It's the most central among Milan's city parks, designed by Giuseppe Piermarini: the same 18th-century architect as the Scala theatre and Palazzo Reale. Later enlarged and embellished with funny fake rocks, it's a perfect place to take the kids, enjoy a short walk, or go jogging amid some greenery. It also encompasses the Hoepli Planetarium and the Museo di Storia Naturale, or Natural History Museum.

On the other side of Via Palestro you find more gardens, though open only to children accompanied by adults. They belong to the Villa Reale, which houses the Galleria d'Arte Moderna (Gallery of Modern Art), and the nearby PAC (Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea).

After crossing Corso Venezia in front of the Natural History Museum, you come to Piazza Duse, where an early 20th-century residential district (strictly for the well-heeled) begins. The outstanding Villa Necchi Campiglio is nearby, and can be visited.

Corso Venezia 
Giardini district
Palestro
 map