After Parco Sempione, the second most popular city park is the Giardini Pubblici, the public gardens on the northern edge of the city centre. The gardens were founded in 1784, at a time when Milan was ruled by the Habsburgs, and thus became Milan’s first park intended for public recreation.

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Relaxation and culture

The Giardini Pubblici is the ideal place for some undisturbed relaxation whilst exploring the city. Unlike the more famous Parco Sempione, it isn’t usually so crowded, and there are more benches and cosy corners.

Around the perimeter of the park, you can visit several museums and galleries that are among the most important in Milan:

• Milan Natural History Museum– Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
• Gallery of Modern Art–GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna
• Centre for Contemporary Art–PAC – Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea

How do I get to the gardens?

The Giardini Pubblici are easily accessible by metro, as there are three stations in the immediate vicinity –Porta Venezia, Palestro(red line M1) andTurati(yellow line M3).

Tram lines 1, 9 and 33 also run along the northern edge of the park.

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