The history of the heated bench from Barcelona. Park Guell - one of the most amazing places in the old world

Are you going to Barcelona? Have you decided that you should definitely visit Park Güell? Well, no, I'll try to dissuade you.

This greatest creation of Antonio Gaudi, no doubt, made Barcelona famous, and provided the most brilliant architect with a pass to eternity. Like other creations of the great maestro, Park Güell is taken under the protection of UNESCO as a pearl of world heritage.

For many generations of artists, this place has become a kind of art Mecca, in which every self-respecting talented person must visit at least once in his life. People come here for inspiration. And also - for surprise, delight and other vivid emotions.

Who opened Parc Güell?

Park Güell was created in 1901-1913. as conceived by a famous politician and philanthropist Eusebi Güell, who bought a hill with several hectares of land for the construction of luxury housing in the then fashionable "Garden City" style, which came from England. Construction of a landscaped area around Guell mansions instructed his protégé Gaudi. Güell's venture subsequently failed because wealthy Spaniards did not want to leave to live too far from the city center. But the history of the failed extravagant project is forever inscribed in the history of Barcelona, ​​​​thanks to the fantastic work Gaudi, who completed his part of the work.

Gaudí's unique cladding technique

Detailed description and analysis architectural complex Gaudi dedicated to more than one dissertation. You can talk endlessly about the quirkiness and fantastic style Gaudi, which was a revelation for other representatives of modernity, his contemporaries.

The unique technique of facing the sculptures with fragments of colored glass and bottles, original design solutions and a unique play of color is only half the battle. The atmosphere of the park allows you to experience a distinct feeling of being in a fairy tale. Indeed, only in naive children's fantasies can buildings reach for the sky at uneven angles, fantastic arches lean towards the ground contrary to physical laws, and a fabulous sea serpent, wriggling in rings along the perimeter of the garden, can simultaneously be a giant bench for a couple of hundred people. Park Güell- this is really the case when words can not help the cause. He needs to be seen.

What to see in the park?

How to get to Parc Güell?

Everything is very simple. Take the L3 metro to Vallcarca‎ and then follow the crowd of tourists up the escalator. Make no mistake ;-)

Total

It’s worth going here just for show, to mark that you were here. Entrance costs €7! There are a lot of people!!! It is difficult to walk quietly and even more difficult to take photos without people. The place is clearly overrated. What do you think?

The area is covered with sand, its outer part, facing the main entrance, which is essentially a cornice, as it is supported by 86 Doric columns, gently curves like a snake, and the famous bench is installed around the perimeter of this “serpent”.

Gaudi helped create this bench one of his students - Josep Maria Jujol. Gaudi came up with the idea of ​​seating construction workers on still wet clay, thus obtaining a cast, I beg your pardon, of a bare ass, with which he built the entire seat. But the bench now has an ideal anatomical shape. And Jujol forced poor workers to bring multi-colored fragments of glass, bottles, vases, etc., from which he created a colorful mosaic cocktail that adorns the bench, and now tourists are especially fond of chipping blue bottle glass from the seat and back, which Gaudi liked the most. So, through the suffering of the unfortunate builders, an ideal place for recreation was created - beautiful, roomy and very comfortable.

From the main square, there is a beautiful view of the houses of the manager and the porter, located in front of the main entrance,

as well as to the Güell residence, where the local school is now located. This house is also pink, with rhombus windows, ornately carved balconies, turrets. It seems to me that modern glamor fashion, with its love for pink color, various rhinestones and ruffles, is strongly indebted to Park Güell.

The house is fenced with a metal lattice, reminiscent of thorny plants with sharp peaks at the top, which, by their appearance, discourage every desire to climb over this fence.

Of course, it is amazing that such a structure, located in a park that is a world landmark, is used as a house of knowledge for the surrounding children. What kind of mood do they go to school in the morning?

From the main square, you can see the Mount of Three Crosses, on which Gaudí planned to build a chapel so that residents or visitors to the park, climbing a steep path, would thereby make the path of pilgrimage, purification, and having prayed, they would have the right to stay in the area. Now there are three stone crucifixes on the mountain.

On the hill, on the other side of the bench, you can see the white house of Trias-and-Domenech.

Of course, Liza and I had a photo and video session on the main square, and then, following Teresia, we went down, so that Guell's house was on our right, and the complex with columns and the square located on top of them was on the left.

