Park Guell

Our second venture in to Barcelona this week was with the main aim that we could tackle another of Gaudi's creations, Park Guell. Arguably his most colourful creation, the park is situated at the top of a hill overlooking the sea and Barcelona. In the 1890's Gaudi was commissioned by Eusebi Guell to build an estate for the wealthy of the city, with 60 triangular plots, paths, steps and viaducts due to the steep hill. Building conditions states that only one sixth of the plot could be built on, and the buildings had to be residential dwellings. Work was stopped in 1914 as the terrain had proved too difficult to work. So what did we find when we visited the park 100 years later? 

Well, part of the park is free access, but the main parts that everyone wants to see, the bench seat and the salamander lizard are in the ticket only section!!! So after a good walk and steady climb from Vallcarca Metro station which also involved 8 escalators to the top of the hill, we were a little disappointed. Anyway, we had it on our agenda, so we paid up (thankfully Maya was free!) and waited for our allocated time slot. Only 400 people are allowed in on half hourly intervals; had we known this we would have booked online as we did with the Alhambra. Once in, we saw the undulating ceramic bench seat planned by one of Gaudi's collaborators Joseph Maria Jujol and completed between 1910-1914, which was covered with people from all over the world, from all walks of life, just sitting and enjoying the warm Spanish sun and delightful view of Barcelona and somehow rather meaningfully the Sagrada Familia.

Jasper and Maya took great delight in looking at all the shards of tiles that had been used to decorate the bench, but also when looking over the park, they saw the children out at playtime in the school which is housed within a building in the park. 

Starting at the bottom of the park, by the main entrance, we walked up the steps and saw the Catalan shield with a mosaic snakes head spewing spring water out from its mouth. Then the salamander lizard that everyone wants to see and have a photo of, us included!

We used the map and leaflet and negotiated our way around the park, all the time wondering what it would have looked like if the whole project had actually been completed. The 'Hypostyle room', a covered market place with 86 columns supporting the nature square and ceramic bench above was architecturally really interesting. The only part we didn't see was the pink house that Gaudi himself lived in before moving to his on-site home in the Sagrada Familia. And whilst completing my research for this blog it transpires that Gaudi didn't build that either! 

All in all, it was a little bizarre, slightly surreal, especially given the fact that little of it was actually completed by Gaudi, but the visit was most enjoyable as was the weather!

Clare