Buda Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful and richest arboretums in the country – a green island in the heart of a bustling city. The garden used to belong to the Horticultural Faculty of Corvinus University and now forms a part of St. István University campus. It used to be closed to the public but by now it is open for visitors.

The arboretum is located in District 11 at the southern base of Gellért Hill with an entry from Villányi Street. The garden is divided into Lower and Upper Garden by Ménesi Street. As a result of a hundred years long development the garden has become a living collection with educational and research purposes by today.

The origin of the botanical garden dates back to the end of the 19th century when vineyards of the area were devastated by the philloxera epidemic. That is where the Institute of Horticulture Education was founded by Ferenc Entz Ferenc.

The arboretum covers nearly 9 hectares and serves as a habitat for up to 2000 woody plants, 250 kinds of perennials and hundreds of bulbous flowers. Due to its role in dendrology, horticulture higher education and environmental protection the garden gained a natural reserve status in 1975 with buildings listed in 2005.

The first plants, nearly 1000 kinds of trees and shrubs as well as 90 kinds of perennials were planted in 1893. In the beginning only the northern Upper Garden belonged to the Institute. A part of trees here, e.g. a few oak, nut, plane and gingko trees are over a hundred years old. Planting in the Lower Garden between Ménesi and Villányi Street began only in the 1960s.

As opposed to Upper Garden planting in the Lower Garden did not follow plant taxonomical principles but rather satisfied environmental needs of species. A park-like arrangement also had a high priority. The shrub and lilac collection as well as the clearing of pines surrounded by information signs of bird-friendly landscape are all exceptional features of the Lower Garden. The man-made lake is home to 70 types of swamp and aquatic plants. The retaining wall along Ménesi Street maintains a real Mediterranean microclimate ideal for fig and cypress.

Sculptures and monuments of the greatest characters in Hungarian horticulture were placed in the Upper Garden. A bust commemorates Imre Ormos, an outstanding figure of modern Hungarian garden design and garden design education. Another right next displays botanist, landscape designer and plant breeder Imre Magyar. The neighboring János Lippay monument commemorates “the father of Hungarian horticultural literature”, as the engraved writing says. A sculpture of Endre Probocskai, the visionary and founder of Nursery Management Department was unveiled in 2013 celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The more than 2 meters high sculpture of a nude figure with a rose in the hand entitled “Kneeling girl with a flower” by Béla Kucs in the Lower Garden was originally made to an exhibition in Vienna in 1964 and was relocated to the arboretum in 1966.

The garden functions as an event venue as well, e.g. this is where the Horticultural and Gastronomical Exhibition and Fair in 2015 was held.

The arboretum is supervised by the Department of Ornamental Plants and Dendrology, Faculty of Horticulture, St. István University. Entrance is free of charge except organized events and visits are self-guided.

Opening times:

Winter opening times:

Monday-Sunday: 8.00-16.00

Summer opening times:

Monday-Sunday: 8.00 - 18.00

Upper Garden is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.