Bergische Garden Tour 2026

The future is digital, and the influence of AI is becoming increasingly noticeable in our everyday lives.
The extent to which the world of gardens and plants can benefit from digitalization remains to be seen. Even now, AI can help make garden dreams a reality.
But what good is a perfect garden plan if there are no people to plant, care for, and keep that garden alive?
From people for people and for the preservation of biodiversity – that's what garden culture is all about. And a garden where you don't dig in the soil with your own hands will never truly be your own garden.
Modern machines make gardening easier, but true satisfaction only comes when, after a day in your own garden, you look at a well-maintained flower bed or a perfectly trimmed hedge.
That's precisely what motivates most garden owners. The joy of living in harmony with nature, experiencing the changing seasons, and simultaneously being able to creatively realize their own ideas about plant combinations, sightlines, and spatial design – that's exactly the motivation a gardener's heart needs. Furthermore, gardening has been proven to improve physical fitness. What more could you want?
Visitors to the Bergische Gartentour (Bergisch Garden Tour) can enjoy precisely these experiences every year, many of whom have followed our participating gardens over the years and witnessed their transformation. This year, we once again invite you to visit the many fascinating private gardens in the Bergisches Land region, and perhaps it will inspire some of you to open your own garden to the public next year.
Inspiring young people to embrace gardening is becoming increasingly difficult. One reason could be their lack of experience, as few had direct contact with their own garden during childhood. And by that, we mean a garden where something can actually grow, not the so-called gardens in our new housing developments that are completely paved over and where there's no room left for a tree or a vegetable patch.
We can do little to change these circumstances, but perhaps we can set an example with the gardens of the Bergische Gartentour to inspire the next generation.
Because one thing is certain: gardeners are among the happiest people.

The exact opening times of each garden can be found in the brochure, which is published in spring. Some gardens are also open in April and later in September. However, not all gardens are open on all dates – please check the exact opening times beforehand.