Before reaching Guell's house, on the right we met another gallery with columns-​trees, which, in addition, has a rounded, screwed wall.

This gallery is called the Portico of the Laundress, since one column is made in the form of a statue of a washerwoman carrying a basket of linen on her head.

Park Guell- one of the most fabulous places in Barcelona: irregularly shaped gingerbread houses, an incredibly bizarre bench decorated with broken glass and porcelain, the famous lizard that has become one of the symbols of Barcelona, ​​winding paths in the shade of pines and palm trees - all this makes you feel like in a fairy tale. Only crowds of screaming tourists and hawkers actively pushing their goods are returning you to the ground. But if you came for impressions, then you don't care here.

A bit of history: Park Güell was originally built in the style of the garden city popular at that time in the English manner. One of the wealthiest people in Catalonia at that time, Eusebi Güell, bought this piece of land and hired Gaudí to design this very garden city. Where the park itself is now, it was planned to build houses. But for Barcelona of those times (the beginning of the 20th century), the park turned out to be too far from the center (in general, even now it is far from all other attractions), so the project failed: only two houses were built (Gaudi's house and his house friend), and the designed park had to be sold to the city authorities, who turned it into a recreation park for citizens.
At the entrance to the park you will be met by such a lizard, decorated with pieces of broken porcelain and glass. Gaudi was convinced that everything in nature should be natural-bright, not monochromatic. The lizard is now one of the symbols of Barcelona.

Here, in the same style, the coat of arms of Catalonia is made.


To the left and to the right of the stairs there is such a fence.


And at the entrance there are such gingerbread, like toy houses. Initially, it was assumed that the guards of the garden city would live here. But since the project failed, now cafes and souvenir shops are located here.







Naturally, from the very beginning, your attention is attracted viewpoint which is up there. All tourists there gradually begin to rise.

Climbing up one of the flights, just above the lizard with the coat of arms of Catalonia, you find yourself in the so-called hall of a hundred columns. As with all Gaudí style, there are no clear lines here, only smooth transitions. The arches are decorated with bottle glass, from here it all looks somehow unrealistic. According to the project, there was supposed to be a garden city market. Now concerts are held here.

When you start to climb further, then to your left there will be such a colonnade of a bizarre shape.


And finally, we get to the observation deck itself.


Here, first of all, the winding bench of Jujol attracts attention. When designing this bench, Gaudí wanted to create seats that were absolutely convenient for the human body, so the workers had to sit naked on a plaster cast, and bench seats were made according to the resulting models. By the way, the house that can be seen from behind is the house of Gaudí's friend. One of the two houses that were built here, instead of 70 that were supposed to be built according to the project.


Jujol's bench is closer. The entire bench is decorated with broken porcelain and glass. Gaudí in those days built not only Park Güell, but also La Pedrera and Sagrada Familia in parallel. The workers of all three construction sites were ordered to collect broken dishes, tiles, bottles, etc. wherever they see in the city. All this was delivered to Park Güell, crushed, and decorations for a bench, lizard, walls, etc. were created from the pieces. really fabulous.


And all this is incredibly beautiful shimmers in the sun.


This is Gaudí's house. Here he lived with his father and niece for over 20 years. From here, he walked daily to the construction site of the Sagrada Familia. By the way, I stayed in Barcelona in the area 10 minutes walk to Park Güell. And also from here on foot I got to the Sagrada Familia. In time, it took about 20-30 minutes to walk. By today's standards, not so far. Although the Sagrada Familia is also far from the center of the city, after all. Therefore, in general, one can understand why people did not want to settle here.


Near the entrance to the house-museum there is such a sculpture. By the way, the Gaudí House Museum is the only thing you have to pay for in the Park Güell. Entrance to the park itself is free.


Inside the house there are many strange things. All in the style of Gaudí himself. :) Below is a desk where the architect created his brilliant projects, drawings of the Sagrada Familia, in particular.


High chair. :)


Posthumous cast of Gaudí.


Balcony.


When walking through the park itself, you will come across such verandahs.


Or such bridges-transitions.


And, of course, inventive sellers sell here everything that you don’t even think of, and at the same time show unrealistic creativity. Here, for example, on this umbrella is presented wide selection all sorts of trinkets.


