Your Travel Guide to Park Guell

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We booked a tour to maximize our time while visiting Park Guell. We arrived almost too late because we were unsure of where the tour started. We were handed a radio with earphones so we could better hear our guide. We felt hiring a guide was the perfect method to visiting Park Guell.

As we walked along the path, our guide told us about the history of the park. Park Guell is one of the most colorful, interesting, and impressive parks in the world. Located in Barcelona, Spain, it was meant to be a restricted estate for the wealthy. Park Guell was named after Eusebio Guell, one of the richest men in the world at that time. Guell hired an architect, Antonio Gaudi (also architect for La Sagrada de Familia), to build this amazing site overlooking the city of Barcelona and the sea. Only 2 of the 60 plots were ever developed despite the beautiful landscaped grounds. Park Guell opened as public park in 1926 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Antonio Gaudi designed Park Guell in 4 themes. When you first enter the park though the front, you see the 2 building that remind me of “Hansel and Gretel.” This represents a fairy tale theme. Further, you see the staircase with the dragon to suggest a Greek mythology theme. Beyond that, you will find examples to suggest palm trees and waves to represent nature. At the highest peak, Gaudi placed the cross (spirituality).

Upon entry unto Park Guell, you will see 2 buildings that will make you think of Hansel and Gretel. This was a reference to Antonio Gaudi’s fairy tale theme. You almost want to take a bite out of the delicious looking architecture!

Going up the stairs, you will see a dragon ‘guarding’ the fountain. This dragon (or salamander) has been restored after it was vandalized in 2007. You can find mini mosaic replicas throughout the city of Barcelona to take home as a souvenir!

Gaudi was a nature lover, and one of the themes of Park Guell was, of course, nature. Some of the column resembled trees and Gaudi placed bird nests in them.

Gaudi placed a cross at the highest point in the park. Gaudi was a devote Catholic and this was displayed by this spiritual theme.

This is a view from the top floor of the Hansel and Gretel house.

Gaudi used recycled tile to make up some of his many mosaic designs by piecing them back together.

After making your way up the stairs and being greeted by the salamander (el drac), you will see almost 100 Doric columns that support that terrace above. You will see beautiful mosaics on the ceiling above you.

A pathway with sloping columns that resembles a wave.

This is Guell’s old house, now a school. Can you imagine going to school in such a famous place?

More of Gaudi’s mosaic style designs.

This area is the main terrace overlooking Barcelona. You will find amazing views of the city here. There is a bench in the shape of a sea serpent that curves its way around the terrace. The seating was designed so that people could see each other when they were talking in the open area. The curvature of the seats were developed to help with back support. The seats were actually comfortable to sit in!

The Monumental Zone of Park Güell (tickets needed) is open daily during these hours:

· Autumn-Winter from 8:30 to 18:00
· Spring-Summer from 8:00 to 21:30