With three palaces at its borders (the ancient Palace of Westminster, now the Houses of Parliament; the Tudor St. James's Palace; and Buckingham Palace), St. James's Park is acclaimed as the most royal of the royal parks. It's also London's smallest, most ornamental park, as well as the oldest; it was acquired by Henry VIII in 1532 for a deer park. The land was marshy and took its name from the lepers' hospital dedicated to St. James. Henry VIII built the palace next to the park, which was used for hunting only -- dueling and sword fights were forbidden. James I improved the land and installed an aviary and zoo (complete with crocodiles). Charles II (after his exile in France and because of his admiration for Louis XIV's formal Versailles Palace landscapes) had formal gardens laid out, with avenues, fruit orchards, and a canal. Lawns were grazed by goats, sheep, and deer. The Mall, alongside, was also used for the French croquet-type game of paille-maille, or pell mell. Its present shape more or less reflects what John Nash designed under George IV, turning the canal into a graceful lake (which was cemented in at a depth of 4 feet in 1855, so don't even think of swimming) and generally naturalizing the gardens. St. James's Park makes a spectacular frame for the towers of Westminster and Victoria -- especially at night, when the illuminated fountains play and the skyline beyond the trees looks like a floating fairyland.

About 17 species of birds -- including pelicans, geese, ducks, and swans (which belong to the queen) -- now breed on and around Duck Island at the east end of the lake, attracting ornithologists at dawn. Later on summer days the deck chairs (which you must pay to use) are crammed with office workers lunching while being serenaded by music from the bandstands. One of the best times to stroll the leafy walkways is after dark, with Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament rising above the floodlit lake. Tube: St. James's Park or Westminster.