Stóll frú Macquarie

The stairs at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair in the Royal Botanic Gardens are long—there are more than 115 to scale—and there’s a lot of flat parkland at the bottom so you can alternate between bodyweight exercises and cardio up the stairs. Plus, it’s one of the most stunning open-air gyms anywhere—you’re exercising while overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. At lunchtime on weekdays—roughly from noon to 2 pm—this becomes the busiest set of stairs I have ever seen. Everyone runs here from the city to train. I recommend visiting in the morning or after work instead. It’s also relatively quiet on weekends.