Orto Botanico di Brera, Milan

Gardens in Milan

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Danielle Jansen

The Orto Botanico di Brera is one of the best places to visit in Milan when you need a breather from busy streets, crowds, and traffic. Tucked discreetly behind Palazzo Brera on Via Brera 28, this 5,000-square-metre garden feels like a secret hideaway, even though you're right in the middle of one of the city's liveliest districts. Originally created in 1774 for students of medicine and pharmacology, today it's a serene mix of historic structures, leafy trees, and tidy flower beds, managed by the University of Milan's Istituto di Fisica Generale Applicata and open on weekdays with free admission.

Walking into the garden, you're greeted by a pattern of rectangular beds edged in brick, framed by 18th-century elliptical ponds and 19th-century features such as the specula and former greenhouse, now used by the Academy of Fine Arts. Mature trees, including one of Europe's oldest Ginkgo biloba specimens and impressive Firmiana platanifolia, Juglans nigra, Pterocarya fraxinifolia, and Tilia, give the garden a quietly majestic feel. It's a great place to visit on a walking tour of Milan, especially if you're exploring Brera's art galleries and narrow streets and want somewhere calm to sit, think, and watch the light filter through the leaves.

History and Significance of the Orto Botanico di Brera
Things to See and Do in the Orto Botanico di Brera
How to Get to the Orto Botanico di Brera
Practical Tips on Visiting the Orto Botanico di Brera
Where to Stay close to the Orto Botanico di Brera
Is the Orto Botanico di Brera Worth Visiting?
FAQs for Visiting the Orto Botanico di Brera
Nearby Attractions to the Orto Botanico di Brera

History and Significance of the Orto Botanico di Brera

The Orto Botanico di Brera traces its origins to 1774, when Abbot Fulgenzio Vitman established it at the request of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The Empress, keen to modernise and strengthen higher education across her domains, saw the value in a botanical garden that could support teaching in medicine and pharmacology. To create it, an existing Jesuit garden behind Palazzo Brera was repurposed, turning a religious space into a scientific one in keeping with Enlightenment ideals.

For decades, the garden served as a living laboratory where students could study medicinal plants, plant anatomy, and the classification systems that were reshaping botany in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Over time, however, interest waned and maintenance lagged, and the garden slipped into neglect. Paths became overgrown, structures deteriorated, and the space lost some of its original clarity and purpose.

A major turning point came in 1998, when the garden underwent extensive restoration. The aim was to recover its historic layout and spirit while adapting it to modern needs. Rectangular flower beds were reorganised, ponds and older architectural elements were restored, and the collection of trees and plants was curated to respect both scientific and historical value. Today, the Orto Botanico di Brera stands as a small but important reminder of Milan's long tradition of scientific study, quietly embedded in one of the city's most artistic neighbourhoods.

Things to See and Do in the Orto Botanico di Brera

A leisurely visit to the Orto Botanico di Brera begins with its distinctive geometry. The garden's neat rectangular beds, edged with brick, give it a calm, ordered structure. These beds host a variety of plants that reflect both the garden's teaching past and the climate of Lombardy, changing with the seasons as bulbs, herbs, and flowering species rotate through their cycles. The 18th-century elliptical ponds add a graceful, almost classical focal point, mirroring the sky and surrounding greenery.

As you wander, take time to find the star residents: the trees. One of Europe’s oldest Ginkgo biloba specimens stands here, a living relic of a species often described as a “living fossil.” Nearby, you can spot tall Firmiana platanifolia, broad-trunked Juglans nigra (black walnut), Pterocarya fraxinifolia, and mature Tilia, all of which give the garden shade and vertical structure. Each tree has its own character, and part of the pleasure of a visit is simply walking slowly, looking up into their canopies, and noticing how they frame views of Palazzo Brera and the surrounding buildings.

The 19th-century specula and greenhouse add an architectural dimension to the experience. The former greenhouse, now used by the Academy of Fine Arts, hints at the once-intense scientific activity of the garden, while the specula recalls a time when observation and measurement were at the heart of botanical study. Benches scattered around the paths invite you to pause, read, or sketch. This spot is one of the best places to see in Milan if you enjoy discovering quiet, layered places where science, history, and everyday city life intersect.

How to Get to the Orto Botanico di Brera

The Orto Botanico di Brera sits directly behind Palazzo Brera in the Brera district, a central neighbourhood just a short walk from landmarks like the Duomo, Castello Sforzesco, and Teatro alla Scala. Most visitors arriving from abroad will fly into Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, or Orio al Serio (Bergamo) airports, all of which offer shuttle buses, trains, and taxis that connect to Milan's main railway stations and central areas. For the best deals and a seamless booking experience, check out these flights to Milan on Booking.com.

Once you’re in the city, the garden is easy to reach by public transport. Metro stations such as Lanza, Montenapoleone, or Cairoli put you within walking distance of Via Brera, and several tram and bus routes serve the surrounding streets; from there, it’s just a short stroll through the atmospheric Brera quarter to the garden entrance behind Palazzo Brera.Use Omnio to easily compare schedules, book train tickets, and find the best prices all in one place for a hassle-free journey across Italy.

If you’re travelling by car, be aware that the Brera area sits within Milan’s central limited traffic and congestion zones, and on-street parking is scarce.If you are looking to rent a car in Italy I recommend having a look at Discover Cars, first, as they compare prices and review multiple car rental agencies for you. It’s usually more convenient to park in a garage on the edge of the centre and continue on foot or by metro, turning the final leg into a pleasant walk through some of the city’s most characterful streets.

