# “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Crișana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/crisana) › [Arad County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/arad) › [Macea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/macea)

> A 21.5-hectare dendrological park around the Csernovics Castle, with one of the richest collections of trees and shrubs in the country, an alpine garden, stone sculptures and small museums in the old hunting lodge.

**At a glance:** Parks and gardens in Macea, Arad County. Opening hours: Monday–Friday 08:00 – 16:00, Saturday–Sunday 09:00 – 19:00. Open from 1 March to 30 November. Ticket: 6 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 11 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday–Friday 08:00 – 16:00, Saturday–Sunday 09:00 – 19:00 — Open from 1 March to 30 November — Hours given on the garden's website: Monday–Friday 8:00–16:00, Saturday–Sunday 9:00–19:00, from March to November; closed from December to February. The website does not give the last entry or the hours on public holidays, and the page with the hours is undated (last modified November 2024): call 0771 179 772 before you go.
- **Ticket:** 6 lei — reduced 3 lei
- **Visit duration:** 1½ – 2 hours — an estimate, for 21.5 hectares
- **With kids:** Yes — fairy-tale characters sector
- **Best season:** April – October — spring and autumn
- **Address:** DJ 709J, in the centre of the commune, Macea, Arad County
- **Coordinates:** 46.3837, 21.3114
- **Phone:** +40 771 179 772
- **Website:** https://gradinabotanicamacea.ro/
- **Categories:** [Parks and gardens](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-si-gradini)

## About “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea

The Macea Botanical Garden, about 25 km from Arad, covers 21.5 hectares around the Csernovics Castle and belongs to the “Vasile Goldiș” Western University of Arad. The park began as the garden of the noble Csernovics family in the 18th century, and in the 19th century it was extended by the Karolyi family, after Petru Csernovics brought back exotic species such as ginkgo from a journey to the Orient in 1845. According to Wikipedia, it was made a dendrological park in 1968, passed to the university in 1990 and has run as a botanical garden since 1994. Since 2010 it has carried the name of Professor Pavel Covaci (1913–2006), its founder. The garden's website speaks of more than 3,800 taxa; the university's page gives more than 2,000 species of trees and shrubs.

The garden is split into three zones: about 10 hectares laid out for the public, 3.5 hectares of dendrological collection and about 8 hectares of forest vegetation, with oaks, black locusts and maples. The dendrological collection, founded in 1969, can be entered only in a group, with a guide.

### What you can see

From the entrance, the main avenue is lined with box hedges and Japanese cherries that flower in May. On one side stands the Unification Oak, an oak of about 250 years, and on the other the alpine garden, laid out from 1986, with edelweiss and mountain pine. There are collections of peonies, irises, medicinal and poisonous plants, a collection of 19 magnolia species and a rose garden with more than 50 varieties. The “Legend” sector has shrubs clipped into fairy-tale characters, to children's taste, and in the “Eminescu” Glade stands the poet's statue. Stone sculptures from the 1988 sculpture camp are scattered through the park.

In the former hunting lodge are the Botanical Museum, the seed collection, the Herbarium, the Ethnographic Museum and the Hunting Museum, while the Castle, with its 30-metre tower, houses a caricature museum. The Castle is also the university's academic seat; the garden's website does not say whether the interior can be visited outside events, so you can be sure to see it only from outside.

### Good to know

The garden is closed from December to February. According to its website, the best seasons are spring and autumn, when the magnolias and Japanese cherries bloom and the foliage of sweetgum and oaks changes colour.

## Don't miss

- The Unification Oak, an oak of about 250 years, near the entrance.
- The main avenue, with Japanese cherries that flower in May and box hedges.
- The collection of 19 magnolia species and the peonies by the avenue.
- The Csernovics Castle with its 30-metre tower, seen from the park.
- The “Legend” sector, with shrubs clipped into fairy-tale characters.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Macea is about 25 km from Arad, in the Crișuri Plain, between the Mureș and the Crișul Alb. The garden is in the centre of the commune, around the Csernovics Castle; in your GPS look for “Grădina Botanică Macea” or “Castelul Cernovici”.

**Public transport:** the official website gives no information on public transport; check the Arad–Macea connections before you set off.

### Fees & discounts

Adult ticket: 6 lei. Reduced ticket: 3 lei, for preschoolers over 3, pupils, students of other universities and pensioners. Free entry for UVVG students and staff, FVG staff, children under 3 and people with disabilities. Guiding for groups costs 50 lei an hour, professional photography (albums, weddings, christenings) 150 lei per session; filming costs 150 lei an hour. The rates are those on the official website, on an undated page; It is not stated whether the museums are paid separately.

### Rules

The dendrological collection can be visited only in a group, with a guide. In botanical parks you keep to the paths, do not break plants and do not pick flowers, fruit or seeds; professional photography and filming are charged, according to the official rates. The garden's rules are not published on its website, so check at the entrance what is allowed (pets, bicycles, picnics).

### Facilities

laid-out paths · main entrance accessible by wheelchair (according to OpenStreetMap) · Botanical Museum, seed collection, Herbarium, Ethnographic Museum and Hunting Museum in the former hunting lodge · caricature museum in the castle · covered wooden tables near the castle · no information on a café, restaurant or toilets

## Details

- **Year established:** 1994
- **Area:** 21.5 ha
- **Type of park:** botanical garden

## Frequently asked questions about “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea

**How much is a ticket to “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea?**

A ticket to “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea costs 6 lei (reduced 3 lei). Adult ticket: 6 lei. Reduced ticket: 3 lei, for preschoolers over 3, pupils, students of other universities and pensioners. Free entry for UVVG students and staff, FVG staff, children under 3 and people with disabilities. Guiding for groups costs 50 lei an hour, professional photography (albums, weddings, christenings) 150 lei per session; filming costs 150 lei an hour. The rates are those on the official website, on an undated page; It is not stated whether the museums are paid separately.

**What are the opening hours of “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea?**

Opening hours at “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea: Monday–Friday 08:00 – 16:00, Saturday–Sunday 09:00 – 19:00. Hours given on the garden's website: Monday–Friday 8:00–16:00, Saturday–Sunday 9:00–19:00, from March to November; closed from December to February. The website does not give the last entry or the hours on public holidays, and the page with the hours is undated (last modified November 2024): call 0771 179 772 before you go.

**How long does a visit to “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea take?**

A visit to “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea takes about 1½ – 2 hours (an estimate, for 21.5 hectares).

**Can you visit “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea with kids?**

Yes, “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea is suitable for children (fairy-tale characters sector).

**How do I get to “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea?**

“Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea is located at DJ 709J, in the centre of the commune, Macea, Arad County. By car: Macea is about 25 km from Arad, in the Crișuri Plain, between the Mureș and the Crișul Alb. The garden is in the centre of the commune, around the Csernovics Castle; in your GPS look for “Grădina Botanică Macea” or “Castelul Cernovici”. Public transport: the official website gives no information on public transport; check the Arad–Macea connections before you set off.

**When is the best time to visit “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea?**

The best season for “Pavel Covaci” University Botanical Garden, Macea: April – October (spring and autumn).

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Last updated: 11 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania