IllustrationVisit Ellerhoop for a family garden walk that leads from cottage flowers to lotus leaves and trees standing in water.
Visit Ellerhoop for a family garden walk that leads from cottage flowers to lotus leaves and trees standing in water. The gardens around the historic Münsterhof mix carefully arranged colours with places to stop and investigate: a lake, a tree-history area, a playground and a meadow park. Start with the garden plan at the entrance and choose one part of the collection to look at slowly.
The Bauerngarten makes an inviting first stop, particularly when its tall hollyhocks are flowering. Farther into the grounds, tree peonies and the lake give the walk a different scale. In summer, lotus flowers rise above the water; in autumn, ginkgo, maples, sweetgums and tupelos turn the focus towards leaves and reflections. Around the lake, the Wasserwald recreates something of a North American flooded forest. Children can compare its living trees with the enormous model of General Sherman’s trunk in the tree-experience area. It is a good place to alternate close-up photographs with the simple pleasure of seeing how different one garden feels from the next. Enhance your adventure: download the Snappit app to identify the local species you encounter.
Ellerhoop’s tree collection began in 1956, when nursery owner Erich Frahm and dendrologist Gerd Krüssmann created a 3.5-hectare arboretum. Kreis Pinneberg bought the site in 1980, and Hans-Dieter Warda later shaped its combination of botanical learning and garden design. The supporting association took over operation in 1996. The Münsterhof and nursery origins help explain why this is both a place for an enjoyable walk and a collection intended for studying plants.
For a shorter visit, walk from the Münsterhof entrance area through the Bauerngarten, beside the Dichter-Narzissenwiese and along the garden path by Rote Rabatte to the Rosengarten. Add the nearby playground, then return the same way to Münsterhof. Allow 60–90 minutes with looking stops and a little play.
For the lake and tree displays, continue from the rose-garden area past the Magnolienwiese to the school-biology section beside the lake. Follow the outer lakeside path past the Bernsteinpavillon and tree-experience area, then past the Bambus-Dschungel and NDR-Garten to the Wasserwald. Return towards the Strauch-Pfingstrosen planting, the rose-garden area and the same approach path to Münsterhof. Allow 2–3 hours for the complete outing. These are suggested visits, with no measured total distance or ascent.
Want more open space? The official plan marks the Mohn-Weg in the Wiesenpark at about 330 m. That is only the meadow circuit; the walk from the entrance and back is extra. Its meadow setting differs from the main garden paths, so ask about conditions before taking a wheelchair or pushchair there. Stay on the paths rather than stepping into the flower meadows.
Ordinary park visits pause from 1 December to 14 January. From 15 October 2026, normal closing is 17:00 until the clock change on 25 October; winter hours then end at 16:00. The 23–25 October illumination and autumn-festival evenings have separate hours. The café closes from November. Check the official opening page and weather notices before setting off, especially in strong winds.
The main paths are described as wheelchair-accessible, and the Münsterhof has an accessible toilet and baby-changing facilities. Ask ahead about your exact route, bridges and the meadow paths: detailed widths, surfaces and gradients are not supplied. Mobility aids can be reserved in advance. Keep young children close around the lake; a waterside viewing stop does not require crossing a bridge.
Plan a summer visit for flowers, or enjoy changing reflections later in the year.
Look at a planted collection of trees adapted to flooded ground.
See a full-size reconstruction of the great redwood’s lower trunk, with a living tree inside.
Combine colourful beds, plant labels and a playground pause.
Start at the Münsterhof entrance area. Visit the Bauerngarten, then take the path beside the narcissus meadow and Rote Rabatte to the Rosengarten. The playground is just beyond the rose-garden area.
Ask staff to confirm an appropriate main-path version for your wheelchair or pushchair. Detailed access information for bridges and meadow paths is not available.
Begin at Münsterhof and follow the cottage-garden and rose-garden approach. Continue past Magnolienwiese 7 to the school-biology area 10. Take the outer lakeside path past Bernsteinpavillon 12 and the tree-experience area, then past Bambus-Dschungel 14 and NDR-Garten 15 towards Wasserwald 17.
