The Most Vibrant Garden In The World Is A Lush European Gem Surrounded By Royal Grounds And Flower Beds

If there's a single thing London does exceptionally well, it's the elegant wealth of gardens and parks that fill much of the city. In the central zones, you'll find everything from ruined churches turned into walled gardens at Dunstan's in the East, city views from impeccably manicured lawns in Greenwich, and indoor gardens set into iconic Brutalist architecture at the Barbican. And while they're all delightful, the pristinely landscaped Kensington Gardens wrapped around Kensington Palace, the official residence of TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales and their family, is, according to science, the most vibrant garden in the world.

Hotel chain Premier Inn performed an analysis of 156 of the world's major gardens via imagery obtained from Google Earth. The chain, which recently released the study on its website, extracted hue, saturation, and brightness levels from the images, and then utilized AI to calculate an overall vibrancy score based on the saturation and brightness scores of each garden. Surprisingly, London's idyllic Kew Gardens came in second place, Scotland's enchanting Inveraray Castle Gardens took third, and London's Kyoto Garden, just a 25-minute walk away from Kensington Palace, is in fifth. Thus firmly cementing the U.K. as one of the world's most vibrant destinations. For gardens, at least.

Much of Kensington Gardens' beauty comes from its stunning avenues lined with trees, cherry blossoms, and magnolias, but a highlight is the Italian Gardens, an ornamental water garden with olive groves set around an ornate Victorian pump house, the elegant landscapes animated by marble water fountains and various sculptures. Close to the palace, the towering Albert Memorial, which overlooks the rotunda of the iconic Royal Albert Hall, makes an iconic southern boundary of the gardens.

The best way to explore the Kensington Palace Gardens is to enter the Hyde Park Corner entrance to Hyde Park and take a scenic walk through the scent-laden Rose Garden and along the southern bank of the Serpentine Lake. Here, you'll see the local swans, herons, and geese, as well as a healthy contingent of rowing boats on warmer days. There's a cafe at the Hyde Park Lido, which gives access to waterside seating, but several Tripadvisor reviews warn that it's expensive and the menu may not use the highest-quality ingredients. A better option is to pack a picnic and sit by Queen Caroline's Temple, a summer house enjoying views of the Long Water section of the lake.

A walk along the Serpentine, which marks the divide between Hyde Park's Serpentine and Kensington Gardens Long Water, brings you to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial, a modernist water fountain set out as two clear water streams that cascade into a calm pool. But while it's a pretty enough spot for a moment's reflection, there's a better memorial closer to the palace.

Walk the tree-lined avenues that lead to the Round Pond, and from there, pass the striking Queen Victoria statue set into a small pond of water, and turn right just before Kensington Palace's entrance. This will bring you into the enchanting Diana, Princess of Wales Sunken Garden, beset with vibrant roses, lavender, dahlias, and geraniums. At the center of the sunken garden, there's a long pond and a playful statue of Princess Diana with three children, best viewed front-on, from across the water, which, with the statue reflected in the still surface, frames the garden perfectly.

You'll find Kensington Palace Gardens to the west of Hyde Park. Indeed, the land that now makes up the gardens was a part of Hyde Park until 1689, when King William III and Queen Mary decided to build their new home, Kensington Palace, next to the park. You can easily find your way there via the underground, taking the Central Line to Queensway Underground Station, which sets you up for a brief walk into the gardens via Bayswater Road. If you're staying in Notting Hill or intend to visit Notting Hill and Kensington Palace on the same day, then you can easily walk from Notting Hill Gate Station in around 20 minutes.

As it's centrally located, Kensington Gardens is a perfect addition to almost any London itinerary, putting you within easy distance of Notting Hill's wonderful markets and restaurants and Knightsbridge's boutiques. Walkers will find plenty in the surrounding area, including picturesque, uncrowded neighborhoods like Little Venice, which can be reached on foot from the palace in as little as 25 minutes.

The best airport option for long-distance travelers is to fly into London's Heathrow and take the Heathrow Express directly to Paddington, which takes only 15 minutes and deposits you within around an 11-minute walking distance of the Lancaster Gate entrance to the park, where you'll find the enchanting Italian Gardens. And from London, you can continue your exploration of some of the world's most vibrant gardens, from London's Kew and the Kyoto Gardens to the Cambridge University's Botanic Garden, in Cambridge, one of the prettiest cities in England.