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A good way to escape the city, at least for a while, and to get a better view of some of Gaudi's work is to visit Parc Güell , to the north of the city centre. Its best described as an architectural garden in which you can see some of Gaudi's most exciting work but it's also a good place ... Read review
These modern apartments are situated in the popular district of Gracia and only a few ... more
minutes walk from Gaudí’s Parque Güell.The apartments are well-equipped to ensure your comfort, such as the kitchen complete with all kitchenware. What’s more, situated in the heart of the district of Gracia, there are numerous bars and restaurants to choose from, catering to all tastes. These apartments are the perfect option for enjoying a highly private or independent atmosphere. This is a tranquil area but with excellent connections to the heart of the city, you can get to the centre in 10 minutes from here.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Parc Güell Apartment 1 is located in Gràcia neighbourhood, a veritable small town ... more
within Barcelona, 5 minutes walk from the emblematic Park Güell, designed by Gaudí. It is nonetheless a quiet, safe, yet popular zone with many nice restaurants and cafe terraces. On the corner of the same block you'll find a metro station on the green line able to whisk you away in 10 minutes to the Plaça
The Parc Güell Apartment 3 is located in Gràcia neighbourhood, a veritable small town ... more
within Barcelona, 5 minutes walk from the emblematic Park Güell, designed by Gaudí. It is nonetheless a quiet, safe, yet popular zone with many nice restaurants and cafe terraces. On the corner of the same block you'll find a metro station on the green line able to whisk you away in 10 minutes to the Plaça
The Parc Güell Apartment 4 is located in Gràcia neighbourhood, a veritable small town ... more
within Barcelona, 5 minutes walk from the emblematic Park Güell, designed by Gaudí. It is nonetheless a quiet, safe, yet popular zone with many nice restaurants and cafe terraces. On the corner of the same block you'll find a metro station on the green line able to whisk you away in 10 minutes to the Plaça
The Parc Güell Apartment 2 is located in Gràcia neighbourhood, a veritable small town ... more
within Barcelona, 5 minutes walk from the emblematic Park Güell, designed by Gaudí. It is nonetheless a quiet, safe, yet popular zone with many nice restaurantsand cafe terraces. On the corner of the same block you'll find a metro station on the green line able to whisk you away in 10 minutes to the Plaça
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Advantages: Free, great views, stunning Gaudi architecture Disadvantages: On a steep hill, can get very busy, lots of people flogging rubbish
...Gaudi's work is to visit Parc Güell , to the north of the city centre. Its best described as an architectural garden in which you can see some of Gaudi's most exciting work but it's also a good place to catch some pretty amazing views of the city, right across to the port. Free admission and no queuing to get in are other benefits of visiting Parc Güell instead of other Gaudi locations.
To get to Parc Güell take the Metro on the green ... ...tourist buses also stop at Parc Güell as part of their itinerary.
As you get nearer to the park the fairytale like chimney of one of the two gatehouses comes into view to guide you and as you get nearer the still you'll hear the excited chatter of hundreds of European teenagers. If you prefer peace and quiet visit first thing before the tour groups arrive or early evening when they have all left. We visited in the early afternoon ... more
The various works of celebrated Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi is one of the highlights of Barcelona but I find that it is quite difficult to enjoy and appreciate some of the buildings partly because of the area in which they are situated and partly for reasons such as the huge amount of scaffolding that permanently shrouds the exterior of the Sagrada Familia cathedral , for example.
A good way to escape the city, at least for a while, and to get a better view of some of Gaudi's work is to visit Parc Güell , to the north of the city centre. Its best described as an architectural garden in which you can see some of Gaudi's most exciting work but it's also a good place to catch some pretty amazing views of the city, right across to the port. Free admission and no queuing to get in are other benefits of visiting Parc Güell instead of other Gaudi locations.
To get to Parc Güell take the Metro on the green line to Lesseps and follow the many signs from there. This route does involve quiet a steep climb up one street when you turn off the main road. There is a bus stop close to the entrance so this might be of use to people for whom the hill is a problem and I am sure an enquiry at tourist information offices would be of help to find out the bus numbers. Some of the tourist buses also stop at Parc Güell as part of their itinerary.
As you get nearer to the park the fairytale like chimney of one of the two gatehouses comes into view to guide you and as you get nearer the still you'll hear the excited chatter of hundreds of European teenagers. If you prefer peace and quiet visit first thing before the tour groups arrive or early evening when they have all left. We visited in the early afternoon has made a last minute decision to do so and found that our enjoyment was spoiled a little bit because of the noise and the sheer number of people, blocking views, spoiling photographs and generally being quite annoying.
