Summer Festival Around the Elisenturm 2026

Two Days of Botanical Garden in Festival Atmosphere

The Summer Festival Around the Elisenturm is the most important annual festival of the Friends and Supporters Association of the Wuppertal Botanical Garden — the volunteer organization that supports the Botanical Garden financially and ideally. From August 15 to 16, 2026, from 11 am to 6 pm each day, the garden transforms into a festive backdrop with market stalls, live music, hands-on activities, and catering. Free admission — donations and the proceeds from the book sale go directly to the maintenance of the garden.

The Three Festival Areas

Elisenplatz

The Elisenplatz in front of the Elisenturm is the central stage — it hosts most of the exhibitor stands, a stage area for performances, the grill stand, and the main beverage service counter.

Glashaus

The large Glashaus, featuring the subtropical and succulent collection of the Botanical Garden, is part of the festival — it hosts workshops, lectures on garden care, and part of the book sale.

Meadows Around the Greenhouses

The meadow areas around the greenhouses are used for seating, additional market stalls, the children's area, and cozy corners — ideal for relaxing with a glass of Riesling or a piece of cake.

The Program

Regional Exhibitors

Throughout the festival, you'll find stands from regional exhibitors offering:

• Garden: Plants, perennials, herbs, garden tools
• Home: Furniture, decorations, outdoor living accessories
• Art: Paintings, sculptures, photo prints by regional artists
• Crafts: Ceramics, woodwork, glass art, textiles
• Regional Products: Honey, jam, cheese, sausage, baked goods

Book Sale

One of the festival's biggest events: the book sale with thousands of used books at low prices. Fiction, non-fiction, gardening books, children's books — the selection is wide and the prices are very affordable. The proceeds directly support the garden.

Grill Stand and Drinks

Classic festival catering: grill stand with sausages and steaks, accompanied by beer, wine, apple juice, iced tea, and coffee. The cake counter (homemade cakes by association members) is one of the highlights — the cakes often sell out quickly.

Children's Activities

For children, there are craft stands, gardening activities (sowing seeds, planting pots), face painting, storytelling, and small concert performances.

Raffle

The highlight of the festival: the grand raffle with main prizes and many instant wins. Tickets are sold on the Elisenplatz, and the main prize draw takes place late Sunday afternoon.

Elisenturm — Panoramic View Over Wuppertal

The Elisenturm on the Hardt (Wuppertal-Elberfeld) was built in 1838, is 22 m high, and offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Wuppertal valley. During the festival, it is open to visitors — the climb is worthwhile as you can see the Botanical Garden from above and simultaneously overlook the Wuppertal suspension railway city. The tower is otherwise only open on a few occasions — a rare opportunity.

Wuppertal Botanical Garden

The Wuppertal Botanical Garden on the Hardt, with an area of about 2.5 hectares and 4,000 plant species, is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Germany. Founded in 1890 by the city of Elberfeld (now a district of Wuppertal), it is among the best-preserved botanical gardens in the Ruhr and Bergisches Land region. The Friends and Supporters Association (approx. 1,000 members) provides volunteer support and hosts this summer festival annually as its most important member meeting.