When you step out of your budget hotel near the University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden, take a walk down Gothersgade to get a first-hand look at this gorgeous creation of living art. The Botanical Garden (Botanisk Have in Danish) was established in 1872 on the grounds of the town’s old fortifications. The moat that once surrounded the walls is now a lake filled with water and marsh plants. The bulwarks that once bristled with cannons have been transformed into rockeries.
There are over 20,000 species of plants in the Botanical Garden. Some are Danish, others come from elsewhere, and a few are highly exotic. There is a small coniferous forest, as well as rock gardens and waterfalls. Ducks, herons and terrapins live on the water. Three greenhouses contain an assortment of fruit trees. The most popular is the large, circular palm house in which huge palms grow in a steamy atmosphere. A walkway takes you right up among the treetops. In the Kaktushus you will see over a thousand species of cacti and other succulents. The fragrant Orkidehuset has over six hundred types of orchids. A coffee shop on the site offers light refreshments. The staff at your discount hotel will be able to provide you with directions to the University of Copenhagen Botanical Gardens.