At the exit from the park, you can take a picture with the symbol of the park - a lizard. :)

Well, once again main symbol park and one of the symbols of Barcelona. :)

November 19th, 2015 02:56 am

Many tourists travel to Barcelona to admire the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí. But you don't have to fly to the Catalan capital. All his legacy...
The personality of Antonio Gaudi is enigmatic and mysterious. The second person who, in my opinion, has a similar aura is not even a real person, but a character in the novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby. And with what ease the hero of the novel enchanted his audience with soirees, with the same ease Gaudí's works capture our heart, soul and memory.
What is his genius?
Perhaps the answer lies on the surface. He is around us. Gaudi deified nature and drew inspiration from it. He was the first to decide to transfer the laws of nature to architecture.
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Its church spiers top with sheaves of cereals and ears of corn, the arches of the windows are crowned with baskets of fruit, and bunches of grapes hang from the façades; drainpipes meander in the form of snakes and reptiles; chimneys are twisted with snails, and fence grates are forged in the form of palm leaves.
Everything ingenious is simple!

During his life, Antonio Gaudí created more than 20 architectural masterpieces, 10 of which are located directly in Barcelona.

I invite you to take a fascinating walk through the streets of Barcelona and get acquainted with the masterpieces of Gaudí's architecture, which have no analogues to this day.

And you can stay in Barcelona in these hotels:

1. House Vicens (Casa Vicens)

The House of Vicens was Gaudí's first significant work. It was built between 1883 and 1888 by order of the owner of the ceramic tile factory, Manuel Vicens Muntaner.

For the first time inspecting the site of a future construction site, Gaudí discovered a giant flowering palm tree surrounded by a carpet of yellow flowers- marigolds. All these motifs Gaudi later included in the design of the house: palm leaves found their place on the fence, and marigolds became the pattern of ceramic tiles.

Gaudí developed the design of the entire building, starting with the meticulous finishing of the exterior, and ending with the decorative solutions of the interior, up to the painting of the walls and stained-glass windows.

Since the house is a private property, it is closed to the public. However, one day a year, May 22, the owners of the house open its doors to guests.

2. Pavilions of the Guell estate (Pavellons Güell)

It was on this project that two great men met who for many years to come determined the image of Barcelona: the architect Antonio Gaudí and Count Eusebi Güell. By order of Güell, Antonio had to reconstruct the patron's summer country residence: remake the park and erect a gate with a fence, build new pavilions and design stables with an indoor arena. And in order to show a single idea for the entire project, the architect made all the buildings in the same style, using the same building material and a pattern resembling dragon scales.

It was during the construction of the Guell pavilions that Gaudi first used the trencadis technique - facing the surface with irregularly shaped pieces of ceramic or glass. Later, we will meet this technology in the design of benches in the Park Güell and many other works of the architect.

Unfortunately, today only the entrance group with a gate decorated with a dragon has survived from the building. As conceived by Gaudi, the dragon guarded the garden with golden apples, giving eternal youth and immortality.

When the gate was opened, the head and paws of the dragon moved, frightening and surprising guests and passers-by. Today, you can approach the Dragon without fear - it will remain motionless and freely let you into the estate.

3. Palau Güell

The next large-scale project created by Antonio Gaudi for Güell is a residential building, or rather, a palace. This magnificent Venetian "palazzo" is squeezed into a small space of 22 by 18 meters.

Fully evaluate appearance the entire Palace Güell is impossible from any point, because Carrer Nou de la Rambla is very densely built up. To surprise viewers who are at a great distance from the building, Gaudí designed unusual chimney towers.

Gaudi believed that one single architectural element cannot be a worthy decoration of the roof. Therefore, in the castle, the roof is designed according to the "scenographic" principle. Each chimney is made in the form of a whimsical turret, turning the roof into a magical garden. Gaudi uses this favorite technique in many of his future projects.

At the entrance, between the two forged gates of the palace, Gaudí placed the coat of arms of Catalonia, and engraved the initials of Euzebi Güell - "E" and "G" on the gates themselves.

4. College of the Order of Saint Teresa (Collegi de las Teresianes)

"Collegi de las Teresianes" - a school at the monastery of St. Teresa - also became one of the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí. The college building was built between 1888 and 1890 by order of Enric d'Usso, the priest who founded the Theresian order.

Initially, the development of the plan was entrusted to the architect Juan B. Ponsom. He worked on the project for a whole year, and even managed to build the building up to the second floor, when the construction was entrusted to Gaudi. The young brilliant architect managed to make significant changes to the initial design and complete the construction in less than a year.

