The former allotment garden of the Benedictine monks reflects the order's principle of self-sufficiency and contains an impressive medicinal garden with around 200 herbs and ingredients for the abbey's medicines, a convent garden with fruit and vegetables, an ornamental garden and a mill garden with animals and a mill where grain is still regularly ground to bake delicious abbey bread.

The magnificent Cistercian abbey in Lower Lusatia is not only an architectural gem. Many of the original design elements in the baroque garden, created by the monks in the 17th and 18th centuries, still remain intact today – the terraces, the network of paths, the fountains and also the orangery, the central building in the garden. The abbey does indeed have a garden monument of exquisite beauty.

The Cistercian monks were not only pioneers in architecture, they were also excellent garden designers. To be self-sufficient, their duties extended beyond the church and cloisters. This eight hectare site with an abbot's garden, prelate's garden and orangery has beautifully laid-out paths for discovering the secrets of dominion, faith and landscape design.

The Romanesque abbey, Church of St. Vitus and romantic 18th century gardens exude a wonderfully calm and uplifting atmosphere. The courtyard with its nearly 300-year-old lime tree, the charming rose garden, the thriving potager garden, the meditative gardens of the canonesses, the enchanting pathways, dreamy seating areas and beautifully scented flowers are all features of these delightful gardens today.

In the Middle Ages, Dalheim Abbey was surrounded by magnificent gardens. Today, the abbey grounds of around two hectares give a representative picture of monastic garden design and illustrate the variety of medicinal, agricultural and symbolic plants that were once cultivated in the abbey gardens. The convent garden and prior's garden together form the centrepiece, and the adjacent terraced areas include a kitchen garden and ornamental garden. Tours available.

The Feng Shui spa gardens are located in the unique countryside of Lallinger Winkel at the heart of the Bavarian Forest . The centrepiece of the gardens is the spa lake shaped in a figure of eight which blends in with the natural surroundings and is fed from a water source on the site. To the south is the energy centre with two piers symbolising Yin and Yang, which together create a circle of harmony. Tours available on request.

Visitors of all ages will discover stories and symbols from the Bible at this fascinating park at Kolping holiday village. Handcrafted artworks on Old Testament themes, such as Noah's Ark (a walk-on model), David and Goliath, Moses and the Ten Commandments, the Tower of Babel, Jacob's Ladder, the Golden Calf and many others, are there to explore, entertain and even play on.

Visitors to the Bible Garden – a 'land of milk and honey' – in the St. Sixtus parish in Werlte can experience biblical impressions through sight, touch and smell and can also explore biblical landscapes. The plants, paths and water features in this lovingly tended garden, covering some 1,000m², have been arranged according to themes from and of the Holy Scriptures. Guided tours available. Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

The idyllic Bible Garden at St. John's Abbey in Schleswig lets visitors discover the colourful flora of the Bible, along with plants associated with abbeys and Christian legends. Laid out as a traditional abbey garden, it symbolises the whole of creation and provides a quiet place for contemplation. The abbey complex and Bible Garden are open to the public; guided tours are available on request.

The Bible Garden explores the roots of western Christian and Jewish culture and values. It could be described as an open-air museum on the theme of 'mission', illustrating biblical stories and parables using faithfully replicated elements from the world of the Old and New Testaments. A superb way of bringing religious education, ethics and history lessons to life.