Park Guell

Park Guell is Antoni Gaudi's whimsical hilltop park in Barcelona, a UNESCO fantasy of organic architecture where broken-tile mosaics, a serpentine bench snaking around a terrace, gingerbread-like gatehouses and the famous mosaic lizard tumble down a hillside with a sweeping view over the city and sea. Originally planned as a garden village, it is pure Gaudi playfulness.

Background

The park lies in the La Salut neighbourhood of the Gràcia district, on the south-facing slope of the Turó del Carmel, a hill in the Collserola range. Eusebi Güell, an industrialist and art patron, commissioned it, and building ran from 1900 to 1914, with the public opening in 1926. The plan allowed for sixty triangular plots for luxury homes, yet only two houses went up, neither of them by Gaudí. A show home from 1904 found no buyer, and Gaudí moved into it in 1906 with his father and niece. Since 1963 it has been the Gaudí House Museum. At the highest point, steps lead to El Turó de les Tres Creus, a calvary of three stone crosses.

Source: Wikipedia, "Park Güell"

Highlights

• The mosaic terrace - the serpentine bench of broken-tile mosaic and the view.
• The mosaic lizard - the famous salamander on the entrance stairway.
• The gatehouses - the gingerbread-like pavilions at the entrance.
• The hypostyle hall - the forest of columns beneath the terrace.

When to go

Year-round; morning or late afternoon for softer light and thinner crowds. Book a timed ticket ahead for the monumental zone, which sells out.

Before you go

The famous monumental zone with the mosaics is now ticketed and timed, and books up, so reserve ahead; the surrounding park is free but less spectacular. It is uphill and busy. The view and the mosaic terrace are the highlights.

Nearby

The Sagrada Familia and the Gracia district are nearby; central Barcelona spreads below.

Key facts