Belvedere Castle, New York City, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Belvedere Castle is a small Gothic and Romanesque style castle on Vista Rock in Central Park, New York City. Built as a decorative lookout, it became the home of the park's official weather readings and is one of the best viewpoints in the park.

The story behind it

Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, the designers of Central Park, planned the castle in the 1860s as a folly, an ornamental building meant to be admired and to give a view. Its name is Italian for "beautiful view." It stands on Vista Rock, the second-highest natural point in the park, and is built of the same Manhattan schist that forms the outcrop beneath it.

The castle soon took on a practical job. It housed a meteorological observatory, later run by the U.S. Weather Bureau, and the park's official weather station has been here since 1919. When New Yorkers hear the temperature "in Central Park," the reading comes from instruments at the castle. After the weather staff left in the 1960s the building fell into neglect and was vandalised, until the Central Park Conservancy reopened it in 1983.

What to look for

• The weather instruments on the main tower, including wind gauges, which still feed the park's official readings.
• The rough grey schist of the walls, which is the same rock as Vista Rock itself, so the castle seems to grow out of the hill.
• The view from the terraces across the treetops, the Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn.
• The Shakespeare Garden just below the castle, a planted corner of the park that feels like the English countryside.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the castle, the terraces and a stroll through the Shakespeare Garden and around the Turtle Pond.
• Go on a quiet weekday morning for the fewest people and the best light on the stone and the view.
• Central Park itself is open to everyone, and the castle has generally been free to enter, but check current opening hours before you go.
• The Delacorte Theater, the Great Lawn and the Ramble are all close by, so it fits easily into a longer walk through the park.

See it on a quest

Shakespeare in Central Park NY: Undercover Adventure reaches the castle on foot as one stop of a longer route through this part of the park. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group, and with its Shakespeare theme it suits the garden next door.

Ghost Hunt in New York is a good choice if you like your sightseeing with a darker edge. You walk to the castle as part of a longer route, hear about the place when you get there and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.