A time lapse journey round the world: The Botanical Garden can guarantee to offer that. This oasis in the middle of the city takes visitors into the Alps, then gives a clear view over the Mediterranean, they are then lured onwards by palms and cacti, orchids and flora from the steppes.  The Botanical Garden provides a feast for the senses with its shapes, scents and colors. Thousands of types of plants from all over the world, including many medicinal herbs, have found a home here  – whether in the open air or in the six conservatories, which visitors plunge into in the middle of the garden. The park, which was established in 1859 primarily for the purpose of study, extends over more than two hectares on the sunny side of the Aare valley, just next to the Lorraine Bridge.