Madrid · ES

Manzanares River Linear Park

The Linear Park of the Manzanares River is a bold piece of landscape architecture on Madrid's southern edge, where a former wasteland has been transformed into a 97-hectare urban oasis. Designed by the acclaimed studio of Ricardo Bofill and opened in the early 2000s, the park stretches along both banks of the Manzanares River in the Usera–Vallecas district. Its most unmistakable landmark is La Dama del Manzanares, a colossal 13-metre bronze head by artist Manolo Valdés that gazes back toward the city from atop a terraced artificial hill. Beyond the sculpture, the park unfolds as a sequence of themed gardens, open meadows, sports facilities, and shaded walkways — a place where joggers, families, dog walkers, and sunset-chasing photographers all find room. The adjacent Caja Mágica tennis stadium, designed by Dominique Perrault, adds a contemporary architectural edge to the river landscape. Entry is free, the park is dog-friendly, and it is easily reached by metro on Line 3.