Landbohøjskolens Have

A historic garden woven into university life

Laid out in the mid-19th century as study grounds for Copenhagen’s agricultural and horticultural school, Landbohøjskolens Have feels like a green campus heart as well as a public park. Today it belongs to the University of Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg Campus, where plant scientists, students and locals share the same leafy paths. You move through a landscape where teaching plots, experimental beds and ornamental displays quietly coexist. The garden’s age shows not in stiffness, but in maturity. Old trees cast deep shade over winding gravel paths, and the layout still hints at a time when horticulture was taught in the open air. Despite its academic role, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, inviting you to wander, sit, read or simply watch the light shift across the lawns.

Living collections and themed plant worlds

Landbohøjskolens Have holds a remarkably broad collection of cultivated and wild plants, structured in clear, readable areas. You can seek out beds of wild Danish herbs and woody species that anchor the garden in local flora, then step into zones where the focus is on ornamental display or useful value. Labels hint at the plants’ scientific and practical roles, from agriculture to medicine. Special collections highlight grasses, alpine plants and extensive borders of roses, azaleas, rhododendrons and heather. Elsewhere, ferns and shade-loving forest plants make the most of sheltered corners. A section devoted to medicinal plants illustrates how species have been used through history and how many still underpin modern treatments, linking this quiet space directly to everyday life.

Seasonal rhythms in an urban oasis

Because the planting is so varied, the garden offers interest in every season. In spring, bulbs and early perennials brighten the beds and lawns. Summer brings dense foliage, fragrant roses and flowering shrubs framing the pond. Autumn colors wash through the older trees and woody collections, while winter reveals branch structure and subtle evergreens. The garden is open to the public, so it naturally doubles as a neighborhood retreat. Office workers and students slip in for fresh air, while locals use the lawns and benches for quiet breaks. Even when paths are busy, the space feels human in scale, with enough nooks and hedged rooms that you can usually find a corner of calm.

Paths, pond and glasshouse charm

The layout is easy to explore without a plan. Curving paths loop past a small pond where ducks often gather, then back through shrub borders and specimen trees. Benches appear at thoughtful intervals, some in open sun, others tucked among plantings for more privacy. The garden’s size makes it manageable, but its density of detail rewards slow, repeated circuits. A small glasshouse stands as a reminder of the site’s horticultural purpose. At times it functions as a simple café, offering drinks and light refreshments in season, adding a sociable hub without overpowering the quiet mood. Brick university buildings form a backdrop on one side, while beyond the trees the city hums just out of view and earshot.

Everyday escape in Frederiksberg

Landbohøjskolens Have is less about grand spectacle and more about everyday livability. It is a place to bring a book, a thermos or a to-go coffee, and let an hour slide by among plant beds that still serve teaching and research. Children can explore without the distractions of playground equipment, and adults can trace plant labels or simply enjoy the textures and colors. Because access is free and the gates are open long hours, it easily fits into a wider day in Frederiksberg or central Copenhagen. Whether you are interested in botany, urban green design or just a patch of grass and birdsong between museum visits and cafés, this modest horticultural garden offers a quietly distinctive stop.