Madrid’s Retiro Park Rose Garden, or Rosaleda, is at its colourful and sweet-smelling best in May and June. I challenge anyone not to be charmed by the flowery abundance on display during these months and what’s more, you’ll find the atmosphere so happy and relaxed even at the weekend when it is most popular with visitors – I just love it there!

Designed by the city’s Head Gardener Cecilio Rodríguez in 1915, this lovely formally arranged garden has more than 4,000 roses on display. There will be roses you have never seen before; it’s a place to marvel at the endless variety of nature – so many roses; scented, climbing, creeping, huge like cabbages, tiny bloomed, subtly toned and gaudy rainbow hued… it’s almost overwhelming.

At the centre of the garden is a small but pretty lily pond and stone benches feature throughout,  where visitors might sit a while and contemplate all this beauty. Go ahead and sniff every rose to find the most delicious smelling one.

Nearby you can check out the Fallen Angel Statue and you are also only a short stroll away from the Real Jardín Botanico, if the roses have given you a taste for horticulture!