Maçka Demokrasi Park

One of İstanbul's most popular parks close to the Nişantaşı district is Maçka Demokrasi Park is always full of picnicking families, dog walkers, strollers and joggers on a sunny weekend. The park is a welcome green space in the city centre and still has areas of dense trees, including Linden, Chestnut, Oak, Sycamore, Ash, Alder, and Walnut.

Paths through the park lead to children's play areas, formal gardens, and lawns for picnickers and ponds. There are also areas with fitness equipment, a very common feature of many Turkish parks.

If you want a bird's eye view of the park, you can take the cable car, which runs west-east across the central park area. The lowest viewpoint of Maçka Park is northwest of Dolmabahçe Palace and can easily be combined with a visit to the palace.