Lennépark Frankfurt (Oder)

We owe this beautiful garden area in the heart of Frankfurt (Oder) to one of the city’s early civil movements founded in 1834 by wealthy residents to prevent the demolition of the historic ramparts that were no longer necessary. They found an ally at that time in Peter Joseph Lenné, the Prussian Royal Gardens Director, who also developed the plans for the design of the park. This was how Germany's second oldest Bürgerpark (“citizens’ park”) came into being.

Back then, too, public building projects took a long time: construction of the park was delayed by various interests in the city and financed by the Frankfurt citizenry. After more than ten years of construction it was handed over to the public in 1845. Lenné repeatedly checked on construction progress and adherence to his landscape plans. One remarkable feature is the steep gradient of the Lennépark in Frankfurt (Oder): it is 35 metres from north to south. Covering a total length of about one kilometre, the area extends along Karl-Marx-Strasse, one of the largest traffic arteries in the city. Another striking aspect is the elongated extension with an unusual ratio of length to width. Several artificially created aquatic facilities such as a waterfall, a fountain, flowing waters and ponds run through the slope, creating a harmonious interplay between water and vegetation. The park still reveals the master’s hallmark style to this day: winding paths, staged groups of trees, ample meadows and the watercourses just mentioned. What is particularly surprising for visitors to the park, however, is the rich variety of trees planted along the paths. A whole range of exotic tree species can be found here, including a group of ginkgo trees, a North American bridle tree, young primeval sequoias and also a mulberry tree. Fifty different species make Lennépark a botanical experience, too.

Visitors will therefore find this to be a peaceful, relaxing refuge at the heart of the city: in summer in particular there is delightful sense of harmony between the light and shade of the tree tops and the shallow rippling of the water. Lenné would be certainly be pleased for the citizens of Frankfurt (Oder).

Year of construction: 1834
How to get there: Car: A12 exit Frankfurt (Oder); train: RE1 to Frankfurt (Oder)