If you’re looking to visit Barcelona, one of the most exciting things to check out is certainly Park Guell. The park has been around for a very long time, and it continues to be one of the top attractions for the city. Thanks to its marvelous look, incredible style, and majestic design, it impresses millions of people every single year. In this article, we will focus on learning more about Park Guell, what makes it so impressive, but also learn more about who made it and why it captures the attention of so many people.

What is Park Guell?

Park Guell is a modern park system that’s made out of architectural elements, gardens, as well as sweeping terraces. It was built in the Gracia district in Barcelona, right on the Carmel Hill. At first, it was made with the idea of creating a residential development project. However, eventually, it became a municipal garden.

There are many things that make it iconic, from the beautiful greenery and stunning views. It also has a great surreal design, all thanks to its main creator, Antoni Gaudi. As we all know, Gaudi had its hands in many projects throughout Barcelona. Some were finished, others are still being worked on. With Park Guell, we have exceptional work from Gaudi that you can actually visit at any given time.

When was Park Guell built?

What’s very important to note about Park Guell is the fact that it took quite a bit of time for it to get built properly. The history of the park dates back to the early 20th century. In fact, at the dawn of the 20th century, in 1900, Eusebi Guell purchased a plot of land on Carmel Hill. He was Gaudi’s patron at that time and a very wealthy industrialist in the Catalan region.

He commissioned Gaudi to create a luxurious housing development that would use British garden cities as inspiration. The construction of Park Guell started that year, and it took until 1914 for the park to get constructed properly. It was quite the undertaking for Gaudi since he built public spaces, viaducts, roads, drainage systems, but also key structures like the main terrace and entrance pavilions. 

In 1914, however, the project was not deemed a success, since only 2 homes were built and because of that, the entire development was halted. However, in 1922, the City of Barcelona decided to acquire the plot of land, and they transformed it into a public park. It has been a park ever since, and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Who designed Park Guell?

As we mentioned earlier, the primary creator for Park Guell was Antoni Gaudi. Many consider him to be one of the top architects the world has ever seen, especially during the 19th and 20th century. Gaudi was born in 1852, and he quickly became a major figure in the architectural world.

You can see many of his defining features in a plethora of works. He brought a lot of innovative techniques, organic forms, bright colors and so on. He was also known for integrating religion and nature, something that was not seen until that point. At first, Gaudi wanted to make Park Guell in the form of a garden city. And, as we mentioned earlier, the British movement at the time was focused a lot on garden, which is where he drew a lot of inspiration from.

With that in mind, the work focuses a lot on having colorful mosaics made out of ceramic, but also integrates natural shapes. These include things like trees, seashells, honeycombs and the like. All of that adds up to deliver a visually-imposing, albeit very consistent and unique style that you rarely get to see. Despite the fact that the residential side of the project never came to be, the park still manages to stand the test of time. In fact, people continue to visit Barcelona for this park alone! 

Do you need tickets for Park Guell?

A lot of people are wondering if you need tickets to access Park Guell, and the short answer is yes. Most of the Park Guell areas need you to have a ticket. In fact, the thing we need to note here is that the park has 2 major zones. You have the free access zone, which covers the scenic walking trails and wooded areas. You don’t need a ticket for that zone, however it’s the less spectacular side of the park. 

The paid area is called the Monumental Zone, and it’s the most famous side. Here, you can find the popular spots like the Serpentine Bench, Hypostyle Hall, Dragon Stairway, and others. Due to the importance of these locations, they are preserved by regulating the zone and imposing the need for a ticket.

But how much does a ticket for the Monumental Zone cost? The general admission cost is 10 to 13 Euros, that will vary based on the season. Discounted tickets are available for kids, students and seniors. If you want to attend one of the guided tours, those are anywhere from 20 to 30 Euros. They can be a good option because you have more insight into Gaudi’s work, and you learn more about the park and its history as well.

Combo tickets are available as well, and they can help you save some money. You can visit Sagrada Familia and Park Guell using a single ticket, so you may want to keep this in mind. Another thing to consider is that usually, tickets tend to sell out during the peak tourist seasons. Booking online will be the best option if you want to access Park Guell during those peak times, so keep that in mind.

How long to spend at Park Guell?

If you’re wondering how much time you should spend at Park Guell, that depends on your schedule for the day. It’s possible to spend 1 hour there, but you can also go for a much longer visit. If you’re interested in the architecture, walking, and taking photos, a more in-depth visit can take you around 3-4 hours. That gives you enough time to go through the trails, check the Serpentine Bench, and also visit the Gaudi House, a great museum.

