Monza Park is one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe, covering about 685 hectares of woodland, meadows, lakes, and formal gardens immediately north of the city. Enclosed by a 14-kilometre stone wall built when it served as the private grounds of the Royal Villa, it is now a public park that attracts large numbers of Milanese at weekends for running, cycling, horse riding, and simply walking under the oak and chestnut trees.
Within the park are several distinct attractions: the formal gardens and orangery of the Royal Villa at the southern end; the race circuit (Autodromo Nazionale Monza) with its distinctive banked curves from the 1955 high-speed oval still visible; and various smaller buildings including the Villa Mirabellino and Villa Mirabello, which served as secondary royal residences. The park is best explored by bicycle — rental is available at the entrance — and the combination of beautiful woodland and the occasional distant sound of test cars on the circuit gives it a distinctive character.