November at the Hortus: from winter spices to world history
There’s plenty to discover at the Hortus this month. Wander through the illuminated garden during Museum Night or explore the stories behind your cup of coffee. Here’s what’s coming up in November:
🌙 7 November – Museum Night: the Hortus for beginners
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about plants but never dared to ask! Follow an illuminated trail through the garden, join ‘Plants for Dummies’ and enjoy music and cocktails beside the Palm House.
More information and tickets
☕ 12 November – Evening lecture: A plant’s journey
Tom van der Molen from the Amsterdam Museum follows the coffee plant from Ethiopia, via an Amsterdam greenhouse, to the plantations of South America. What role did the Hortus and the Dutch East India Company play in the spread of coffee?
More information and booking
🌿 14 November – Themed guided tour: Herbs & spices
Which plants give speculaas, pepernoten and Dutch spice cake their familiar flavours? Explore the living collection and discover the origins and history of these winter favourites.
13:00–14:00 | €5.50 per person
More information and tickets
📖 20 November – Friends’ lecture: Hanneke Ronnes on Belle van Zuylen
Discover the role gardens and nature played in the life and work of writer and composer Belle van Zuylen. This lecture is part of the Friends’ Association’s anniversary series, ‘Women and Plants’.
Doors open at 14:00 | Laranjazaal
More information and registration
☕ 26 November – Evening lecture: From colonial commodity to fair trade
Peggy Brandon from the National Slavery Museum explores the system behind the global coffee trade. How do we relate to this colonial legacy today?
More information and booking
Practical information for the evening lectures
Doors open at 19:30, lectures begin at 20:00 and finish around 21:00. Admission is €17.50 per evening, including a drink. The series concludes on 3 December with World history in porcelain.
More information about the final lecture
Visiting with the family?
The Plantentoppers family trail and Seasonal Bingo family game are also available this month. Prefer to explore independently? Follow one of the routes in the app.
📍 Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, Plantage Middenlaan 2A
View the full programme