The Akademischer Forstgarten is a historic arboretum and botanical garden on the Schiffenberg hill southeast of the city, managed by the university's forestry faculty. It holds one of the most varied tree collections in Hesse, including specimens planted in the 18th and 19th centuries that have grown to impressive scale. The garden functions as both a teaching resource and a public park.
Getting there requires a short trip out of the city centre — by bike or bus to the Schiffenberger Wald. The surrounding woodland makes the walk in pleasant, and the garden itself rewards a slow circuit. The hilltop location offers views across the Lahn valley and the surrounding Middle Hessian countryside. Near the arboretum stands the Kloster Schiffenberg, a former Teutonic Order monastery with a Romanesque church, which adds a historical dimension to the trip and makes for a worthwhile combined half-day outing.