Classic Gaudi - or just plain gaudy?
 Jun 6th, 2009
Advantages:
Free, great views, stunning Gaudi architecture
Disadvantages:
On a steep hill, can get very busy, lots of people flogging rubbish
Recommendable:
Yes
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“The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” (GK Chesterton)
Member since:21.07.2003
Reviews:431
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Review rated by 51 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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.
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by (12%):
11.06.2009 16:14
I like it here myself! Although some of the houses hurt your eyes after a while
08.06.2009 13:21
great review
08.06.2009 00:55
I have been there yet can barely remember it as it was so long ago, so nice to be reminded. You describe it well. Ayesha x