Mental Floss

The 20 Most Photogenic City Parks in the World

By Michele Debczak

Luxembourg Palace and Gardens in Paris, France.
Luxembourg Palace and Gardens in Paris, France. / tupungato/iStock via Getty Images Plus
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You don't have to venture into the wilderness to visit the most popular green spaces on Earth. Many famous slices of nature are located in the hearts of bustling metropolises that desperately need them. In some cases, a city's parks are just as recognizable as their streets and skyscrapers. That applies to many of the spots on the below list of the world's most picturesque city parks.

To rank the planet's most-photographed urban parks, the British energy comparison website Uswitch crunched Instagram hashtag data for green spaces in the 100 biggest cities around the world. New York City's world-famous Central Park came out on top, garnering close to 8 million hashtags from Instagram users. Located in the center of Manhattan, the 843-acre park offers a bit of respite from the city that never sleeps.

Next on the list is Hyde Park in London, which boasts 2.3 million hashtags on Instagram. Comprising 350 acres, it's the largest royal park in central London. Hangang Park in Seoul, South Korea; Griffith Park in Los Angeles; and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco are also highly photogenic, according to Instagram users.

City parks provide more than an attractive photo backdrop; they've been shown to improve the quality of life in people living nearby. Studies have connected proximity to green space to increased lifespans in women and lower aggression levels in children. If you're looking to experience nature even farther removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, check out these exciting national park properties in all 50 states.

  1. Central Park // New York City, New York
  2. Hyde Park // London, England
  3. Hangang Park // Seoul, South Korea
  4. Griffith Park // Los Angeles, California
  5. Golden Gate Park // San Francisco, California
  6. Park Güell // Barcelona, Spain
  7. Ibirapuera Park // São Paulo, Brazil
  8. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden // Tokyo, Japan
  9. Parque del Retiro // Madrid, Spain
  10. Bosque de Chapultepec // Mexico City, Mexico
  11. Kings Park // Perth, Australia
  12. Vondelpark // Amsterdam, Netherlands
  13. Millennium Park // Chicago, Illinois
  14. Piedmont Park // Atlanta, Georgia
  15. Englischer Garten // Munich, Germany
  16. Centennial Park // Sydney, Australia
  17. Stadtpark // Vienna, Austria
  18. Osaka Castle Park // Osaka, Japan
  19. Sempione Park // Milan, Italy
  20. Luxembourg Gardens // Paris, France
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