The largest park in Madrid: Retiro Park
Madrid city is a lively city in the kingdom of Spain that boasts of a rich culture, well-architectured buildings, and quality food. But, perhaps surprisingly, it is also one of the most significant parks in the entire city. Madrid’s third largest park, Retiro Park or Parque del Retiro in Spanish, is an excellent place for relaxation, recreation, physical and nature exploration for both the working populace and visitors. In this blog post I am going to describe the main features of Retiro Park and why one must visit it if being in Madrid.
Location and History
Retiro park is a largest park in Madrid occupying an area of 16.2 hectares in the central part of the city. overs that the hotel is easily reachable from most points of interest in the city thanks to its proximity to the Prado Museum as well as Puerta de Alcalá.
There is much to learn about the park as it had been established by the Spanish kings as the royal garden. Originally it was available only to the royal families of the society but after the revolution for overthrowing monarchy in the society it was also opened for the society in the 19th century. Since then, the park of Retiro has become an oasis of the green area for both inhabitants of the city and tourists.
Attractions and Activities
Retiro Park is a verified argument for itself, as it has many activities and places of interest for every traveler. Depending on whether one is in the mood for a calm vacation or an active one – there is something to satisfy every gent:
1. Crystal Palace
This building is also known as Palacio de Cristal, and it is a Victorian way glass building situated in the Retiro Park. This Victorian house was constructed about the late 1880s and is provided with a spacious garden filled with water from a large pond. As a rule, it is used to hold exhibitions of art which means that people, who are fond of art, can visit it very often.
2. Lake and Rowboats
There is an artificial lake within the park’s premises, which is popular for those that want to rent rowboats which they can use to tour the lake. This activity is best done during the sunny weekend therefore, there is usually a rush to make a service booking for boats.
3. Rose Garden
This is particularly so if you are a flower enthusiast and you will love to find yourself in Retiro Park then the Rose Garden will be an added bonus to your tour . This beautiful garden is full of more than 4,000 bushes and an incalculable number of different roses. It is, therefore, ideal for a stroll or even to have a picnic in the natural beauty of flowers nearby.
4. Statue Walk
It goes without saying that there are many Statues around the Retiro Park and most of them are exquisite. If you go for a stroll in the park with trees, the first monuments you will meet are the extraordinary sculptures such as the Fallen Angel sculpture.
5. Outdoor Performances
In the summer season Retiro park hosts numerous open-air programs such as musical concerts, plays and dances. Most of them are free entrance so the guests are given an opportunity to explore the cultural attractions of Madrid with lovely weather.
Tips for Visiting Retiro Park
Here are some tips that can be of help while visiting the Retiro Park:
- Bring food and water: Fetch enough food and water to go round the park since you will be busy walking around the park for most part of the day.
- Bring a picnic: The park offers a number of opportunities for picnicking, and Retiro Park offers many large, shady areas and beautiful scenery. It is advisable to take your own snacks, or there are fruit and chips in some nearby shops.
- Visit during weekdays: Indeed,-going for a Retiro Park tour at the weekends is quite common, but you can organize your trip in such a way that you will be going for the trip during from Monday to Friday, this will enable you to note that the number of visitors is low.
- Have the timetable: Prior in the performances for any opera works that are planned to be performed in outdoors, it is wise to have a timetable to enable you plan for it.
- Indeed, tourists focus on such sights as the Crystal Palace and the lake, but it will be useful to walk around and view some coincidence sights in the park.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, Retiro Park is one of the distinguishing features of Madrid that can be very refreshing after sharing with the tourists the crowded streets and noisy sights. Regardless of what one is looking for in terms of; a quiet place to unwind, exposure to new culture, or physical activities this large park will be of service. Thus, next time being in Madrid, it is highly recommended to dedicate some time to visit Retiro Park.
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