The garden of the Albrecht House in Bratislava. (source: Courtesy of Národný Trust)
Visiting a garden or a park is a sensory experience. They awaken all five of our senses, be it sight, taste, smell, hearing or touch. Those interested can verify this during the popular Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens to be held May 31 to June 2. The main theme of this pan-European event is “Five Senses in the Garden”.
Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens
May 31 to June 2, some parks and gardens will be open on June 8-9
the vast majority of admission to each garden is free
for more information visit www.vopz.sk
“You can experience them in absolutely every garden,” Michaela Kubíková, director of the Národný Trust, the Slovak organisation behind the event, told The Slovak Spectator. “It’s something that speaks a universal language and connects.”
The aim of the Weekend of Open Parks and Gardens is to present the values of our green heritage in an attractive way. It is part of the Europe-wide initiative to open parks and gardens to the public: Rendez-vous aux Jardins. More than 1,000 gardens from over 20 European countries will open their doors from Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 2 to celebrate the importance of parks and gardens to society.
The theme of the event is chosen internationally each year. It was proposed by the French Ministry of Culture, which is coordinating the event in Europe, noted Kubíková.
“We perceive not only the size of the garden with our eyes, but also its colourfulness,” she said. “We also seek out gardens because of the auditory experience: birds singing, animals talking, the wind rustling or bees buzzing. Who among us would not remember the scents of a garden - roses, lavender, mint or the smell of hellebores. Where else but in gardens will our taste buds come into their own. In the garden we can feel pleasant sensations like walking barefoot on soft grass, but also less pleasant ones like insect stings.”
During the 16th edition of this popular event, attendees can visit 116 green locations across Slovakia, 16 in Bratislava. In addition to parks and gardens, these will include historic cemeteries, green squares, arboretums, farms and a garden centre.
“These are all areas where greenery or environmental protection play an important role,” said Kubíková.
The theme of this year’s event will also be reflected in the programmes of the individual gardens and parks. Many have approached the theme very creatively.
For example, in the garden of the Podtatranské Museum in Poprad, visitors can enjoy an olfactory and gustatory memory game or a transcription of the sounds of the garden into an artistic form. In the botanical garden in Tatranská Lomnica, visitors can discover the detailed beauty of the Tatra nature by sight and smell to experience the known and unknown properties of plants and trees; by taste to enjoy medicinal plants and delicacies; by hearing to learn to better perceive and know about the life in our surroundings; and by touch to discover the secrets that can only be “seen” in a tactile way.
“In the Jedloles nature garden in Povrazník, Banská Bystrica Region, you can take part in the Jedloles Decathlon, which focuses on all five senses, or explore the planted tree groups named after well-known songs such as Kiss from a Rose, Rhapsody in Blue, Lady in Red or Lavender,” said Kubíková. “In these groups, edible shrubs, herbs, edible flowers and vegetables are planted around the trees related to the lyrics of the song that visitors can listen to during the tour.”
At the national level, the theme is reflected in this year’s novelty, the Five Senses in the Garden photo competition. The competition will be evaluated during the event's closing ceremony at the castle and manor house in Liptovský Hrádok.
A new feature is the opportunity for visitors to become members of the Národný Trust organisation. In this way they will support the activities of this organisation and receive a card related to the “INTO places” international project. It entitles them to free or discounted admission to more than 1,000 sites around the world.
Bratislava also attracts with the front garden of a housing estate
In addition to traditional locations such as Koch Garden, Jurajov Dvor, the open-air ZáHRADA gallery, the Albrecht House Garden and Hausnatura, the event in Bratislava also involved the wild front garden of the housing estate at Haburská 9. Originally a standard front garden in an old estate, it is now a natural and social experiment.
The garden of the housing estate at Haburská 9 in Bratislava. (source: Courtesy of Národný Trust)
“For the third year now, enthusiasts are moving towards a lively and colourful space that is also friendly to birds and insects,” said Kubíková. “This small-area front garden contains a variety of habitats from woodland and shrubland, to drier meadow to xerothermic south side.”
On Sunday, June 2, those interested can come talk to its creators about what it means, and what it entails, to have a sustainable, diverse, wildlife-friendly garden on a housing estate.
Visitors can also smell garden scents more intensively at a floristic workshop with the Atelier Papaver in the garden at the historical U Červeného Raka pharmacy. Or they can visit a private lavender and rose farm in Záhorie near the village of Malé Leváre, or to the La Borinka flower farm near Bratislava.
Lavender and rose farm in Záhorie near the village of Malé Leváre (source: Courtesy of Národný Trust)
A genre-spanning programme from the Prepoštská United mini-festival will enrich the Bratislava event on Saturday from 15:00 to 18:00, which will take place on one of the capital city's most beautiful streets, Prepoštská, in cooperation with the Czech Centre and the Spanish Embassy.
This year, the Bratislava Book Festival (BRaK) is also an event partner. BRaK will present a selection of books by small and medium-sized publishers, which you can find this weekend at Františkánské Square or in the garden of U Červeného Raka.
English-speaking visitors will have the same opportunity as Slovak-speaking ones of going for a walk in any of the participating locations, joining the accompanying programme in which language does not play a decisive role, such as the Miriam Kaiser Trio concert in the Liszt Garden, or the unconventional concert by the Woodpack Brothers in Malý Park, Stupava, close to Bratislava. At sites in the historical centre of Bratislava, English-speaking visitors will also be provided with texts in their own language on the history and natural values of the locations, noted Kubíková.
Outside the Bratislava Region
Within Slovakia, Kubíková is personally highly captivated by a visit to the natural garden in Limbach, where the owner practices organic cultivation and maintenance in accordance with the cycles of nature. Another very interesting and little-known site is the mid-19th century nature and landscape park in Šarišské Bohdanovce.
Nature and landscape park in Šarišské Bohdanovce (source: Courtesy of Národný Trust)
“The descendants of the Keczer family, the original owners of the park and the manor house, undertook its difficult restoration,” said Kubíková. “In addition to expert interpretation, visitors will be able to admire the more than century-old Jeffrey pine or the more than century-old tulip tree,” she said.
Also next weekend
Several gardens and parks involved in this year’s event will open their doors a week later, from June 8-9. For example, these include the Botanical Garden in Nitra and Barlangy Park, as well as the park belonging to the manor house in Lednicé Rovne, which received an Honourable Mention from the expert jury of the Phoenix - Cultural Monument of the Year competition.
