As perhaps the most photographed, and certainly the bluest, garden in the world, Jardin Majorelle is a botanical fantasia lovingly crafted over four decades by French painter Jacques Majorelle. His chosen shade – bleu Majorelle – is now trademarked: a vivid cobalt that dazzles against the greenery. Meandering paths take you past towering cacti, shade palms and cascading bougainvillaea. The gardens are well-known for being a great source of sanctuary and inspiration for both Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, whose ashes were scattered here.

A sun-drenched Andalusian gem, the Palacio de las Dueñas is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Alba. Its gardens form a heady patchwork of jasmine, citrus trees and ancient palms, threaded with shaded arcades and trickling fountains that offer respite from Andalusian heat. Game of Thrones fans (we know you’re out there) may recognise this opulent palace and the on-screen setting for the golden and glamorous Kingdom of Dorne. 

You’ve likely heard of the Gardens of Versailles and Villandry, but travel deeper into the heart of the Dordogne, and you’ll find Les Jardins d’Eyrignac: seven hectares of sculpted serenity where topiary borders on the surreal. With its Queen-of-Hearts-style hedges, mirror-like canals and moonlit White Garden, here, 300 years of landscape design unfolds in classical green harmony. This is horticulture elevated as high art. 

Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay is a glimpse into the botanical future. This audacious landscape of sky-scraping ‘Supertrees’, biodomes and cloud forests is one of the most visionary green spaces on the planet. By day, marvel at the world’s largest glass greenhouse, filled with flora from every continent. By night, the Supertrees light up in a choreographed spectacle reminiscent of Avatar’s planet Pandora. 

Step into Giardino Giusti and wander back through the centuries into a Renaissance Eden. Just across the Adige from Verona’s historic centre, this garden is all cypress-lined avenues, hidden grottos and statues inspired by myth. Mozart played here. Goethe meditated in its shade. Today, it offers visitors a peaceful retreat from the city, an ideal spot to pause, reflect and take in the enduring beauty of classical Italian garden design.

Stay at Royal Mansour Marrakech, only a short scenic walk from the Jardin Majorelle gates, a luxury hotel with five hectares of manicured grounds, which offer a tranquil counterpoint to the city’s vibrant medina. Or stay at Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, where Moorish arches meet marble columns, an extension of the Las Dueñas gardens.

Book one of these hotels, or explore more curated stays in the featured destinations through ASMALLWORLD Collection.