Practical Tips on Visiting the Orto Botanico di Brera

Suggested tips: Combine your visit with the Pinacoteca di Brera and a walk through the surrounding streets so you experience both the artistic and botanical sides of the district.
Best time to visit: Late spring and early autumn are especially lovely, but weekdays in any season tend to be quiet, making it easier to enjoy the peace and greenery.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening hours: Mon-sat working days, 10:00am to 6:00pm (1st April to 31st October) Mon-sat working days, 9:30am to 4:30pm (1st November to 31st March)
Official website: https://ortibotanici.unimi.it/home/orto-botanico-di-brera/
How long to spend: Plan for 30-60 minutes for a relaxed stroll, longer if you enjoy reading plant labels, sketching, or simply sitting under the trees.
Accessibility: Paths are mostly flat, though some surfaces may be gravel or uneven; overall it’s reasonably accessible, but comfortable shoes are recommended.
Facilities: Facilities are minimal inside the garden itself; for cafés, toilets, and shops, you can use those in and around Palazzo Brera and the surrounding Brera streets.
Photography tip: Look for compositions that frame historic buildings through branches, reflections in the ponds, and close-ups of tree bark or leaves for quietly evocative shots.
Guided tours: Occasionally, guided visits or educational activities are organised, especially in collaboration with the university; check ahead if you’re interested in a more in-depth experience.
Nearby food options: Brera is full of cafés, gelaterias, and restaurants-perfect for a coffee before your visit or an aperitivo afterwards on one of the district’s lively corners.

Where to Stay close to the Orto Botanico di Brera

Staying near the Orto Botanico di Brera puts you right in one of Milan's most charming and atmospheric neighbourhoods, ideal if you enjoy art, design, and evening strolls along cobbled streets. For a stylish boutique base just a short walk from Palazzo Brera, Hotel Milano Scala offers a cosy, eco-minded stay with easy access to both the garden and the city centre. If you prefer a more luxurious atmosphere, Palazzo Parigi Hotel & Grand Spa provides refined rooms and spa facilities within walking distance of Brera and the fashion district. Another comfortable option is NH Collection Milano Porta Nuova, which combines modern style with convenient links to both Brera and other key parts of the city.

Is the Orto Botanico di Brera Worth Visiting?

The Orto Botanico di Brera is absolutely worth visiting, especially if you're looking for a quieter, more contemplative side of Milan. It's not a large, showy botanical garden full of grand vistas; instead, it's an intimate, historic green pocket where the city's scientific and cultural heritage meet under the shade of very old trees. As a free, centrally located retreat, it's easy to fit into even a short itinerary, and it adds a refreshing contrast to the galleries, shops, and busy streets nearby. For many visitors, that blend of history, tranquillity, and central convenience makes it one of the must-see places in Milan.

What Other Travellers Say...

Reviews Summary

4.3 (4,539)

Brera Botanical Garden on Via Brera is a compact, tranquil green space in central Milan with flowerbeds, ponds, an arboretum of old trees and benches where visitors can relax and escape the city; reviewers note its fragrant, diverse plantings, small water features, free entry and restrooms, its tucked-away entrance that can be easy to miss, and its convenient location between attractions like the Pinacoteca di Brera.

Timothy Pang

3 months ago

"Excellent botanical garden in central Milan. Within walking distance of various attractions. Convenient location. Small but a very attractive placeto spend some time. An hour tops is enough. A few places to sit and relax. Good range of plants in a compact space. Fragrant. Small water features. Free to enter. Surrounded more or less by buildings, which adds to the atmosphere...."

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do a engelbardt

2 months ago

"Beautiful small garden with many diverse plants. you won't believe that you are in the middle of a bustling city. However, the entrance was a bittricky to find.. The neighborhood is also very quaint and fun to explore or sit at a cafe and be around the very chic residents of Milan...."

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Megan Bollo

a month ago

"Was a nice place to escape the chaos of the city and enjoy some greenery. Free entry! There are free bathrooms and benches to sit and enjoy."

FAQs for Visiting the Orto Botanico di Brera

Yes, admission is generally free, as the garden is run by the University of Milan and open to the public on weekdays.

Usually no booking is required for a simple visit, but check current information in case of special events or temporary restrictions.

Yes, children often enjoy the open space, ponds, and trees, though there are no playgrounds; it’s best suited to calm exploration rather than energetic play.

Absolutely-Palazzo Brera, the Pinacoteca di Brera, and the surrounding Brera streets are all nearby, making it easy to plan a half-day around art, architecture, and the garden.

Nearby Attractions to the Orto Botanico di Brera

Pinacoteca di Brera: One of Italy's top art galleries, housed in Palazzo Brera, with masterpieces by Raphael, Mantegna, and many others.
Brera District: A picturesque neighbourhood of cobbled streets, boutiques, cafés, and galleries, perfect for strolling before or after your garden visit.
Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione: A historic castle complex with museums and a large park, a pleasant walk from Brera.
Teatro alla Scala: Milan's legendary opera house, not far from Brera and ideal to combine with a cultural day in the city centre.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Duomo di Milano: The iconic shopping arcade and cathedral, a slightly longer walk or short metro ride away, offering a dramatic contrast to the quiet of the garden.

The Orto Botanico di Brera appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Milan!

Moira & Andy

Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!

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