The Kruidtuin was laid out in 1804 as a city botanical garden and survives as a free public park of about a hectare and a half — modest by international standards, but a useful pocket of green a short walk from the basilica and the centre. There are roughly two thousand plant species in a quiet layout of beds and lawns, with a small pond and a few greenhouses.
The garden is at its best in late spring and summer, when the borders are in flower. There is no admission charge.