Landschaftsgarten

Landschaftsgarten, or landscape garden, is a style of garden design that seeks to imitate the natural beauty of the countryside rather than follow formal, geometric layouts. It emphasizes naturalistic landforms, curving paths, rolling lawns, groves, water features, and views framed by trees and structures. The aim is to create picturesque scenes that blend with the surrounding landscape.

Originating in the 18th century in Europe and influenced by the English landscape garden, Landschaftsgärten spread through German-speaking regions and other parts of Central Europe. They developed as part of a broader shift toward natural aesthetics, leisure, and the idea that the garden should harmonize with the country house, the topography, and cultural aspirations of the era.

Design principles include irregular, sweeping lines; asymmetry; careful framing of vistas; and planting designed to read as a natural composition rather than a formal plan. Typical elements are scattered trees in groups, meadows, ponds or lakes, gently rising mounds, rustic bridges, and occasional follies or pavilions placed to create focal points and horizons.

Today, many Landschaftsgärten survive as historic estates, public parks, or restored landscapes. They are valued for their cultural and ecological heritage and are often maintained or reinterpreted to balance preservation with accessibility and contemporary use, such as walking, observation of seasonal changes, and education about landscape history.