Casa de Campo (meaning Country House) is Madrid’s and Spain’s largest park, popular among tourists and locals alike. It has a small lake with paddle boats and an amusement park.<\/p>\n
The Madrid Arena, Zoo and Fair grounds are also located in this park.<\/p>\n
The park is home to squirrels, rabbits and various birds which can be seen roaming freely around.<\/p>\n
The 1.700 hectares park is located west of the city center near the Royal Palace.<\/p>\n
The park was once the royal hunting ground. In 1553, king Felipe II moved his court to Madrid and bought the Vargas family\u2019s country estate, which was later expanded through with the addition of surrounding farms. During the reign of Fernando VI it was declared a Royal Forest and continued to be crown land until the days of the Second Republic, when it became a place for public use.<\/p>\n