For Gaudi, this was an unusual project. Firstly, he had to work on a limited budget, so ordinary brick and imitation stone were used in the construction. And secondly, his fantasy was “framed”. Antonio first coordinated all his architectural and decorative ideas with the priest, and only after that he could bring them to life. It's not surprising that most of from the plan was rejected.

The architect nevertheless decorated the school as much as possible. To do this, he used numerous neat arches and decorative elements on the battlements of the building, which look like professors' hats.

5. House Calvet (Casa Calvet)
Another masterpiece of architect Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona at first glance seems ordinary and unremarkable, but it’s worth taking a closer look…

Gaudí's Calvet House was built by order of the widow of the late industrialist Pere Calvet, in accordance with all the criteria for a "profitable" house. Shops were located on the first floor, the hostess herself lived on the second floor, and the remaining levels were given to tenants.

It's a paradox, but the most "ordinary" creation of Antonio Gaudi immediately after construction, in 1900, was recognized as the best building in Barcelona. For many, this came as a surprise, since by this time Antonio had completed several projects that looked more refined and sophisticated. However, the authorities of the capital of Catalonia, it was this creation that seemed the most worthy.

In the design of the facade, Gaudi thought through every little thing. So, honeycombs suggested the shape of the peephole to the architect. When creating it, the genius dipped his fingers into the clay mass several times, and then filled the resulting shape with metal.

And the knockers on the front doors hit the image of the bed bug. Perhaps, according to the ancient Catalan custom, the killing of this insect brought good luck and prosperity to the house. Or maybe Antoni Gaudí just didn't like pests.

Today, the Kalvet house is still used for its intended purpose: the basement is reserved for warehouses, the first floor is occupied by an office, and residential apartments are located on the remaining floors.

6. Figueres House on Bellesguard Street, Barcelona (Casa Figueras)

At the beginning of the 15th century, King Marty the Humane built on the slope of Mount Tibidabo magnificent palace, which he called Bellesguard - translated from Catalan "beautiful view." Five centuries later, in 1900, a completely different, more modest neo-Gothic palace by the architect Antonio Gaudi arose on the same site. Subsequently, he received the name of the House of Figueres.

The house turned out in a rather bizarre style. The structure seems to be directed upwards, although the structure itself is far from being high. Gaudi achieved a similar effect by using a sharp spire in the construction, as well as by deliberately overestimating each part of the house. The height of the basement was 3 meters, the first floor - 5 meters, mezzanine - 6 meters. Overall Height the house reaches 33 meters and it looks completely completed in the vertical direction.

In the course of construction work, Gaudí displaced the medieval road somewhat and placed it on vaults with inclined columns. He also uses this technique in Park Güell.

Until 2013, the house of Figueres was closed to the public, but since the owners needed funds for reconstruction, they decided to open it to tourists.

Slowly, we are approaching the most interesting. These are the well-known and popular sights of Antoni Gaudi's hands in Barcelona, ​​and the first of them is Park Güell.

7. Park Guell. Garden City (Parc Güell)

Probably, each of us at least once saw Gaudí's gingerbread houses - one of the symbols of the capital of Catalonia, which is found on postcards, magnets and other souvenirs. You and I can find them at the entrance to Park Güell, or sometimes it is called "Gaudi Park".

Once upon a time, this popular park in Barcelona began its development as a commercial project. After a trip to England, Güell was impressed by the park areas and set about creating something similar in Barcelona. To do this, he purchased a large plot on a hill and asked Antoni Gaudí to take over the project. According to Güell's idea, the park was to become residential area for the Catalan elite. But the inhabitants of the city did not support his efforts. As a result, only 3 exhibition copies were built from residential buildings, in which the authors of the project themselves - Güell and Gaudi, as well as their lawyer friend, settled. Later, the Barcelona City Council bought the property from the heirs of the patron and transformed it into a city park, and opened a municipal school and a museum in two houses. The lawyer's house still belongs to his family.

The architect did a great job. He designed all the necessary communication systems, planned streets and squares, built viaducts, ramparts, entrance pavilions and a staircase that leads to the 100 Columns Hall. On the roof of the hall there is a large square, surrounded by a bright curved bench around the perimeter.

