Herrenhausen

Awarded: Best Park in Europe 2015

The Herrenhausen Gardens have been awarded the 2015 European Garden Prize!

Director Ronald Clark accepted the award on September 4 at the awards ceremony in Hamburg. An international jury of garden experts had nominated the Herrenhausen Gardens and selected them from among other finalists—parks in England and Italy. In the “Historic Gardens” category, the Herrenhausen Gardens became the first German park to receive the award. The prize has been awarded since 2010 by the European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN). It is the largest garden network in Europe and represents over 170 members in twelve countries.

The European Garden Award evaluates more than just spectacular garden design, the best-maintained perennial beds, or lawns. In line with the EGHN’s objectives, the award has a broad scope and takes a cross-cutting approach. For nominations and awards, innovative concepts in implementation and management, urban planning aspects, sustainability issues, special offerings for visitors, and civic engagement are just as important as high quality in the creation or restoration of a park or garden. The nominees—and especially the finalists and winners—are intended to serve as inspiration or models for other projects. As historic gardens, they exemplify best practices in restoration, maintenance, and further development, as well as in educational initiatives, social integration, visitor services, and environmental protection.