A green oasis in the concrete jungle of a major city is always a plus. Whether you’re a visitor/traveler looking for some respite from pounding pavements between sights and a relentless round of museums or needing a break from the office drudgery, an urban park is the place to find some tranquility and some me time. Here are some of the best parks in the world’s big cities.
1 Balboa Park, San Diego, USA
California seems particularly blessed with fabulous urban parks - at San Diego's Balboa Park you'll find all the flora and fauna you'd expect to see in California, plus the amazing creatures of San Diego Zoo, the collections of 15 museums, the trains of a miniature railroad, not to mention performers at the historic Old Globe Theatre. Become a natural historian for a day at the famous Museum of Man, or take your kids to ride the carousel or play in the children's garden.
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2 Parc Guëll, Barcelona, Spain
If you happen to be visiting Spain this year, be sure to visit Barcelona's sophisticated urban green space, Parc Guëll. Originally earmarked as residential land to be developed by the famous designer and architect Gaudi, the property was later sold to the city of Barcelona and transformed into lovely parkland. Here you'll find the famous Salamander sculpture and other Gaudi-designed structures. The park affords spectacular views over the city and is a great place to come for a rest, after a long day's sightseeing.
3 Jardin Du Luxembourg, Paris, France
You might imagine it is a real struggle to tear yourself away from all the magnificent sights and tourist attractions in Paris, but your feet need a rest and you can tuck into du pain et du vin as you reenergize for the next sightseeing stretch. There’s nowhere better for some French R&R in Paris than the Luxembourg Gardens. The second largest park in Paris, it is landscaped with beautiful lawns and formal gardens which are ornamented with statues and fountains. There’s plenty of room to cop and squat and watch the people go by.
4 Englischer Garten, München, Germany
Foreign travelers visiting Bavaria's capital Munich are usually a little shocked at the amount of naked flesh on display at the Englischer Garten, an enormous green space designed in 1786 as a traditional English garden. Since this urban park was first created, numerous additions have been made, such as soccer fields, a Chinese pagoda and Japanese teahouse, a beer garden seating up to 7,000 guests and numerous cycling and jogging trails. During the long hot summer people tend to sunbathe - semi naked for both sexes - along the banks of the Isar River, which traverses the park.
5 Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom
Like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Madame Tussaud's, Hyde Park is a must-see item on every tourist's itinerary when visiting London. Famous for pop concerts, mass-demonstrations, Speaker's Corner and the lovely, yet simple memorial fountain created in memory of Princess Diana, this urban park boasts trails for jogging, cycling, horseback riding, walking and roller skating. You'll also find tennis courts, any number of statues and monuments to admire and can go swimming or boating on the Serpentine, a large pond at the heart of Hyde Park that's also home to hundreds of waterfowl.
6 Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada
Created in 1888, Stanley Park is a fabulous urban parkland where you can stroll along trails that lead through old-growth forests and cover part of the seawall of Vancouver Harbor. Along the way you'll come across impressive totem poles erected in honor of the First Nations, who used to inhabit this stretch of land long before it became an urban park. Wildlife at Stanley Park includes chipmunks, beaver, deer and, of course, any number of noisy ducks, but there's also an aquarium well worth visiting.
7 Lumphini Park, Bangkok, Thailand
One of the world's most serene urban parks, Lumphini Park in Bangkok was originally meant to house Thai crafts and flowers, but was so beloved by people as a tranquil haven in the bustling metropolis that it was transformed into parkland with trails, paddle boat rides, free outdoor concerts on Sunday afternoons and green spaces where people can practice their morning and evening exercises. Watch out for water monitor lizards on the banks of the pond!
Do you get the chance to escape to the park during your day?
