Belvedere Castle, New York
New York's version of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle, this picturesque building seated on what locals call the Vista Rock. It is the area's second-highest natural elevation – lives up to its name ("beautiful view" in Italian), commanding spectacular views of Central Park and the city skyline. An architectural hybrid of Gothic and Romanesque styles, it was designed in the 1860s and recently renovated to serve as a visitor center and gift shop.
While the outdoor pavilion is a popular lookout, the best views are to be found two stories up at the top of a narrow winding staircase, climbing which does not cost any money. The span of view across the park's northern part is particularly stunning: a panorama of the Turtle Pond, with softball fields of the Great Lawn and skyscrapers on the other side of 5th Ave in the background.
Free family and community programs hosted at the castle include birding and other Central Park Conservancy discovery programs as well as a variety of history and natural history programs led by NYC Urban Park Rangers, including stargazing, astronomy, and wildlife-education events.
While the outdoor pavilion is a popular lookout, the best views are to be found two stories up at the top of a narrow winding staircase, climbing which does not cost any money. The span of view across the park's northern part is particularly stunning: a panorama of the Turtle Pond, with softball fields of the Great Lawn and skyscrapers on the other side of 5th Ave in the background.
Free family and community programs hosted at the castle include birding and other Central Park Conservancy discovery programs as well as a variety of history and natural history programs led by NYC Urban Park Rangers, including stargazing, astronomy, and wildlife-education events.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in New York. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The GPSmyCity App
Belvedere Castle on Map
Sight Name: Belvedere Castle
Sight Location: New York, USA (See walking tours in New York)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: New York, USA (See walking tours in New York)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in New York, New York
Create Your Own Walk in New York
Creating your own self-guided walk in New York is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
New York's Central Park Walking Tour
Arguably the most famous public park in the world today, Central Park has been called the lungs of New York City – literally “central”, it is where Manhattanites go to get a sense of space and air. Plan for at least half a day to wander along its many pathways, take a rowboat on the water, enjoy the landscaping and the numerous man-made wonders, spend some time at the zoo or bring a pair of... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Best of Lower Manhattan Walking Tour
Every part of Manhattan is terrific, but if you are looking for one that showcases the best overview of New York City’s history and architectural styles, it’s Lower Manhattan. This is where it all started, where New Amsterdam was founded, where Canal Street used to be a canal, and where Wall Street used to be a wall marking the end of town. It’s also where the city has seen the most tragedy,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
NYC Greenwich Village Walking Tour
The tree-lined streets of Greenwich Village with its cafes, bars and restaurants, jazz clubs and Off-Broadway theaters amid the brownstones will enthuse you as a visitor. Writers and poets, artists and radicals, runaway socialites, and others seeking freedom from conventional lifestyles have long flocked to this spot, lit most famously by the counterculture figures of the 1950s and '60s: Jack... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Manhattan Architecture Walking Tour
The skyscraper, which has shaped Manhattan's distinctive skyline, has been closely associated with New York City’s identity since the end of the 19th century. Despite the Great Depression, some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers were completed in Manhattan during the 1930s, including numerous Art Deco masterpieces that are still part of the city's skyline – most notably the Empire... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
Brooklyn New York Walking Tour
Named after the Breukelen village in the Netherlands, Brooklyn, one of New York City’s five boroughs, occupies the western tip of Long Island. Its history began in the 17th century as a small Dutch settlement on the East River shore; Brooklyn Heights, or Clover Hill, is where the village was founded, in 1646.
By the 19th century, Brooklyn had grown into a sizable town. The iconic Brooklyn... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
By the 19th century, Brooklyn had grown into a sizable town. The iconic Brooklyn... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
NYC's Chinatown and Little Italy Walking Tour
New York's Little Italy and Chinatown were places that attracted Italian and Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s, with densely packed ethnic communities having grown around them, as they brought their customs, food and language. In the 1960s, however, right around the time that Italians stopped coming to the city in large numbers, Chinese immigrants did the opposite, hence why Little Italy... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Bar Tour of Lower East Side, New York City
The Lower East Side has been described the most livable neighborhood in NYC. Unique and dynamic, LES has boutique shops, cafes and restaurants alongside great bars and museums.In this historic neighborhood, residents strive to preserve its roots. Here, you can find young professionals who challenge...
NYC Beer Tour
There are many great places to drink in New York City. Still, discerning connoisseurs are likely to find themselves awash in a sea of mediocre beer without first gaining a proper lay of the beer land. For those whose curiosity and taste buds urge them to venture beyond ubiquitious draft staples like...
9 Best Drinking Places in Upper West Side, NY
With “Bar Tour of the Upper West Side” sample a cross section from NYC’s great gamut of drinking establishments, including a Belgian Brasserie, a wine bar, Irish pubs, and one dive — just for fun! These spots offer something a little extra, like craft beers, inspirational artwork, a chance...
NY Villages Best Tea and Coffee
This is a guide to the best tea and coffee shops and houses in the East, West, Washington Square and Greenwich Villages of Manhattan. None of these are chains, so tourists looking to avoid Starbucks can find sanctuary in this app. All of these run the gamut between W and E 14th Streets, and down 1st...
NYC Souvenir Guide: 15 Authentic New York City Products to Take Home
In keeping with the song, one might think that, if they can make it in New York City, they can make it anywhere. Well, not always... Some of the things made in New York City aren't made anywhere else, and you'll definitely want to try or keep at least some of them to prolong your NYC...