Turó Park

• Lily-pad pond ringed by poplars that flowers in spring, a favorite with younger kids
• Big open lawn for picnics and running, plus a children's playground
• Rarely crowded, even at weekends, and well shaded for a relaxed afternoon

A genteel garden from 1934 at the top end of Avinguda Diagonal, laid out by Nicolau Rubió i Tudurí on the grounds of a former amusement park. Shaded gravel paths wind past statues of poets and musicians to a lily-pad pond that flowers in spring, and open to a big lawn made for picnics. There is a children's playground, and the whole place stays calm and leafy even on weekends, a welcome green break between the modernist sights and the Diagonal shops.