Sometimes you discover places that make you think: 'why have I never been here before?!' The Millinger Theethuin is such a place. A real hidden gem, where you feel like you are in an oriental-Mediterranean paradise, just in the Netherlands. You want to see this!
De Millingerwaard nature reserve is located along the Waal, near the villages of Kekerdom and Millingen on the Rhine - about a half-hour drive from Nijmegen. And the Millinger Tea Garden. This tea garden is not very big (so don't expect too much), but it is beautiful to see once. The walk to the garden is also beautiful, because it goes straight through a nature reserve where you can encounter wild horses, cows and all kinds of other animals.
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How do you get to the Millinger Tea Garden?
You cannot get there by car. The Millinger Tea Garden is located in such a unique spot in the middle of nature that the last 2,5 kilometers must be covered on foot or by bicycle. You can park your car for free at 'De Lange Paol', which is a parking lot along the dike between the villages of Kekerdom and Millingen aan de Rijn. From there you can immediately follow the sign 'Millinger Theetuin'.
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Two routes to follow
There are two ways to get to the tea garden on foot. Over the dike or directly via the nature reserve along the water. If you go through the nature reserve you will not encounter any route signs, so it is best to navigate using Google Maps. You can walk along all kinds of roads here, so you can choose your own route through the area.
The garden
The garden is divided into different parts, so you get a different feeling in every corner of the garden. There is a bamboo forest and nice terraces have been created among the flowers and plants. The oriental corner is perhaps the eye-catcher of the garden, here you imagine yourself in Morocco and it is of course very photogenic.
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Eating in The Millinger Tea Garden
You pay 6 euros entrance fee (2020) for the garden, but that includes a drink. So you can get a nice drink at the bar and find a nice spot in the garden. It is also possible to eat in the garden or in their restaurant. They have breakfast, lunch, high tea and a table d'hôte in the summer months. You can book in advance for a spot on the terrace or come on spec and find a spot somewhere in the garden.
Exhibitions and activities
Such a beautiful garden naturally requires great activities. I just wrote about the table d'hôte, a sit-down dinner at long tables in the warm summer months. Yoga classes are also given and there are changing exhibitions with statues that you can find throughout the garden.
Other information
The Millinger Tea Garden is open daily from the end of March to the end of October between 10.00 a.m. and 18.00 p.m. The entrance fee is 6 euros per person including a drink. Children up to 12 years old have free admission and elderly people over 80 years old do not pay any entrance fee. A dog is allowed as long as it is kept on a leash.
Check the website for the most up-to-date opening hours Millinger Tea Garden.