Visiting Merian Gärten in Basel

The modern botanical gardens were established in 1969 following a contract signed between the Christoph Merian Foundation and a company tasked with creating a replacement for the Basel University Library's expansion project. The site spans approximately thirteen hectares.

Botanist Helen Gräfin von Zeppelin donated her extensive collection of approximately 1,500 bearded iris species to the gardens in 1969. The collection is considered one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

In 1978, the botanical gardens significantly expanded their plant holdings with the arrival of the notable rhododendron collection formerly owned by Robert von Hirsch.

In 1980, the site hosted the 'Grün 80' garden exhibition, an event attended by Queen Elizabeth II. During her visit, the Queen planted a copper beech tree that remains a part of the garden's history.

A 2.6-hectare meadow area within the gardens was officially declared a national reserve in 1992, highlighting the site's importance for biodiversity conservation.

The site was officially known as Merian Park until 2006, when it adopted its current name, the Merian Gardens, to better reflect its institutional identity.

In 2006, the garden became the new home for a rare species of rose named after Anne Frank, which was sourced from Japan where only a few specimens remained at the time.

In 2012, the institutional structure of the gardens was expanded through the merger of the vegetable gardens of the Brüglinger Hof and the existing botanical gardens.