Park Güell is a public park with several gardens and architectural elements, designed by Antoni Gaudi and is located on Carmel Hill, a neighborhood in the Gràcia district - the oldest in Barcelona. The park was built from 1900 to 1914 and was opened to public in 1926. In 1984, UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site under "Works of Antoni Gaudí".
Park Güell is the reflection of Gaudí's talent in his naturalist phase (the beginning of the 20th century). During this period, the architect created his personal style, being inspired by the shapes of nature and developed new structural solutions rooted from geometry.
The park was originally part of a commercially housing site, the idea of Count Eusebi Güell, after whom it was named. They wanted to create a neighborhood of luxurious homes equipped with all the latest technology to ensure maximum comfort, finished off with an artistic touch.
The park was just a rocky hill - with little vegetation and few trees - called Muntanya Pelada. It included a large country house called Larrard House that was next to a neighborhood of upper-class houses named “La Salut”. Count Guell and Antoni Gaudi wanted to exploit the fresh air and the beautiful views.
Count Eusebi Güell had moved into the new “neighborhood” in 1906 to live in the Larrard House. They only built two houses, neither designed by Gaudí. The first one was intended to be a show house, but no buyers came forward. Gaudí bought the house with his savings and moved in with his family in 1906 living here until his death in 1926. It became a museum in 1963 - Gaudi House Museum (Casa Museu Gaudí). In 1969 it was declared a historical artistic monument of national interest.
It has been then converted into a municipal garden. Since October 2013 there is an entrance fee to visit the Monumental Zone (main entrance, terrace, and the parts containing mosaics), but the entrance to the Park remains free. Gaudí's house, "la Torre Rosa," – containing furniture that he designed – can be only visited for another fee (more details, here).
The buildings flanking the entrance make up the Porter's Lodge pavilion. One of these buildings contains a room with a telephone booth and the other, which was initially designed as the porter's house, became a permanent exhibition of the Barcelona City History Museum MUHBA focused on the building itself and the park.
The mail point of the park is the terrace which is surrounded by a long bench in the form of a sea waves. The waves form a number of enclaves, creating a social atmosphere. Gaudí incorporated many motifs of Catalan nationalism and elements from religious mysticism and ancient poetry. The terrace was mainly built by Josep Maria Jujol, only a small part being constructed by Gaudí.
At the park's high-point, you can find "El Turó de les Tres Creus," or “Calvary”, a platform which holds three large crosses: two of the crosses point north–south and east–west and the third, the tallest cross, points skyward. This lookout offers the most complete view of Barcelona and the bay (an awesome panoramic view over Sagrada Família, the Agbar Tower and the Montjuïc Castle).
TIP: You can acquire a Barcelona City Pass – an electronic ticket on your mobile phone - that combines the city’s best attractions: Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell. The card offers you the possibility to skip the line, includes an audio guide, airport transfer and a ticket for the official Barcelona city Hop-on Hop-Off tourist bus. You can buy the pass here.
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