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On a rainy summer day in the middle of July, I visited the tropical greenhouse in Witzenhausen. Simply a great place to flee from bad weather.

The reason is that it is warm here whatever the season and you can marvel at the most different sizes and shapes of leaves. You have just come out of the rain and there you are standing in the subtropics at a pleasant temperature of 18°C among various citrus trees and brightly coloured flowers. Anywhere you look, you see a multitude of different flowers in fabulous colours. The cotton shrubs look no less fascinating.

After having allowed all these impressions to work in, I go through the next door and find myself right in the middle of a tropical highland. Immediately, it is also a little warmer and only the last drops on my jacket remind me of the bad weather outside. Now, I am standing in my T-shirt among many coffee shrubs. From the various information panels that can be found everywhere, one can learn exactly how coffee is made, from a plant to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Next time, while having a breakfast, you will definitely recall one more time the long way it takes coffee to be served at your table.

Slowly, I walk through the narrow path lined with green plants on the left and right and notice the next door, which will take me into the tropical lowland. Just standing before the gigantic, impressive palm trees already makes me feel like being on a holiday. Being sure now that this will be my favourite part of the greenhouse, I keep examining everything in detail. It is very warm and a closer look reveals almost ripe bananas hanging between the palm leaves. On the side of the path, there are many little boards with riddles, which are easily solved after puzzling you for some time.

At the end of my short little holiday, when I stand outside again, fortunately it has stopped raining. But should it be the case once again, I know now where I can quickly go to stand under palm trees at 26°C if only I want to.
 

Contact:
Universität Kassel
Steinstraße 19
D-37213 Witzenhausen
Phone: 05542 - 981 231
Fax.: 05542 - 981 230
www.agrar.uni-kassel.de/ink/?c=27
tropengewaechshaus@uni-kassel.de