It's possible to travel to a large city and find cosy and quiet corners to sit down and relax. If you're looking for peace and relaxation in a natural environment, you'd better check out some of the best gardens in Europe. This list is full of charming and magical places, and some of them are right in the centre of the capital cities. These are our recommendations!

• De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Holland

De Hoge Veluwe National Park, covering an area of over 50 square kilometres, is a beautiful natural setting where many animals species live. We recommend visiting the famous Kröller-Müller Museum, right in the centre of the park, and specifically its amazing sculpture park.

• Generalife Gardens, Granada

Just outside the Alhambra walls we find the stunning Generalife Gardens, a kind of villa built for the sultans of Granada which retains all the charm of its past. If you want to enjoy a green space in harmony with Nasrid architecture, don't miss this place next time you visit Granada.

• Giverny & Versailles, Francia

In Paris you can find not one, but two places to go. The first one is the famous Palace of Versailles, the luxurious royal residence situated very close to the capital. And then, an hour away, we find Giverny, a small French town where we can visit Monet's flower garden. This green space is part of the Impressionist painter's residence and his source of inspiration.

• Retiro Park, Madrid

First it was a private garden for royalty and then it opened to the public for everyone in Madrid to enjoy. The Retiro is one of the great symbols of Madrid. This huge park is in the city centre and is multifunctional: you can do sports, visit popular spots (the Crystal Palace, the monument to King Alfonso XII) or go for a picnic on a Sunday in the sun. And if you have some time to spare and you fancy escaping from the city, you can visit the spectacular Granja de San Ildefonso Gardens, which are just an hour away.

• Hyde Park, London

London is full of parks and gardens, but the real lung of the city is Hyde Park, a 140-hectare site that is famous for many reasons, like the snakelike lake (called Serpentine) and Speakers' Corner, in the northeast corner of the park, which is a famous area where open-air public speaking is allowed.