Parque Forestal is an

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

in the city of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. The park was created on reclaimed land from the

Mapocho River The River Mapocho ( es, Río Mapocho) ( Mapudungun: ''Mapu chuco'', "water that penetrates the land") is a river in Chile. It flows from its source in the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two. Course The Mapo ...

and is located in the historical downtown of Santiago, west of

Plaza Baquedano Plaza Baquedano, commonly known as Plaza Italia, is a major landmark in Santiago, Chile. The plaza was inaugurated in 1928, being crowned by a monument made by Chilean sculptor Virgínio Arias and featuring General Manuel Baquedano, giving the ...

and east of

Estación Mapocho Estación Mapocho is a former railway station that, since 1994, has been refitted as a cultural centre that hosts many kinds of events. History The design and construction of the station began in 1905 at the hands of Emilio Jecquier, a Chilean ...

. It is bordered on the north by Santa María Avenue, on the south by Merced Street and Ismael Valdés Vergara Street. At its eastern end, the park becomes

Balmaceda Park Balmaceda Park is an urban park along the Mapocho River in Providencia, Santiago de Chile. It was originally created under the name of Parque Japonés (Japanese Park) in 1930. When Chile joined the Allies during the World War II, its name was cha ...

, forming an almost unbroken stretch of greenery along the Mapocho River. The park contains the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which is housed in the same building as the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo.

Palacio Bruna The Palacio Bruna is a palace located on the southern edge of the Parque Forestal in Santiago, Chile. The three story building has an Italian Renaissance character. It is entirely surrounded by a frieze decorated with garlands and putti, and was c ...

is opposite the park on Merced Street. Distinctive features of the park are its three lines of ''

platanus orientalis ''Platanus orientalis'', the Old World sycamore or Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, growing to or more, and known for its longevity and spreading crown. In autumn its deep green leaves may change to blood red ...

'' trees.

References

Urban public parks Parks in Santiago, Chile {{Santiago-geo-stub