A regular, standard visit will be around 2-3 hours, and that will be enough for most people. Not only will it make it easy for you to tour the Monumental Zone, but you can also enjoy the panoramic views of the city. Of course, if you don’t have a lot of time, then 1 to 1.5 hours will be enough as well. You can take a few pics, check the Monumental Zone highlights, and that will be great!

As you can see, it doesn’t really matter if you spend a lot of time at Park Guell. However, if you are short on time, you might be missing some activities and things to do. Yet, despite that, we think that visiting Park Guell for 2-3 hours will give you plenty of time to enjoy most of what the park has to offer. It’s an exceptional, unique place to check out, and you’ll find it to be incredibly rewarding.

What to see in Park Guell?

Now that you know how great it is to visit Park Guell, you may want to narrow down those must-see spots in the park. The thing is, especially if you don’t have a lot of time, you may have certain limits in regard to what you can access/see. That’s why we made a list with some of the most popular spots. In doing so, you can narrow down what you are looking forward to the most and go from there.

  • The Dragon Stairway is a very popular thing to check out because you get to see a dragon covered in mosaic. It’s called El Drac by locals, and it’s basically one of the main things you see at the entry of the Monumental Zone. The stairway will then bring you to the Hypostyle Room, and this is an amazing spot for selfies.
  • As we said earlier, the Hypostyle Hall is iconic and a spot that a lot of people want to access. Here you have 86 fluted columns. Its primary role was to be a market for the people living there. The fact that its ceiling has circular medallions and tiles is amazing. It shows the craftsmanship of the early 20th century and the brilliant mind of Gaudi, so that alone is nothing short of stunning.
  • Nature Square is a huge open terrace you can find above the Hypostyle Hall. Why do you want to visit this? It has the Serpentine Bench right near it, and you can have some of the best views of Barcelona from here. Obviously, it’s a stunning place for taking photos, and a lot of people appreciate it more than you might expect.
  • Speaking of the Serpentine Bench, if you’re in the Park Guell, you have to see it. The bench is undulating and very long, and it wraps around the Nature Square. At its core, it’s designed to be very ergonomic and with a stunning look. You have everything here, from intricate designs to tile patterns and many others.
  • In the Entrance Pavilions, you can easily find yourself immersed in stunning architectural details. These are 2 buildings that seem like gingerbread houses. There’s a lot of detail here. One of the buildings is a part of the interpretation center, the other one is actually the gift shop for Park Guell.
  • On top of these spots, you also have the walkways and viaducts. These were made with the idea of connecting various parts of Park Guell, while keeping the natural landscape unique and different. There are lots of bridges, colonnades and viaducts, and all of them are implemented very well, in a way that truly makes them stand out.
  • If you’re in Park Guell and have enough time, check the Austria Gardens. Unlike some of the other spots, this is a more tranquil side of the park. It was the spot meant for residential plots. However, now you can see the gardens, which feature exotic and native plants. It’s definitely less-crowded, which can be a major plus!
  • Lastly, you also want to check out the Gaudi House Museum. The museum is great because it features original documents, personal items, furniture and lots of stuff that was owned by Gaudi. Whether you want to learn more about him or better understand his life, this is the right place to check out.

Great things you should know if you want to visit Park Guell

The best time to visit Park Guell is either spring or autumn because the weather is great and it can be less crowded. When it comes to the time of day, morning time or late afternoon tend to be the right option because you can take photos without worrying about crowds. If you want to visit Park Guell, keep in mind that food options are rather limited in the park. That’s why it might be a better idea to bring your own water and snacks.

Additionally, you should note that Park Guell is a huge part of Barcelona’s culture, and it’s definitely one of the things every tourist should check out. Even if it didn’t fulfill its original vision as a housing development, the park itself is stunning, and there’s definitely a lot of amazing stuff to see.

Closing thoughts

Exploring Park Guell is very much like entering the dream of an artist, and it’s an amazing work of art. It’s a tribute to creativity, and it shows how amazing Gaudi’s mind was at that time. He was a very forward-thinking artist with a true focus on blending modern details and nature. Park Guell is a true expression of that, and exploring this exceptional park is nothing short of incredible. We highly recommend exploring Park Guell whenever you are in Barcelona, as it’s an exceptional park, filled with detail and one-of-a-kind architecture and artwork