The centrepiece of the park is the vast terrace with its dramatic viewpoint. The shape of the terrace undulates with serpentine curves and cosy seats have been built into the curves. The boundary wall of the terrace, has, like the steps to it and other places in the garden, been decorated in the trademark ceramic mosaic so common in Gaudi's work. Apparently one of the reasons that the benches are tiled was so that they would dry quickly after rain and Gaudi incorporated bumps into the design so that people wouldn't sit in puddles. I don't know about the puddling but it did rain when we were there and the benches did dry quickly once the rain stopped and the sun came out.
Another part of the park that should be mentioned is the colonnaded arcade that actually supports the cleverly obscured road that runs above it. The colonnade is built of a local stone but looks like a series of palm trunks that appear to be growing out of the earth; I found this section absolutely remarkable, when you were under the arcade it really felt like it had been carved from the soil. If it does rain, the arcade is a good place to get some shelter, so long as you can find some space among the hordes of French schoolchildren eating packed lunches.
The terrace is supported on - for Parc Güell - rather conventional Doric columns and while these might be quite a contrast to the rest of the architectural they do at least add to the eclecticism. At the top of the central staircase is the lower court, which reminded me a lot of the mezquita in Cordoba, with its vaulted ceiling in which the larges bosses were yet more Gaudi mosaics. Here there were lots of hawkers selling novelty items of the type that kids love and that drive parents mad. Some wore costumes and had other costumes that kids could try on for photographs, posing in "swordplay" for example. The colonnaded area was also teeming with people selling all kinds of "crafty" stuff such as one's name written in illuminated text or metal twisted into the shape of ones name. "Proper" Gaudi-related souvenirs can be bought from the official shop which is situated in one of the gatehouses. The building is only small and there was a long queue to get in. If you don't fancy the queue there are lots of souvenir shops on the main road and in the streets climbing the hill towards the main entrance of the park.
The park was originally intended to be part of a housing project which was inspired by the "garden cities" of England. The site was chosen for the views and because it was well away from the smoky factories which spoiled the air in other parts of the city. It was all the idea of Count Eusebi Güelland, to add some more prestige to the project, he moved into Larrard House, a large property that already existed on the site. In the end only two houses were built here and neither of them was designed by Gaudi - a fact I like because I think that these days the place would be a frightening Gaudi theme-park. While I like what can be seen at Parc Güell(and Casa Batllo, an apartment building in the city centre) I do find some of the work at the Sagrada Familia, for example, quite self-indulgent and pompous and I think that a whole park of Gaudi houses would be too much to bear.
One of those two houses was meant to be a show house to tempt buyers to come to Parc Guell but nobody was interested and Gaudi moved into this house himself in 1906. The house can be visited, though we did not, and this is the only part of the park for which there is a charge. A combined ticket can be bought, if desired, for joint entrance to this museum and to the Sagrada Familia. This salmon pink house, known as the "Torre Rosa", can be seen from the colonnaded area to the left of the steps as you climb them and from the terrace. Inside there is a display on Gaudi's work and a collection of furniture he designed.
The park is quite large and you do need at least a couple of hours to really do it justice. Once you move away from the terrace and the colonnaded areas there are fewer people and it becomes more peaceful. The planting is wonderful but there are more trees and cacti than flowerbeds and this is quite an "untamed" park. Here and there you'll find hidden touches of Gaudi and, if you are lucky, you might spot some vivid green parakeets some of which were deliberately brought to the park to add even more colour. However, over the years these have been joined by escaped pets come to join their free brethren and the numbers are now quite high.
Park Güell opens daily at 10:00 am and closing time varies depending on the time of year but is normally around 19:00. You can buy ices and cold drinks at the entrance to the park and there are plenty of places nearby if you want to sit down for a drink or to get something to eat. You could also buy provisions for a picnic on the main street if you intend to stretch out your visit. There are toilets though these are at the main entrance to the park so it might be a good idea to encourage children to go before you start exploring.
Parc Guell is a great way to see more of Gaudi's work and certainly excellent if you are on a budget and don't perhaps want to pay to see the interior of the Sagrada Familia. The absence of queues also has to be a compelling reason for heading to Parc Güell. But aside from the practical points, this is a really stunning place to see and it does put Gaudi's designs into a whole new context. What is great about it is the immediacy and accessibility to great works of art. Apparently Gaudi used lots of historical Catalan references in the designs of some of the elements of the park but it is really not necessary to know anything of this as the features are so wonderful that they can be viewed in their own right and needn't be within a particular context. It is vibrant, colourful and at times quite unreal and a place that will stick in the memory for a long time to follow.
Advantages: It's a beautiful place and it's free! Disadvantages: None
...visit to Barcelona I visited Parc Guell, another place on my 'must visit' list, and a place I did not get to visit when last in Barcelona a year ago. We visited Parc Guell as part of a city tour by coach and spent an hour there, walking around in the hot sunshine, although I must point out that in order to see the entire park, I would advise that visitor's spend at least a morning or afternoon there! Those who have read my previous review will know ... ...Catalan Architect designed Parc Guell after being comissioned by Count Eusebi Guell. Guell was an estate agent entrepreneur, and asked Gaudi to design and create a park with luxury houses for Barcelona's aristocracy. The result was Parc Guell, built in 1900 - 1914. However, as our guide on the coach tour informed us, the housing project failed due to Guell running out of money, and only three houses were built. Gaudi himself lived in one of the houses ...
