Horský Park is a relatively large and natural city park close to Bratislava’s old town. It is known and liked for its unspoilt pristine character, which creates a suitable environment for outdoor exercise.
- Green retreat in the city centre
- Versatile place for sport lovers
- Adored by puppies
Sports in a forest-like setting
Horský Park seems to be the hotspot for sports enthusiasts in Bratislava, which is demonstrated by a fairly high share of posts in the “outdoor activity” category1. Its popularity is especially high among joggers, walkers and fitness fans, who regularly visit the park to exercise in nature. About one in every five posts from Horský Park includes at least one hashtag related to workout.
Its large size and forest-like character are conducive to the above mentioned and many other sports. Looking solely at the ranking of the most popular hashtags, one can conclude that users perceive Horský Park rather as a #forest (6th) than as a #park (9th).
Visitors presumably perceive their own activity as more post-worthy than the natural environment surrounding them since Horský Park has the lowest percentage of posts linked directly to “nature” compared to other parks.
Posts from Horský Park have the lowest number of hashtags per post ratio (7.0) among all the locations (cf. Medická Záhrada – 10.6). This allows the assumption that in general, posts from this park cover fewer categories at once than posts from other areas2.
Natural character even on Instagram
Furthermore, self-promotion on Instagram is comparably low in Horský Park. Nevertheless, both the Google Vision pattern recognition tool and our categories show that people do like to visit the park with friends and family. This could mean that posts from this location are generally speaking more natural, down-to-earth and spontaneous compared to other locations, which further strengthens the natural and sporty character of the park.
Indeed, Horský Park was a popular retreat for people to escape to the outdoors during the 2020 lockdowns, with post numbers increasing significantly by about 26% compared to the previous year.
Popular among dog-owners
Horský Park is presumably the most popular city park among dog owners. People in this park are almost as likely to go for a walk with their dog as they are without a pet present. Walking is the most popular way to actively spend one’s leisure time, as can be seen in the “outdoor activity” category breakdown.
Apart from that, dog-owners seem intent on showcasing the perfect shot of their furry friends all over Instagram. The Google Vision pattern recognition tool identifies a dog in 10% of all posts from Horský Park. The assumption of the park being a happy dog’s (and master’s) haven is also proven by the fact that the “animals” category (7%) ranks higher than in other city parks and even the actual forest itself.
What else to know about the park
- Different hashtags posted particularly on weekdays/weekends show that people prefer to spend their weekends going on a relaxing walk instead of an exhausting run. This contrasts to weekdays where jogging is more popular.
- The long stairs in Horský Park seem to be very instagrammable and a well-established workout challenge for the extra motivated joggers.
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The data presented in this article is valid as of April 1, 2021. ↩︎
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Thanks to its central location, the park is surrounded by several restaurants and cafes that try to cash in on its proximity by including the location and hashtag “Horský Park” in their advertisement posts. The figures related to food are therefore significantly influenced by advertising. ↩︎
