Europe's best secret gardens

View overlooking the city of Rome from the Giardino degli Aranci in early summer

Giardino degli Aranci: 'part lookout, part sanctuary', a sprawling garden with sweeping views across Rome

(Image credit: Theodore Liasi / Alamy)

published 5 August 2025

When it's too hot and busy for sightseeing, try cooling off in a shady garden. These secret spots are far enough off the beaten track to avoid most of the crowds – and so beautiful that it's easy to spend an afternoon strolling along their winding paths and admiring their perfectly manicured lawns. Here are some of our favourites.

Camley Street Natural Park, London

Bustling King's Cross feels like an "unlikely place to find a verdant nature reserve", but that's exactly what you'll discover just over the canal from Coal Drops Yard, said Condé Nast Traveller. Moments from the station lies Camley Street: "two acres of thriving grassland, woods and wetlands". A "meandering path" leads you through the reed beds and marshes, which are home to an "impressive amount of wildlife". Be sure to stop off for a cup of tea and slice of cake at the charming cafe.

"Hidden and alluring", this beautiful haven boasts "cinematic views of Arthur's Seat", said Culture Trip. Situated next to Duddingston Loch, the neglected land was transformed into the garden it is today by local doctors Andrew and Nancy Neil back in 1963 so their patients would have an outdoor space to enjoy. The "secluded" spot is known as "Edinburgh's secret garden", and its flower-filled lawns have long been a source of artistic and literary "inspiration" for visitors to the Scottish capital.

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This pretty garden on Petřín Hill is "hard to find", said The Guardian. Visitors who make the effort to "seek it out are rewarded with baroque beauty". The Italianate garden – created around 1720 on the site of the Vrtbovský Palace's former vineyards – comprises three terraced platforms brimming with thousands of flowers and shrubs, and dotted with statues. Climb to the pavilion in the highest garden for spectacular views over the city.

"The crush of Rome can be overwhelming," said The Telegraph, so escape the throngs of tourists with a stroll beneath the pine trees at this hidden gem. Located atop the city's Aventine Hill, the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden) is free to enter. The sprawling garden is "part lookout, part sanctuary, with a staggering panorama of Rome's domes, rooftops, St Peter's Basilica and the Tiber River threading it all together".

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Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.