, to perfectly manicured Western sanctuaries. Here, we take a look at 6 of the most beautiful from across the globe.

# Wangshi yuan Garden (China)

The Wangshi yuan Gardens or the Master of the Nets Garden, located in the Gusu District of China, is well known for its spectacular beauty and together with other Suzhou gardens is regarded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The gardens originated from the time of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) when the property served as the residence of a powerful official of the dynasty. The Wangshi yuan Gardens property is divided into three primary sections, a residential area, the western garden area and the inner gardens.

A pond forms the dominant feature of the main garden and decorated pathways and aesthetically designed buildings lead from the pond in all directions. A pavilion is hosted within the pond which is accessible by a short bridge.

# Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (France)

These seaside gardens are but one of the many fantastic scenes to be seen along the French Riviera. Members of the Rothschild banking family established the estate in the early 20th Century.

There are nine distinctive gardens surrounding the villa, each with their own unique themes. The themed gardens include an exotic garden, a Florentine garden, a French formal garden, a Japanese garden, a Provencal garden, a rose garden, a Garden de Sevres, a Spanish style garden, and a stone garden.

The French formal garden is the largest, complete with all manner of aquatic plants and statues arranged in the iconically symmetrical Francaise fashion.

# Villa d'Este (Italy)

The gardens of the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Italy, considered to be a masterpiece of Renaissance culture, architecture and design, have been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is also a member of the Grandi Giardini Italiani, an association of the best gardens of the country.

The terraced gardens of the property have a diverse collection of flora, including roses, jasmines, rhododendrons, camellias, palms, magnolias, chestnuts, and others. The water features include fountains, waterfalls, water basins, pools, troughs, water jets, and rippling water cascades, as well as frescoes and pebble mosaics and nymphaeum.

These all add to the beauty and glory of these gardens of Villa d’Este. The gardens and the villa were commissioned to be built by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este in the 16th Century. After being owned privately for several centuries, the Villa d’Este and its gardens were finally acquired by the Italian state post World War I, and since then has become a popular tourist destination in the country.

# Stourhead (United Kingdom)

The 2,650-acre Stourhead estate in Wiltshire, England hosts one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Located near the mouth of the River Stour, the gardens of the estate offer a spectacular extravaganza of colorful flora, water features, monuments and architectural marvels of the 18th Century.

The gardens were laid out in the classical 18th Century theme surrounding an artificial lake created by damming with inspirations in design sought from the work of famous painters like Claude Lorrain, Gaspard Dughet, and others. Several temples, an obelisk, the Bristol High Cross, King Alfred’s Tower, are some of the landmark features of the gardens of Stourhead.

# Sans Souci (Germany)

The 18th Century Sans Souci gardens of Germany, located in Potsdam near Berlin, is a major crowd puller to this date. The gardens were commissioned by Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia.

The King turned his desires of having a terraced vineyard on the bare southern slope of Bornstedt Hills, into a reality. Work on the Sans Souci gardens started on August 10th, 1744, and soon trellised vines from other parts of Europe were brought in to grow in the carved terraces of the hill.

Besides the vines, yew trees and figs were also planted in the terraced slopes and niches carved out in the supporting walls. The terraced vineyards ended at the base of the hill where a Baroque ornamental garden and a water body with a fountain created a majestic spectacle.

A number of ornamental marble statues and a nearby kitchen garden are other notable features of the Sans Souci gardens.

# Powerscourt (Ireland)

The Powerscourt Estate is a sprawling estate located in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland. The landscaped gardens of this estate is known to be one of the most beautiful gardens of the world which was completed over a period of 20 years and opened in 1880. Inspiration for the gardens was drawn from the Schönbrunn Palace and Palace of Versailles.

The main features of the property and the grounds of the estate include a Japanese themed garden, a lake named after the mythological Greek God, Triton, walled gardens, an Italian themed garden, and a dolphin pond.