10 charming green areas to enjoy an Indian Summer

The 5,6-acre (25.000-square-meter) organic urban rooftop farm that grows vegetables and honey for local restaurants, markets, and communitysupported agriculture is located on three rooftops in Brooklyn and Queens. The two farms in Brooklyn are at Navy Yard and Sunset Park. All locations offer guided tours by friendly and knowledgeable staff, workshops on food, farming, wellness, sustainability, business, and beyond, as well as farm dinners by famous chefs, and sunset yoga on the roof.

The suspension bridge of Parc des Buttes Chaumont, which was built by Gustave Eiffel allows you to cross the lake 8 metres above ground. If you are not afraid of heights you can enjoy the lake, see the shadows of the fish as they dart through the water and the turtles basking in the sun. The other 22-metre-high stone bridge across the lake, somewhat concealed by the greenery, is called pont des suicides.

Kitchen & Urban Garden – as its name suggests – is set in a huge hidden garden in the heart of Porto and has a luminous atmosphere. The menu was created by Michelin-starred chef Rui Paula and offers an array of comforting dishes to enjoy at any time of the day.

Many tend to head straight for Hagaparken and miss the beautiful Bellevue Park on the southern shore of Brunnsviken. From its highest point you have a panoramic view over the lake. Tip: visit the famous sculptor Carl Eldh’s fantastic studio museum in a wooden building from 1919.

Nussberg is a small mountain near Nussdorf Village, which is now part of Vienna. It is surrounded by vineyards. It was once covered with walnut trees as the name indicates. Today it is famous for its ‘Gemischter Satz’, a white wine made of different vines. Not a cuvee. Do taste it.

The museum cafe at Middelheim Park is located in an old country house surrounded by a moat. You can drink a beer on the terrace shaded by ancient trees, or sit inside on a sofa looking out on the water.

Once you’ve explored the granite cauldron of ‘the vat’ the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve has great walks and a mixture of lochs and wetlands and woodland. From the famous Scots pine, the superstitious rowan and willow trees, there has also been over 140 different types of bird species recorded here, not to mention the other various flora and fauna. There have been several archaeological finds here too, with a 9th-century pictish stone, a logboat and an Iron Age crannog (free-standing wooden structures). All of this combined makes it a great place to go for an exploration.

The Japanese garden in Hasselt is the largest in Europe, but it’s still quite small. It is squeezed into a little site on the edge of town next to the ring road. You might have trouble finding it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit, especially in blossom time. It was created in the early 1990s by a team of skilled Japanese gardeners who landscaped the modest site with a flowing river, small hill, waterfall, tea house and even a pebbly beach. The cherry blossom is gorgeous in the spring, but it is a beautiful peaceful spot at other times of the year. It’s a pity there is nowhere for lunch, but you can head into Hasselt to eat at the stunning brasserie Het Smaaksalon (smaaksalon.be), which is located in a mansion decorated with pillars, chandeliers and oil portraits.

What once used to be the city’s rubbish dump has now been converted into a unique botanical garden specialising in different kinds of palm trees from all over the world. Palmetum not only boasts a spectacular vegetation, but also offers some breathtaking vistas of the sea, the city and the Anaga mountains.

Greenwich has many famous historical attractions to offer, but there are plenty of other reasons to visit this lively community, including the excellent markets, the independent shops and restaurants, the Meantime Brewery, the O2 concert venue and the beautiful park.