WALK THIS WAY

The Central Park Conservancy does a great job promoting the park year-round with their guided walking tours—at least 10 different tours are currently offered. Today is The Castle and Its Kingdom, which explores the 55 acres surrounding Belvedere Castle and Vista Rock. Towering over the Delacorte Theater with views of the Great Lawn and the city, the Belvedere Castle is aptly named—”belvedere” is an architectural term for lookouts and observatories, and the Italian word translates as “beautiful view.” As the Conservancy’s website explains, “The Castle was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a Victorian folly . . . a fantasy building that offers a dash of the unexpected in a carefully calculated pastoral landscape.” The 60-to-90-minute tour takes place rain or shine except for during particularly inclement conditions. No reservations are required for groups of less than six people.

Sun., May 31, 2 p.m., 2009