JEFFJEN 09.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parc Güell (Barcelona)
Advantages: Peace in the heart of the city. Disadvantages: None.
The Parc Guell is deep in the heart of Barcelona, and for those who do not speak Spanish, the best route is to take a taxi from any central point of the city, which will cost around ten euros, and the for peace of mind, and for parking it is well worth the fare, although parking can be found at the less commercial entrances to this park.
The Parc Guell was constructed between 1900 and 1914 under the direction and architectural guidance of Gaudi, ... ...living in the district, and in 1923 was handed over to the City for all the people to visit and I am certainly glad that it was because it is an adventure into another time and another dimension.
We entered by the less commercial area of Gracia and immediately were drawn to the huge bridge like structures built into high slopes with stone formed balconies in what is a lesser known part of the park. Here, the tourist can chill, find a little corner ...
thingywhatsit 03.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parc Güell (Barcelona)
...up until I visited Gaudi's Parc Guell last summer a large mosaic Salamander would not have been one of my first choices. I have since learnt better.
To visit Barcelona and not see some of the work of Antonio Gaudi would not only be poor judgement but damn near impossible. Examples of the fantastic and often eccentric architecture positively cover the city and nearly all are worth a look (particularly the 'Sagrada Familia'- a madcap, unfinished cathedral). ... ...and shops in and around Parc Guell to satisfy your thirst or hunger as these all tend to charge special tourist prices. Although Parc Guell itself is free to enter- a plus in any backpacker's book.
Anyway, I'm taking a long time to get to the point, so a quick history lesson. Eusebi Guell commissioned Antoni Gaudi to design Parc Guell as part of a housing development. The housing side of this project didn't take off and so in 1923 the land was given ...
roons_y 14.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parc Güell (Barcelona)
Advantages: Beautifull place to visit Disadvantages: Strange localtion
The famous Park Guell was built between 1900 and 1914 for Eusebi Guell. It was supposed to be an English style residential garden in the city. It was not much of a success back then and became the property of City Hall in 1923.
Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi who is responsible for many of the impressive architecture in Barcelona and has inspired the rest of the building work here, designed it.
When getting of the bus to go to this park there is ... ...to the top and turn right you have no idea it was there. When you walk up to the entrance of the park you are set upon by two huge almost gingerbread houses built in the style of Gaudi with large curves, mosaic tiles and beautiful colours. Inside the park the first thing you see is a large lizard made completely of mosaic tiles, which has a small fountain underneath it. It looks beautiful and is a major photograph point.
Once walking around the ...
SamanthaM 02.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parc Güell (Barcelona)
Advantages: Colorful mosaic! Scenes from the fairy tales! Disadvantages: Need to hike a slope to reach the park!
Hello friends, i am a mosaic artist and always adore Gaudi. I went to Barcelona to worship Gaudi last month. It was a fantastic trip. Barcelona is so much fun!
The most remarkable place is the Park Guell.
It is full of mosaic. The bus only takes you to a spot and you have to climb up a slope in order to reach the park. It is all worth it when you reach the entrance. "Park Guell" sign were being made into many different color tiles combination. ... ...to form the border of the park. When i reached the park entrance, I was speechless. It was like in a fairy tale. All the buildings are very organic and fun looking. The most famous Gaudi's iguana is at the centre. It was composed with many different colorful tiles and rocks. Down there was a fountain with a snake head. The park runs with an ecology system. The water came out from the snake head is actually the rain water from the roof. it is so interesting. ...
heeheehaahaa 05.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Parc Güell (Barcelona)
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Advantages: Wonderful architecture, galleries and parks, superb romantic atmosphere, great for shopping Disadvantages: Aged quarters can feel a bit grotty, but that is natural and part of their charm. More expensive than nearby localities, but then cities always are.
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Advantages: you can meet different races Disadvantages: nothing
Of course, Barcelona isn't big like London or Paris with their 8/9 millions inhabitants, but it offers more attractions.
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Advantages: Beautiful building Disadvantages: Queues can be long to get in
During my recent trip to Barcelona, I was very interested in visiting the various works of Antoni Gaudi.
Having visted ParcGuell and The Unfinished Church, we then went to visit La Casa Mila, or 'La Pedrera' as it is more commonly known.
Placed in Paseo de Gracia, work on La Pedrera began in 1905 and finished in 1910, it is the last commissioned work that Gaudi undertook, before concentrating his last years on La Sagrada Familia (the Unfinished Church).
The owner, Pere Mila Camps had purchased the land, and having seen some of Gaudi's other work, he commissioned him to build a large building of rental flats on his land.
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