8. Casa Batlló

"House of Bones", "Dragon House", "Yawning House" are all names by which Casa Batllo in Barcelona is known.
This attraction is located in the very center of Barcelona, ​​and with all your desire you will not be able to pass by without noticing it. A humpbacked roof that looks like a dragon's spine, a mosaic facade that changes color depending on the lighting, balconies that resemble the faces of big-eyed flies or skulls - all this makes an indelible impression.

Antonio Gaudí received an order for the reconstruction of the house from a textile magnate who planned to completely demolish the old building. Keeping the original structure of the house, the architect designed two new facades. The main one overlooks Passeig de Gracia, the back one goes inside the block.

To improve the lighting and ventilation of the building, Gaudi combined the light shafts into a single courtyard. Here, the architect created a special play of chiaroscuro: in order to achieve uniform lighting, Gaudí gradually changes the color of the ceramic cladding from white to blue and blue.

Part of the façade is covered in a mosaic of broken ceramic tiles that starts in golden hues, continues in orange, and ends in blue-green.

9. House Mila - Pedrera (Casa Milà)

Casa Mila is Antonio Gaudí's latest secular project. After its construction, the architect devoted himself entirely to the main masterpiece of his life - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
Initially, the people of Barcelona did not accept Gaudí's new creation. Mila's house was nicknamed "Pedrera" which means "stone quarry" for its uneven and ponderous appearance. Builders and owners of the house were even fined several times for non-compliance with generally accepted standards. But soon the passions subsided, they quickly got used to the house and began to treat it as another creation of a genius.

When building Pedrera, Antoni Gaudí used technology that was far ahead of its time. Instead of the classic supporting and load-bearing walls, it used an irregularly shaped steel frame reinforced with arches and columns. Thanks to this, it was possible to give the facade of the house an unusual floating shape, and the layout of the apartments, at the request of the owner of the house, could change at any time. This technology is also very popular among modern builders who use it in the construction of monolithic-frame houses. But more than a century has passed!

But the architect's talent was fully revealed on the roof of Mila's house. Here Gaudí created a special, fairy world decorating chimneys and elevator shafts with unusual sculptures.

Despite its cultural value, Mila's house is still residential today. Only the exhibition hall with the works of Antonio Gaudi, an apartment reflecting the life of that time, and the roof of the building are open for inspection.

10. Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família)

Sagrada Familia is the main masterpiece of Antonio Gaudi, the project of his whole life, to which he dedicated 43 years. The construction of the cathedral began in 1882 under the direction of the architect Francesco del Villar. But a year later, young Gaudi was appointed in his place. According to his idea, the height of the cathedral should be lower than the high mountain Barcelona is only one meter - 170 meters. With this, the architect wanted to show that what was created by human hands cannot be higher than what God created.

The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia, like many other creations of Gaudí, is designed in the spirit of the philosophy of unity with nature. The building should be crowned with 18 towers - this is a symbol of the apostles, evangelists and Jesus Christ.

The facades of the cathedral are already decorated with sculptures depicting not only biblical characters, but also animals, grapes and various symbols reflecting facts from the life of saints.

It is noteworthy that the animal figures were created by Gaudí himself. He put his "models" to sleep and created their exact sculptures.

The interior of the cathedral is also thought out to the smallest detail. Gaudi assumed that from the inside the cathedral would resemble a forest, with stars visible through the branches of trees. As a reflection of this idea, multifaceted columns appeared in the cathedral, supporting the high vaults of the temple.

Closer to the vaults, the columns change their shape and branch out like trees. The stars in this grandiose project were window openings located at different heights.

The death of Antonio Gaudi was as extraordinary as his whole life, as well as his work. On June 7, 1926, at the age of 73, he was hit by a tram. The architect lost consciousness, but the cabmen were in no hurry to take him to the hospital: he had neither money nor documents, and he looked extremely untidy. As a result, he ended up in a hospital for the poor.
Gaudí died on June 10, 1926 and was buried in his favorite place - in the Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia.

Hi all! Today we are waiting for a walk through the most famous, probably, place in all of Barcelona. We are waiting for Park Güell in Barcelona. With all its amazing benches, mosaic ceilings and fabulous animals. But this park was not conceived as a place of rest for citizens and pilgrimage for tourists.

A real epic fail of Senor Güell's great business idea, who wanted to turn this place into a luxury city for the rich. Well, his idea and the brilliant execution of Antonio Gaudi gave us much more - the park has become a symbol of Barcelona.

