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  • One of my favorite parks and much lesser knows is Westpark in Munich. Similarly built around usage and still unique since it was originally built for a national garden exhibition it features a rich set of small little areas from around the world, a Japanese party, a Chinese part, French areas, English areas. It has outdoor theaters, playgrounds, a lake, a communial area and much more . It’s worth a visit when you are in Munich
    by somnium_sn
  • Looks like a nice park! Was a bit odd of a read to me because the vast majority of the parks in my part the US are like this (sports fields, playgrounds, lakes, open green space, bike paths, grills, pavilions, etc), didn't realize I had taken that for granted.
    by jrflo
  • Moving from Manchester to Hamburg the difference in greenery is already pretty astounding, but Stadtpark is really the jewel. Wonderfully maintained, easy transport access and close enough to the centre that you can walk it without the dog getting exhausted, a few spots to get a beer or a schorle when needed. One of the highlights of the city.
    by domstatecraft
  • Hamburg is one of the greenest cities in the world (summertime). Not too far from the Stadtpark you'll find the Olsdorfer Friedhof, which is the largest "park cemetery" in Europe. If the Stadtpark is still too busy for you, despite it actually never is really, the cemetery is even quieter to find some rest and a refreshing walk. I know it sounds strange, but I mean it. :-)
    by Aldipower
  • This was such a nice read about a park I had never heard of. Thank you for writing it (and for actually writing it yourself instead of vibing it).
    by ripe
  • It's in the name: stadtpark, city park.

    In defense of Berlin's Tiergarten, it was originally a hunting preserve for deer (and Hasenheide was for rabbits), so it's big and intimidating. But there are still facilities in it that serve the neighboring residents. And throughout Berlin there are multiple volksparks, people's parks, which have everything the author mentions.

    In most cities, parks evolve to serve the residents.

    by cmdoptesc
  • As someone living in Stockholm I find this very interesting. A football field, or a rose garden are very good public infrastructure, and I will never argue against them. But I love to go around Stockholm forests. Yes, these are not parks but forests with wildlife, hiking paths, and nature all around. That connection with nature cannot be replaced with any kind of facilities.

    > A lake in the middle of a big city that you can simply get into is not a normal thing.

    Stockholm is a big city (for European standards) in the middle of a lake. So, this is probably very difficult to emulate for other cities. Sadly around Sweden, trees that have been harvested for wood are replaced with low quality forest that do not meet biodiversity targets.

    > I also feel like during the winter, even though the park looks amazing under snow or fog, there are not many things to do.

    Parks are amazing and we should have more in our cities. I see people hiking and running in the forest all year round. Forests and nature are better than parks to bring a pace of mind and mindfulness that cannot be replaced by anything else. And they usually are free, so everybody can enjoy them independently of their economic situation. But each steps forward is a welcome step. And parks are also needed.

    by Frieren
  • I am from Hamburg and I live about 6 minutes from the Stadtpark by foot. I walk my dog there pretty much every day and I am very grateful to live so close by. I spent two years living in Tokyo and although Tokyo also has its fair share of parks I feel the Stadtpark kind of outshines all of them. I like the authors focus on usability of the park. It really has so much to offer and it’s well maintained without looking sterile. They just repaved some of the sections with compacted gravel which feels very pleasant to walk on for me. I will say that on sunny weekends in summer there are sufficiently many careless people that litter and just throw their barbecue consumables wherever or place them next to the already overflowing trash bins instead of taking their trash with them, which is a little sad to see. But credits to the Müllabfuhr and park care takers for doing a really good job at cleaning it up afterwards. If you visit Hamburg I absolutely recommend going for an extended stroll there!
    by Escapado

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