The Botanical Garden Of La Rioja
A botanical garden is always a beautiful place to visit. This one, in addition, is in the heart of La Rioja, a wonderful land which is some of the most fertile land in Spain. The garden, located between Nájera and Santo Domingo of the Road, rises in the middle of the Way of Santiago, near hermitages, Gothic churches and monasteries.
The monasteries of Yuso and Suso (San Millán of the Cogolla), cradle of Berceo poetry and the Castilian and Basque languages, are also present there.
Surrounded by vines, history, tradition and culture, the Botanical Garden of La Rioja is a wonderful island where you can go to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
The Garden is divided into zones that go from I to the X with each zone having a reference or title which tries to be allegorical as much as explanatory. Each zone has its own particular charm and it is necessary that you view the garden with the reference or title of the zone in mind to get as much as possible out of your visit.
This Botanical Garden can also be regarded as a museum, to a certain extent. Some collections are not open to public exhibition as they require special attention to grow and flourish. So they are kept out of sight of the people. It was established with scientific and academic aims, a bank of seeds, plants and a bank of congealed seeds that is part of the National Plant Germplasm System.
It also has a library with all the documents and forms necessary to understand all the minute detail of the botanical garden, with a section dedicated to poetry and another section dedicated to photography. The garden also has a section dedicated to herbs and has a xiloteca (a wood collection).
In short, the Botanical Garden of La Rioja is an entire world in itself waiting to be discovered. Because of its wonderful location, it can provide you with wonderful surprises along with the teachings it gives.
The visit to the garden can be a good decision before indulging yourself in the history of the towns that surround it, such as Santo Domingo by Calzada and Nájera, towns that are enchanting in their own right with their rich and wonderful history which encompasses ages. If you ever visit Spain, you definitely should not miss this place.