Ask staff to confirm an appropriate main-path version for your wheelchair or pushchair. Detailed access information for bridges and meadow paths is not available.
From Münsterhof, follow the Bauerngarten approach and continue beside the narcissus meadow and Rote Rabatte to the Wiesenpark passage near the rose pavilion, number 4. In the meadow park, use the red Mohn-Weg circuit shown on the official plan.
Do not assume the meadow circuit has the same wheelchair suitability as the main garden paths. Ask at the entrance before choosing it with mobility aids.
Choose one labelled tree and take three photographs: the whole tree from a public path, one visible leaf or branch, and its label. Back at your picnic, ask which photograph is best for recognising it and which best shows where it grows. There is no need to collect anything.
In light rain, choose the cottage-garden return and leave the longer lake and meadow visits for another day. The seasonal café may provide a break, but it closes from November. For strong winds or a storm warning, check for closure notices and postpone if necessary.
Look from a lakeside path for the broad leaves and flowers held above the water. Try framing one flower with the surrounding leaves rather than cropping everything else out. Keep your feet on the path and let a zoom lens do the approaching.
Look at where the tree meets the water as well as at its crown. A photograph including the submerged base helps tell the story of this tree’s tolerance of flooded conditions. Check its label before attaching a name.
Take one picture of the whole model and another of the living tree growing from it. Ask children what a photograph needs to show scale: a person standing safely on the path can help more than a close-up of the trunk.
When flowers are open, compare two plants for petal shape and colour, then read their labels. Try photographing a bloom together with its woody branching. Stay outside the beds even when a flower is facing away from the path.
Enjoy the effect from the meadow edge, then find a flower close enough to photograph without stepping into the planting. Compare a wide view with a single bloom: the same planting can look quite different at the two scales.
Find a labelled Japanese maple and compare the outline of two leaves on the same tree. Backlighting can make the divisions easier to see. Photograph the label as well, since another maple nearby may have a different name.
Use the label to separate sweetgum from maples, then look for several colours within one crown. A leaf close-up and a wider photograph make a useful pair. Colour alone is not enough to identify the tree.
Look for the fan-shaped leaves, then find two with slightly different outlines. Photograph them where they grow rather than picking them. In autumn, try including a patch of sky to show how the colour changes with the light.
The park advertises illumination until 21:00 on Friday 23 October and its Herbstfest from 10:00–20:00 on 24 and 25 October. These are special dates with their own programme; they do not extend ordinary autumn opening. Check the event page for tickets and any changes.
Use the current HVV journey planner for bus 185 to Ellerhoop, Arboretum. From the stop, follow the signed approach to the entrance and reverse it for the return bus. The roughly 700 m each way adds about 1.4 km to a public-transport day, separate from the garden walks. Check your return before entering the park.
Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.
Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.
Arrival
Use Thiensen 4, 25373 Ellerhoop. Free parking is opposite the main entrance; bicycle stands are available.
Bus connection
Line 185 serves Ellerhoop, Arboretum from Pinneberg and Elmshorn. Allow about 700 m on foot each way between the stop and entrance; check both journeys in the HVV planner.
Entry budget
Entry is paid, while children aged 16 and under enter free. Check current adult and event prices before travel.
Bring a picnic
Small picnics are allowed, but your own food and drinks cannot be consumed in the café or on its terrace.
Leave plants in place
Do not pick flowers, leaves, fruits or seeds. Dogs must stay on a short lead, including in the meadow park.
Use the tree numbers
The garden’s online tree list can help when a plant label is missing. A numbered tree is a better starting point than guessing from autumn colour.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
Maryland, US
You might spot White-Tailed Deer and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
View guide →
District of Columbia, US
You might spot Eastern Gray Squirrel, Duck, and House Sparrow.
View guide →
Illinois, US
You might spot American Robin, Canada Goose, and House Sparrow.
View guide →
Virginia, US
You might spot Spotted Lanternfly and Northern Cardinal.
View guide →
Take the discovery with you
Identify the wildlife you spot, learn as you go, and keep a collection of the adventure.
