Ten of The Worlds Most Incredible Parks

If you’re backpacking, or on a leisurely vacation, chances are you want to experience the destination in all its glory. Often the first places that enthused travellers are itching to check out are historical monuments, museums, clubs, bars, and restaurants. However, there is one destination that is truly underrated: parks. All across Europe and the U.S. breathtaking parks are open to the public. Visiting these parks allows one to experience serene, natural, beauty and provides an idyllic getaway to the craziness that sometimes consumes travelling and exploring. Here are the 10 most incredible parks you can’t miss when abroad.

Vondelpark

There is a wide variety of things to do in Amsterdam, and visiting some of the many parks is often a popular choice. Grab a bottle of wine and some snacks before visiting Vondelpark, where you can experience live music and theatre performances on the weekend. This park features lakes, wildlife, and rose gardens away from the canals and restaurants.

Park Güell

One park, in particular, that is both inspiring, as well as an adequate exercise is Park Güell in Gracia, Barcelona. Get a unique, art-fix here while adventuring through the windy trails you will encounter various Gaudi-designed statues, foundations, sculptures, pillars, and of course the famous gingerbread houses that bring you back to your childhood memories of playing Candy land.

The High Line

Considered an educational hotspot, with its nature and art tours, The High Line park in New York was once an old, abandoned railroad track. Today however, it has been transformed with lush grasses, trees, flowers, and bushes, additionally, the original railroad tracks have been incorporated into the design. The concrete slants and various artist booths alongside extravagant plants and trees are a unique experience you can’t pass up.

Grant Park

Home to the Taste of Chicago Food Festival, the Summer Dance festival, and of course “The Bean” (Cloud Gate), Grant Park, Chicago offers sports, arts, concerts, and plenty of sunshine in the “Windy City.”

Hyde Park

Spectacular in length, The Grand Entrance to London’s Hyde Park features massive columns and iron gates leading to the three-hundred-and-fifty-acre Park, equipped with meadows, tennis courts, British bowling, and putting greens. Rent a boat and tour the grounds by water while making your way to the adjacent Kensington Gardens.

Griffith Park

Away from the normal rise and grind of Los Angeles, Griffith Park is the largest stretch of nature in Los Angeles, reaching 4,000 acres of adventure including: horseback riding, swimming, and the Griffith Observatory. A short walk up Canyon Drive leads to The Bronson Caves, an outcropping where dozens of movies and TV shows (Batman!) have been shot.

El Parque del Buen Retiro

A vivacious, urban playground, El Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid has ample romantic architecture and dynamic musicians, fortune tellers and vendors. On Sunday evenings, young bohemians are often present jamming away on their bongos and enjoying endless bottles of wine and a sunset.

Englischer Garten

The Englischer Garten in Munich is one of Europe’s largest municipal parks, equipped with beer gardens, a lake, bike and jogging paths, and at times, nude sunbathers. If you’re looking for something different; enjoy a traditional tea ceremony at the Japanese tea house.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Away from the typical manicured gardens, Buttes-Chaumont’s plants are untended and lush. One of the biggest parks in Paris, Buttes has various panoramic views, but for the best, guests should venture to the park’s central lake and then to the historic Temple of Sybil – a stone gazebo modelled to replicate an ancient Roman temple-that sits quietly atop the island in the middle of the water. Venture further and encounter a quaint bridge that provides access to a cave and witness one of the most awe-inspiring and romantic views of Paris.

Golden Gate Park

The meadows of The Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California harbour the epic festival Outside lands, eight lakes, and the de Young Museum, an incredible building with all the aspects of a fairy treehouse, encompassing a living roof with almost two million plants and a four-story rainforest, bustling with the life of thirty-eight thousand animals!

Have you ever been to any of these parks? If you have or have a different one you would like to recommend to let us know in the comments below.