Park Frankendael: Park in Watergraafsmeer, Amsterdam

Park Frankendael is an 18-hectare park in the Watergraafsmeer in Amsterdam-Oost, laid out around Huize Frankendael, the city's only remaining 17th-century country estate. It is a neighbourhood park for a walk, a picnic or a Sunday market, with the entrance by the house on the Middenweg. The grounds hold two historic gardens, a period garden and a landscape garden, plus a sunbathing lawn and a marsh. Look for the marble fountain in front of the house, made in 1714 and bought in 1770, and the Hermitage, a mock ruin from just before 1820 on a small island. From 1930 the land served as the city's nursery and a horticultural school, and when that closed in 1998 the council wanted to build homes here. Contractor Elgar Vos led the campaign for a park instead. Today Restaurant De Kas works from an old greenhouse, Merkelbach sits in a coach house, and the Pure Markt comes on the last Sunday of the month, with exceptions listed in its calendar. Huize Frankendael, at Middenweg 72, has a restaurant open daily for coffee, lunch and drinks, from 08:30 on weekdays and Saturdays and from 09:00 on Sundays, until 18:00. Weekend lunches can change from May to September because of weddings.