It was in 1755 that Ferdinand VI commissioned the first botanical gardens in Madrid, located on the banks of the Manzanares river. In 1774 King Charles III moved the gardens to their current location beside the Prado museum. Ever since visitors have been able to enjoy over 8 hectares of European as well as exotic plant species.

However the gardens weren't set up with the only purpose of putting on a fine display: the main objective from the very beginning was to continue learning about the delicate ecosystem. The gardens contain pavilions which allow for rests among the cool plant surroundings, as well as greenhouses that involve state of the art plant technology. Intensive research is carried out at these gardens and last year the research team was able to make many interesting and important discoveries on Spanish and Latin American plant life.

Discover the beauty of these botanical gardens during your stay in Madrid for a Spanish Language Course.