Learn Hardcore German: Für mich ist das Beste heute der ruhige Spaziergang im Park. - For me the best thing today is the quiet walk in the park.

In German, the verb in a main clause must be in second position (the "V2 rule"), but the first position can be almost anything you want to emphasize: subject, object, time expression, etc.

Für mich ist das Beste heute der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.
→ Emphasis on “for me / in my opinion”.

You could also say:

Das Beste heute ist für mich der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.
→ Emphasis more on “the best thing today”, then adding “for me” as a side remark.

Both versions are grammatically correct. The word order mainly changes what feels emphasized or foregrounded in the sentence, not the basic meaning.

Why is it mich in für mich and not mir?

Because für always takes the accusative case in German.

für mich (Akkusativ)
not: für mir (would be wrong)

So you get:

für mich (for me)
für dich (for you)
für ihn (for him)
für uns (for us)

If you see mir, that’s dative, and it appears with different prepositions or structures, e.g.:

mit mir (with me) – mit takes dative
mir ist kalt (I am cold – literally "to me is cold")

In this sentence, because of für, you must use mich.

Why is das Beste capitalized and what’s the difference between beste, das Beste, and am besten?

Here das Beste is a noun, formed from the adjective best (gut → besser → am besten). In German, when an adjective is used as a noun, it is capitalized and usually has an article:

das Beste = the best (thing)
das Schönste = the most beautiful (thing)

So:

beste (lowercase) → just an adjective:
- die beste Idee = the best idea
das Beste (uppercase) → noun:
- Für mich ist das Beste heute … = For me, the best thing today is …
am besten → adverb / predicative form:
- Er singt am besten. = He sings best.
- Das finde ich am besten. = I like that best.

In your sentence, das Beste means “the best thing,” so it must be capitalized and use das, the neuter article.

Why is it das Beste and not der or die Beste?

Adjectives used as nouns to mean “the … thing” usually take neuter gender in German:

das Gute = the good (thing)
das Schöne = the beautiful (thing)
das Neue = the new (thing)
das Beste = the best (thing)

So the default is neuter: das.

You would only see der Beste or die Beste if you’re referring to a person and making the adjective agree with their gender:

Er ist der Beste. = He is the best.
Sie ist die Beste. = She is the best.

Here we’re not talking about a person, but “the best thing today,” so das Beste is correct.

Which part is the subject: das Beste heute or der ruhige Spaziergang im Park?

This is an equation sentence (X = Y) with the verb sein (“to be”). In such sentences, both parts are in the nominative, and word order alone doesn’t always tell you which is the grammatical subject.

Für mich ist das Beste heute der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.

Formally:

das Beste → nominative neuter
der ruhige Spaziergang → nominative masculine

Both “match” grammatically because sein connects two nominative expressions. You can flip them:

Der ruhige Spaziergang im Park ist für mich das Beste heute.

In practice, German speakers are flexible here; one side is often understood as “subject” and the other as “predicate noun,” but grammatically they are equal nominatives linked by sein.

Why is it der ruhige Spaziergang and not den ruhigen Spaziergang?

Because der ruhige Spaziergang is in nominative case, not accusative.

Case breakdown:

der ruhige Spaziergang
- der → nominative masculine singular (subject/predicate noun)
- ruhige → adjective in nominative masculine singular (weak declension)
- Spaziergang → masculine noun

If it were an object of a verb that needs accusative, it would change:

Ich mache einen ruhigen Spaziergang.
- einen ruhigen Spaziergang = accusative masculine

But in your sentence we have:

(X) ist (Y) → both sides nominative
→ der ruhige Spaziergang must stay der, not den.

Why does the adjective end with -e in ruhige?

Ruhige is an attributive adjective (it directly modifies a noun) and comes after a definite article (der). In that situation, German uses the weak adjective endings.

Pattern (masculine singular, nominative):

der
- ruhig
  - Spaziergang
    → der ruhige Spaziergang

Compare:

ein ruhiger Spaziergang (indefinite article → different ending: -er)
ruhiger Spaziergang (no article, “strong” ending: -er)
den ruhigen Spaziergang (accusative masculine → -en)

So in der ruhige Spaziergang, ruhige ends with -e because:

masculine
singular
nominative
with der (definite article → weak declension)

What is the difference between ruhig and ruhige?

Ruhig is the base adjective meaning “calm, quiet.”

As a dictionary form or after sein:
- Der Park ist ruhig. = The park is quiet.
  → Here the adjective is predicative, no ending.
Before a noun (attributive), it gets an ending:
- ein ruhiger Park
- der ruhige Park
- in einem ruhigen Park

In der ruhige Spaziergang, the adjective is attributive and must agree with the noun in case, gender, and number. That’s why you see ruhige, not just ruhig.

Why is it im Park and not in den Park?

Because we’re describing location, not movement into a place.

im Park = in dem Park (dative) → “in the park” (where?)
- in
  - dative → location (wo?)
in den Park (accusative) → “into the park” (where to?)
- in
  - accusative → direction (wohin?)

Your sentence is about a calm walk that takes place in the park (static location):

… der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.
→ a calm walk in the park (where?)

If you were describing motion into the park, you’d use accusative:

Wir gehen in den Park. = We are going into the park.

What’s the difference between Spaziergang im Park and Spaziergang durch den Park?

Both are correct, but they have slightly different nuances:

Spaziergang im Park
→ literally “a walk in the park”
→ neutral, simply states the location: you are in the park while walking.
Spaziergang durch den Park
→ literally “a walk through the park”
→ emphasizes the path or movement across the park, from one side to another or through it.

In many contexts they can be used almost interchangeably, but im Park sounds a bit more like just enjoying being in the park, while durch den Park subtly stresses the idea of moving through it.

Why is heute placed between das Beste and der ruhige Spaziergang? Can it go somewhere else?

Yes, heute (today) is quite flexible. In the given sentence:

Für mich ist das Beste heute der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.

heute is logically linked to das Beste (“the best thing today”), so it is placed close to it.

You can move heute around without changing the core meaning, just slightly changing rhythm or emphasis:

Für mich ist heute das Beste der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.
Heute ist für mich das Beste der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.
Für mich ist das Beste der ruhige Spaziergang im Park heute. (possible, but sounds less natural)

The most natural positions are near the verb or near what it modifies. The original sentence is very idiomatic.

Can I also say Für mich ist der ruhige Spaziergang im Park das Beste heute? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, that sentence is also correct and natural:

Für mich ist der ruhige Spaziergang im Park das Beste heute.

Meaning-wise, it’s the same: the calm walk in the park is the best thing today for you.

The difference is in information structure / emphasis:

Für mich ist das Beste heute der ruhige Spaziergang im Park.
→ Focus first on “the best thing today,” then identify it as the walk.
Für mich ist der ruhige Spaziergang im Park das Beste heute.
→ Focus first on “the walk in the park,” then state that it is the best thing.

Both are fine; German word order is flexible here.