Due to its exceptional blend of natural beauty, extensive history and diverse culture, Cape Town is a popular tourist destination.
In fact, Architectural Digest says that Table Mountain National Park so aptly encompasses the grandeur of nature that it’s made it onto its list of “11 Public Parks You Must Visit Before You Die.”
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The best public parks in the world, according to the American magazine Architectural Digest, combine beautiful landscaping with architectural and cultural attractions such as concert venues, open-air theatres, fountains, pavilions, gardens and more.
“Historically speaking, public parks are a relatively new phenomenon, as the most elaborate and extraordinary gardens were long reserved for the aristocracy. In the early 1880s, some urban planners began to put forth the democratic idea that cities should have parks that were free and open to everyone, not just high society.”
The article revealed 11 public parks that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Some of them were once private gardens that became public parks later on.
Laura Itzkowitz from Architectural Digest said, “There are few places in the world where you can explore the natural beauty of a national park within city limits, and Table Mountain National Park is one of them.”
She continued, “This 85-square-mile park extends out into the Cape Peninsula, but much of it—including the eponymous Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope—is within Cape Town. A large swath of the park is free and open to all, but if you want to see the penguins at Boulders Beach, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee.”
Architectural Digest’s list of “11 Public Parks You Must Visit Before You Die”:
- Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris
- Central Park, New York City
- Park Güell, Barcelona
- Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo
- Hyde Park, London
- Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City
- Griffith Park, Los Angeles
- Villa Borghese, Rome
- Yoyogi Park, Tokyo
- Singapore Botanic Gardens
- Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town
Cape Town and its iconic landmarks won a number of awards last year, including being named one of the friendliest cities in the world, being on an “A-List” of top cities for environmental impact, being named one of the world’s best cities in 2022, and ranking second in “Africa’s Top 10 Most Picturesque Running Cities.”
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