Arboleda del Parque de la Arganzuela — Attraction in Madrid

This is one of my favourite spots in Madrid: a wonderful avenue of four lines of majestic 60-year-old plane trees stretching for over 300 m along the route of the 18th-century Real Canal del Manzanares, whose remains lie buried underneath.

Locals have loved this magical space for generations. Toddlers learn to walk and ride under these towering giants, lovingly watched by grandparents who often themselves had learnt to walk and ride in this very same place decades before. Children play and make friends, teens hang out, adults do sport or read quietly in the shade. Birthday parties are celebrated and groups of friends play boules or volleyball. It is a place that is at once teeming with life and thoroughly calming.

If you are strolling through Madrid Río, take a moment to enjoy this special place. It is easy enough to find: Perrault's spectacular double-cone bridge slices through the north-western tip of the avenue and a handsome 19th century obelisk —unmissable— presides the open space at its centre.

Pop up the stairs or ramp to the Paseo de Yeserías, buy a delicious ice cream at Dolcezza or Di Angelo and cool off under the generous shade of these mature trees which make Madrid's especially harsh summer more bearable. If you are visiting in autumn or winter, admire the golden-grey tones of the bare trees.

Residents are currently fighting to save this treasure from...

This promenade of beautiful plane trees is the crown jewel of the neighbourhood. In winter and autumn, it is a place to come and contemplate the beauty of the silvery, mature trees. In summer, tourists and locals alike come seeking refuge from the summer heat. Grandparents play pétanque or take their daily stroll, children learn to ride their bikes, families picnic and celebrate birthday parties. It's a great place to read, relax, or hang out with friends while taking advantage of the generous shade. In a place where few people have outdoor spaces in their homes, it is both a back yard and a meeting point. The neighbourhood is currently fighting to save this essential community resource and historic green space from...

A place to enjoy a bit of green and other living beings in the middle of this growingly grey city, a tendency that is being reversed in most other European capitals. Neighbours can't be more wise in fighting against the removal of more than 250 trees planted in 1969. From that number, only around 50 occupy the space to where the townhall is planning to move the station of a new subway line, the other 200 will be pulled down just to make it easier for the machines to move around....