Europe's stunning parks and gardens

Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Puckler-Muskau was an eccentric and a gifted garden visionary. The prince created an English landscape garden around the New Palace in Bad Muskau at the beginning of the 19th century. This green oasis, spanning some 830 hectares, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.

Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau created a park in the style of an English Garden on the banks of the Elbe River in the 18th century. What was revolutionary for his time is that he opened it to the public. He integrated natural and artificial waterways, vantage points, islands, vistas, sculptures and architecture. The result was a collective work of art that still fascinates people to this day.

Peter Joseph Lenne was one of the most productive landscape gardeners of his time, serving the Prussian Court Gardens for 50 years in the 19th century. The park at Potsdam's Sanssouci Palace, which he extended and redesigned, is today a World Heritage Site.

Herrenhausen's Great Garden is the only original baroque garden in Germany today. It only survived because the Kings of Hanover never really took an interest in it. They ruled England from 1714 until 1823 and decided to cut expenditure back home in Germany. So while new landscape gardens were created elsewhere, Herrenhausen remained untouched.

Versailles is one of the biggest palace compounds in Europe. Its baroque gardens inspired many European monarchs. King Louis XIV's gardener, Andre Le Notre, ranks among the most important landscape gardeners of all time. Versailles was his life's work.

You will find one of France's most visited gardens in the Loire Valley, forming part of the Chateau de Villandry grounds. Created in 1906, this green oasis is characterized by distinct floral patterns and geometric shapes.

The gardens at Villa d'Este date back to the 16th century. They boasts numerous water fountains in true renaissance fashion. The gardens at Villa d'Este have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.

The verdant Moorish gardens at Granada's Alhambra fortress stand out against the bone dry surroundings of southern Spain. They are surrounded by shady garden rooms, and elaborate water fountains. Moorish gardens originated in the 13th century and inspired the entire Mediterranean region.

Sissinghurst Castle features one of England's most famous gardens. It was created from 1930 onwards by author Vita Sackville-West and her husband. The garden itself combines elegant sensuality and strict shapes.

Every summer hundreds of people in London and elsewhere in Britain open their private gardens to the public. Many serve serve tea and cake, and many also charge a small entrance fee. Proceeds are usually donated to a good cause.

Artists tend to have a green thumb. Each year, over 500,000 people travel to Normandy, France, to visit Impressionist painter Claude Monet's garden. He loved this green oasis and kept buying new plants until Giverny garden turned into a vertiable jungle. The water lilies became his most famous motif.