2003 World Horticultural Exposition

The 2003 World Horticultural Exposition (in German: Internationale Gartenschau 2003) was organized in the City of in Germany. It was the 17th World Horticultural Exposition recognized by the Bureau of International Expositions. The park was created in a derelict area around ruins of the former village of Schmar on the banks of the river Warnow. This made it possible to have a connection between water and gardens.

The project was more than the World Horticultural Exposition. The access roads to the newly built Warnow Tunnel, the new trade fair and congress centre, the integration of the historical ship type Frieden as a wharf museum, the reuse of the park after the exhibition and the improvement of infrastructure in Rostock were part of the project as well.

Thirty-two countries were represented with a national garden: Austria, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Croatia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Netherlands, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.