From May 13th to 15th this year, the partners of the project “Garden Pearls II” traveled to Gothenburg, Sweden, to participate in an exchange visit exploring the gardens of Gothenburg.
Upon arrival in Gothenburg, the first stop was the Gothenburg Garden Association, which features a wonderful children’s playground, a Palm House, a rose garden, and extensive rhododendron plantings. This garden is open to the public and is a popular spot for locals to spend their free time. The next visit was to the Jonsered Gardens, a social rehabilitation garden. In collaboration with social services, individuals with various addictions are involved in the garden work. In the evening, we visited the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, an old garden with a vast area. The climate in Gothenburg is warmer than in our region, allowing for the growth of various exotic plants. Local guides welcomed us and provided information about each garden. Accessibility solutions were also considered: ramps for people with mobility impairments, a network of paths and surfaces for easy movement, and suitable benches.
On the second day of the visit, we visited the Växtrum Lerum municipality, which is responsible for the greening of municipal areas. There was a meeting at the local municipality, and we were shown gardens created through the cooperation of the municipality and volunteers. Volunteer work for the benefit of the community is popular in Sweden, with residents participating in the creation of public greenery and gardens. In this particular municipality, about 70 volunteers are involved in various garden improvement works. We then visited two castles with their surrounding landscape gardens: Nolhaga and Gunnebo Castles, where we were warmly welcomed by local guides who showed us the castle gardens. The castle grounds are vast, and volunteers are also involved in the work here. Many gardens also considered children, with various play elements and facilities for children with special needs. Finally, we gained a brief insight into Gothenburg’s public gardens and parks.
The exchange visit to Gothenburg, Sweden, was organized by the leading partner, the Vidzeme Tourism Association, as part of the INTERREG Estonia-Latvia cross-border cooperation program 2021-2027, project No. EE-LV00038, “Garden Pearls II”. We are grateful for the opportunity to gain experience in the gardens and parks of Sweden, which will help us in implementing our project.
The “Garden Pearls II” project aims to create a network of gardens, parks, and natural sightseeing spots, developing and promoting garden tourism. It focuses on improving tourism solutions, especially focusing on the accessibility and tactile solutions of gardens and parks to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities.
The project activities are carried out with the support of the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Program for the period 2021-2027.
Information prepared by Project Manager Vizma Ģēģere, mobile: 29129385, email: vizma.gegere@kurzemesregions.lv
