Park Guell

Park Güell is named after Count Eusebi Güell, who was a wealthy industrialist from Barcelona and one of Gaudí’s most significant collaborators. His original idea was that Park Güell should be a housing development where 60 houses would be built, taking advantage of the cleaner air and beautiful views. However, the development was a commercial failure, proving to be too far away from the city (at the time), and by 1906 only two houses had been built and were bought by Eusebi Güell and Gaudí themselves. In 1922 the park was sold to the city by Güell’s family, 5 years after his death in 1918. It’s also named Park Güell (rather than the Spanish word ‘parque’) because Gaudí was inspired by English parks and gardens, which follow the natural path of the existing land and its plants.

Antoni Gaudí was the best-known architect from the school of Catalan Modernism. His structures are unique and colorful, inspired by nature and religion, and play with new materials and building techniques. He died in 1926 after being tragically hit by a tram before he could complete his most notable project, the Sagrada Familia, which is due to be finished by 2026. Seven of his projects have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Park Güell, which was also his home from 1906 to 1925. The building where he lived was originally intended to be a show home for the housing development, and today it houses a museum about his personal life and includes furniture he designed. A visit to the Gaudí House Museum isn’t included in the ticket for Park Güell, but you can buy a separate ticket for €5.50 or €4.50 for pensioners, children aged 11 to 17, and students.

Inside the monumental area of the park, you’ll see the Casa del Guarda, the porter’s lodge, and it’s partner pavilion which was originally used as a waiting room and telephone booth. It’s open to visitors but is often very busy so entry is not guaranteed. You’ll also see the central staircase, split into 3 levels and featuring a running fountain. At the top of the staircase is the Hypostyle Room, which was originally intended to be the location of the market for the housing development. Inspired by classical architecture, the interior is unapologetically modern, with a ceiling covered in small domes decorated with tile-shard mosaics by Josep M. Jujol, one of Gaudí’s collaborators. A lot of the park’s infrastructure is also designed to be beautiful, so you can also enjoy discovering the viaducts, benches, and porticos.

A guided tour takes about 50 minutes, but you can stay inside the park as long as you want. It will probably take about an hour to see all of the key sites in the monumental area of the park without a guide, and you can take a couple of additional hours to explore the public area of the park as well.