Garden of magic at Bad Schandau

Pflanzengarten, Bad Schandau, Germany, August 2011

On a day with weather reminding me of the one in an equatorial country we decided to adventure to Bad Schandau, to visit the botanical garden there. We’d just found out that this little town close to the Czech border, touristic attraction due to its position between the mountains, famous for the thermal bath and popular among ski fans, well, it also has a botanical garden. It was a little adventure to find it, since its presence it’s signaled only by 2-3 little street signs and it’s sort of camouflaged. Only after we drove 2 times past it and asked some people on the street about it we saw it.

The garden lays actually on the steep of a hill, not far from the main road. It can be seen from the main road, actually, but only if you know that what seems like a green pasture is in reality the garden. Surrounded by a simple fence only at the street side, the garden lays on over 400 sqm and one can find there plants from the region and from all over the road. The rusted simple gate at the entrance, the miniature pond, the narrow alleys winding upwards around the hill, the old garden chairs spread here and there, the old building of gray stone with a solar clock painted on it, the colored butterflies and the sound of bees and wasps give it a magical allure. A world of fairies, elves and witches at only 50 meters from the main road. And the colors of the blooming flowers, there are no words to describe their beauty and splendor.  For a little sample, check the other images in the Weasel’s Flickr page.