Phoenix Park is one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital — 1,750 acres of meadows, woodland, and formal gardens, far bigger than Hyde Park or the Bois de Boulogne. It lies a short bus ride west of the city centre.
The park is home to a herd of around 600 fallow deer, descendants of animals introduced in the 1660s. They are wild but unfazed by visitors and can often be seen grazing near the road. The Papal Cross marks where one million people gathered to hear Mass when Pope John Paul II visited in 1979. The Wellington Testimonial, a 62-metre obelisk, is the largest obelisk in Europe. The official residences of both the Irish President (Áras an Uachtaráin) and the US Ambassador are within the park grounds.
The Dublin Zoo occupies the eastern edge of the park. Cyclists, joggers, and families use the park daily; on weekday mornings it is peaceful enough to feel like genuine countryside inside the city.