Gulhane Park

Sultanahmet can be relentless, with its crowds, queues and touts, and Gulhane Park is the antidote. It fills the slope below the walls of Topkapi Palace down to the shore, on land that was once the palace's outer gardens, closed to the public until the park opened in the early twentieth century. Its name, the rose house, recalls the palace rose gardens, and it was here, in 1839, that the Gulhane edict launching the Ottoman reforms known as the Tanzimat was read. Today it is a democratic space where families picnic under huge plane and chestnut trees, students sit on the lawns and older Istanbullus play backgammon. Long, shady avenues lead down from the main gate on Alemdar Caddesi, beside the Gulhane tram stop, past fountains, flower beds and playgrounds towards the far end of the point. There stands the Goths' Column, a Roman victory monument of the third or fourth century that is one of the oldest standing structures in the city, and beyond it, at Sarayburnu, the tea gardens look straight out over the meeting of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. In April, during the city's tulip festival, the park becomes a sea of color, with hundreds of thousands of tulips planted in patterns. The Istanbul Archaeological Museums now have their entrance on the Gulhane side, and the Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam sits in former palace stables along the western wall, so the park links neatly to several sights.

How to use it: enter from Alemdar Caddesi by the Gulhane tram stop, a few minutes from Hagia Sophia and the outer gate of Topkapi, and walk the central avenue downhill. The park is free, opens early and closes in the evening, and has public toilets and several kiosks. On the way down, detour to the Archaeological Museums if you have time, then continue to the Goths' Column and the tea gardens at the point. From the lower end you can walk out to the shore road and along to Sirkeci and Eminonu for the ferries, or climb back up through the park.

Best moments: spring is the high point, with the tulips in April and fresh green leaves on the plane trees, and early mornings in summer are cool and quiet. Autumn colors are lovely in late October and November. The tea gardens at the point are the best reason to come: order a glass of tea or a Turkish coffee, sit as close to the edge as you can and watch the ships and ferries moving between Europe and Asia. Prices are modest, though a little higher than in neighborhood tea houses.

For families, Gulhane is the best open space in the old city, with playgrounds, room to run and no traffic, and it makes a welcome break between Topkapi and Hagia Sophia for children who have had enough of museums. Couples come for the evening light and quiet paths. Note that the park is popular with local families on weekends and holidays, so weekday mornings are calmest. Combined with Topkapi Palace, which sits directly above it, and Sirkeci, which lies just below, it fits into almost any Sultanahmet plan without detours. It is also one of the few places in the old city where you can sit for an hour without anyone trying to sell you anything, which after a morning on the main squares feels like a small luxury. Bring a picnic from a bakery on Alemdar Caddesi and join the local families on the lawns.