Spain - Barcelona - Gaudi - Parc Guell

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Ah Antoni Gaudi ! Love him or hate him. I love him. But I'm no architectural critic so forget the learned (and probably pretentious) discourse, you can look all that up.

My visit to Barcelona in February 2012 was a chance to indulge myself. Seeing Gaudi's work has long been on my list of things to do before I kick the bucket. Of course my first stop was the Sagrada Familia (see my post), a hugely moving spiritual experience (even for a non-religious person like myself).

Parc Guell give you another side of Gaudi, his incredibly playful side. This time I took the superb metro underground rail transit system and then walked up the very steep hill to the park. It was raining and I had few expectations, but wonderfully the skies cleared and once I'd eaten an excellent lunch in a small cafe near the park and battled my way through the crowds at the gate Parc Guell was everyuthng I could have wanted and more.

It's built as I've alluded on a hillside, so you need to be prepared for an energetic walk of about 20 minutes from the Lesseps Metro stop to the front entrance. And then the park itself is large enough for you to get not quite lost in but certainly to walk away from the masses of people who congregate in the central viewing area - but that view is indeed spectacular, right across the city and to the sea with a splendid view of the Sagrada Familia.

I just walked around, breathing fresh air and absorbing Gaudi's wonderful surprises at each turn. Enough said.

You can exit at the side of the park and walk downhill past some beautiful apartments which are serviced by an outdoor escalator, the first I've ever seen. On the right is the Church of San Jose de la Montana which is a girls orphanage; it has a beautiful small chapel - and then you are back in the bustle of the city.

How to get to Park Guell

Location of Park Güell to the nearest metro stop.
Metro stop"Lesseps" (Green Line, L3) On leaving the metro follow the street signposts for the park.

Open hoursfrom 10:00 (closing time varies for different times of year but is normally around 21:00).

Entrance Fee - Free

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Photos

Parc Guell
Looking over the park from above the front entrance

Gaudi's house in the Park
I didn't go in because there were too many people, but it is a beautiful sight.

Musicians
I thought the dynamism of the girl singer was superb, an impromptu concert

Sagrada Familia
From the Park - linking Gaudi's visions