Crystal Palace Gardens

The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are the most rewarding green space in central Porto, and among the best places to see the river from above. The gardens were laid out in the 1860s by the German landscape designer Émile David around the Crystal Palace, an iron-and-glass exhibition hall inaugurated by King Luís in 1865 for an international exhibition. The palace was demolished in 1951 and replaced by the domed pavilion now called the Rosa Mota Pavilion, but the name survived and the gardens remain.

The gardens cover about eight hectares. The formal Jardim Émile David at the main entrance has fountains, statues of the seasons and camellias, araucarias, ginkgos and beech trees. From there the Avenida das Tílias, a lime-tree avenue, leads towards the Almeida Garrett municipal library, the Carlos Alberto chapel, built in memory of the exiled King of Sardinia, and a series of balconies and terraces that look down the Douro towards the Atlantic. Smaller themed areas include a rose garden, gardens of aromatic and medicinal plants and the Garden of Feelings.

Peacocks, ducks and chickens roam freely, which children love, and there are a playground, public toilets, cafés and an environmental education centre. Entry is free. The gardens open at 08:00 all year and close earlier in winter than in summer, so check the closing time if you plan to visit late. The paths are mostly gentle, though some of the viewpoints involve slopes and steps.

It is a lovely spot for a picnic, a run, an unhurried walk or an hour with a book, and sunset from the river terraces is one of the city's quieter pleasures. The Museu Romântico in the Quinta da Macieirinha sits just below the gardens, and the two-Michelin-star restaurant Antiqvvm is in the same grounds for anyone planning a special meal.

The main gate is on Rua de D. Manuel II, about 15 minutes' walk west of the Clérigos Tower. The Soares dos Reis National Museum is across the street, and from the lower edge of the gardens you can continue down to the riverside at Massarelos, where line 1 and line 18 trams pass.