Established at the beginning of the 20th century in the São Sebastião district, the city's main park was named to honor the British monarch's 1902 visit here during his brief reign. The sloping, formal gardens are used by surprisingly few of Lisbon's residents. There are, however, magnificent views from the avenue at the top of the park, where modernistic towers topped by concrete wheat sheaves stand like sentinels. The park also has Lisbon's best-kept horticultural secrets: the estufa fria (cold greenhouse) and estufa quente (hot greenhouse), which contain rare flowers, trees, and shrubs from tropical and subtropical climes. These are gorgeous grottoes in which to stroll, and concerts and exhibitions are held in the estufa fria from time to time.
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