The largest walled park in Europe, Dublin's Phoenix Park is 707 hectres of grassland, gardens and tree-lined avenues which not only houses the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, Dublin Zoo (dating from 1831) and a number of monuments & statues but also a herd of wild fallow deer. The lineage of the deer herd goes back to the 17th Century in the park and they still roam freely today, grazing and enchanting onlookers. The Phoenix park is another old, old part of Dublin town which is steeped in fascinating history and is still very much in popular use today. A perfect place for walking, jogging or just escaping the bustle of the city and chilling out.