Mainau Garden
Mainau is an island on Lake Constance, located in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany. The island, owned by the Bernadotte family, is the third largest on the lake and covers an area of 45 hectares. The island is connected to the shore by a bridge.
The island has a Baroque castle, greenhouses, and gardens with redwoods, palm trees, and other tropical, subtropical, and Mediterranean plants. Mainau is also called the "Island of Flowers". In the mild climate of Bodensee, palm trees and other Mediterranean plants grow on the island. Along with the seasons, the sea of flowers covering the island also changes its appearance. Mainau has a mini pet zoo, a pavilion of tropical butterflies, a peacock aviary, various cafes and restaurants.
The ancestors of the Celts began to explore Mainau 3 thousand years ago. In 15 BC, the Romans came to the island and built a city and port here, where the lake flotilla was based. Since the 10th century A.D., the island belonged to the Reichenau monastery, followed by the Teutonic Lake for 500 years. After secularization, the island was in private hands of various aristocratic families. In 1827, Prince Esterhazy bought Mainau, and from that moment the island's history as a center of beauty lovers began. A rich weirdo started cultivating flowers. In the middle of the 19th century, the island became the summer residence of the Grand Duke of Baden, Frederick 1. It was he and his court gardener who turned the island of Mainau into an island of flowers. Numerous Mediterranean and exotic plants were planted in Mainau, alleys were lit in the gardens, flower beds were laid out, and an arboretum was built.
The island's heyday has always been associated with the name of its last owner, Count Bernadotte of the Swedish royal house. He turned the island of Mainau into a tourist mecca. He allowed visits to his private properties, built the most modern greenhouses and greenhouses. It was he who inspired the idea of a rose garden, a palm park with a glass roof, a dahlia garden, a garden of exotic trees, and Germany's largest butterfly garden.
In 1998, the Mainau Island Park was the first in Europe to receive an EU environmental audit system certificate. At the same time, his administration voluntarily undertook to continue not only to maintain compliance with environmental standards, but also to improve its performance. For this purpose, it has created its own environmental management system, the main purpose of which is the preservation of natural energy and raw materials and the cleanliness of the environment. Mainau Park is open all year round. More than a million tourists visit the park every year.
