The Baden-Baden Arboretum

As a result of the extreme drought and heat of the summer of 2022, many water- and moisture-loving rhododendrons in the arboretum lost their evergreen foliage. The city of Baden-Baden therefore pruned the plants in autumn 2022. As the rhododendron buds can build up new leaves and branches from the living, older and thicker wood due to the so-called "dormant buds", the plants will recover. As a result, a smaller number of flowers may be experienced over the next two to three years.

The city of Baden-Baden will respond to the changed site conditions in the arboretum by replanting more drought-tolerant rhododendron varieties.

The arboretum can only be reached by foot & with sturdy shoes. The nearest car park for hikers is at the MerkurBergbahn valley station, from there it is about 2 km. Follow the signs towards the wild animal enclosure and then towards Eckberg. Stage 2 of the Panorama Trail takes you almost exactly there. After the goats and the rest area on the right, do not follow the Panoramaweg (left), but continue to the right.
Attention, the arboretum is an insider tip and it is not "finished" yet - there is still no signage indicating that you have reached it. 😉 Currently, you only recognise it when you are there - by the flowering rhododendrons and the tall redwood trees.

There is no entrance fee to visit the Arboretum, but we are very grateful for donations and support.

Today’s public arboretum was created over a period of five decades as a private collection of trees and shrubs by the Eberts family. In 1966, Friedrich Eberts purchased land in Baden-Baden north of the area known as Eckhöfe, which, until then, had been used exclusively for agricultural purposes. He began by cutting down the old fruit trees and adding to the existing paths. The Eberts family ran a tree nursery in Baden-Baden and they slowly began to use the plot to plant specimens that were no longer suitable for sale, among them rare conifers and other exotic shrubs. The soil in the newly created arboretum was also particularly suitable for rhododendrons. Over the years, a marvellous collection of exotic trees and plants was created.

On the initiative of Wolfgang Eberts, who had continued the work of his father Friedrich since 1973, the municipality of Baden-Baden purchased the 5-hectare site in 2021 and, after preparatory work, opened it to the public in 2022. Existing walls and steps were repaired and additional pathways were created. Following extensive maintenance, pruning and clearing work, the basic structure of the arboretum was restored. Only with the aid of generous private donations was the acquisition and the work required to open the arboretum made possible. Since 2022, the municipality’s department for forestry and nature has been in charge of the arboretum with the support of the department for parks and gardens.

The goal for the future is to develop the idea by planting specifically chosen additions and removing certain species to allow new perspectives to emerge, all whilst maintaining the arboretum’s unique and special character. In these times of climate change, the arboretum can also become a place to test drought-resistant shrubs and trees, thus contributing to the research on plant use for the future. The aim is also to increase awareness of the collection and make it accessible to a wider audience of people interested in trees and shrubs. In the long-term, the Friedrich Eberts Arboretum is to become part of the recreational woodland area between the Eckberg, the Wildgehege wildlife enclosure and the Panorama hiking trail while also complementing other green spaces throughout Baden-Baden.

As Friedrich Eberts himself said in 1966: “This collection will be constantly improved and condensed, especially by the introduction of foreign conifers and deciduous trees, including those which have reached or exceeded their climatic limit here.”