Here, created by nature and man is in amazing balance. Although, it is worth clarifying, speaking of "man", I mean Antonio Gaudi - the favorite architect of Barcelona. This park receives thousands of tourists every day, it is crowded here in winter and summer.

You can't see Parque Güell in 30 minutes, even 2-3 hours is not enough. To be imbued with his idea of ​​symbiosis of nature and man, you need to spend at least 1 day here. Don't worry, it won't be boring, that's for sure. Quite far from the center, in the Gracia district, this famous park is located.

By the way, the park is often called "Gaudi Park", so what does Güell have to do with it? The fact is that Gaudi created and implemented this project for the wealthy Catalan Eusebio Guella. Although, today not everyone remembers who he is. But everyone knows the name of the legendary architect.

Failed commercial project

Once upon a time, a wealthy entrepreneur, politician, philanthropist and patron of the arts, Eusebio Guella from Barcelona, ​​had the idea to create a very unusual project - a special town surrounded by green gardens. Environmentally friendly, extraordinary and very expensive. Under this idea, Guell bought 15 hectares of land in a place called Bald Mountain.

Whom to hire to implement such an idea? Of course, Gaudi. By the way, they were friends, and Gaudí had already created by that time. The philanthropist, who adores the work of the architect, gave his friend complete freedom of action, offered to dispose of the land and everything necessary at his discretion. Only one "but". A beautiful mansion for the Guell family should be built on the territory.

Park 1900-1910

If you are Antonio Gaudi, then this is just a great job offer for you. The architect hated straight lines, and in this hilly area there is no question of any straight lines, only what nature has created.

The garden city was supposed to be something very special.

The working space was divided into 64 sections. Güell planned to sell them to interested rich people. Comfortable housing was planned in the most unusual "city" in the world. The commercial project promised the developer huge profits.

First of all, the architect thought out a cunning system of access roads to the territory of the garden city. Then, he set about pavilions and pavilions.

The next 3 years from 1910 to 1913 the artist was working on a long, winding bench. It still retains its unparalleled popularity today.

How did it become

There are no two identical sections here, it is all lined with bright tiles of yellow, blue, black, white and green colors.

At the same time, several plots were sold, and the construction of the first houses began. Already at this stage of construction, the park looked very attractive. But, there was one big “but” in this whole project.

The failure of the plan

A long winding bench, romantic paths and the prospect of living in this amazing place did not seem so attractive to everyone. Guell did not take into account one detail: his land was on a hill, and few people wanted to climb it. And still far from the center.

Today, comfortable buses bring tourists here, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the ascent and descent were problematic.

As a result, only 3 houses were built. The rest of the buyers refused - a real failure of a great commercial idea.

The first house, as we already know, belongs to Güell himself.

The second one was built by the architect Julie Balievel, commissioned by the Barcelona-based prosperous lawyer Martin Trias y Domenech, who really liked the idea of ​​the park. His house has survived and is owned by Martin's descendants.

Home of lawyer Martin Trias y Domenech

Another plot for a house was sold, guess who? Yes, Gaudí himself. He really liked the park and the place. Güell thought, and decided that the utopian idea of ​​a garden city would no longer bring him the desired income and handed over the park to the authorities of Barcelona. And those, in turn, gave all residents and guests the opportunity to relax in an unusual park.

Park today

Park Güell has become a real synonym for the city of Barcelona, ​​and a walk through it is a must for every tourist. There are two "gingerbread houses" at the entrance. There is no other way to describe them. brown fronts and white roof, everything is soft, rounded, as if fabulous. This is the gatekeeper's house and the administrative building of the park.

And in the park you will meet animals and mythical creatures. The most popular of them is the salamander. Like everything here, it is mosaic, very bright. Each of its scales shimmers.

Even here, with the light hand of Gaudi, a dragon and a snake “settled”.

A long mosaic staircase starts from the entrance to the park.

Yeah, going up and down to your house every day is pretty hard. It becomes clear why the sites did not want to buy. The flag of Catalonia is tiled on the stairs. Don't forget what land you are on.

Ahead is the Hall of a Hundred Columns. In fact, there are “only” 86 of them, and they all support the ceiling. And there is something to see here: the ceiling is designed in such a way that the ornament on it, the mosaic medallions seem to be convex.

At first glance, nothing special. Light ceiling, bright spots on it. Somewhere in the form of a star, the sun, incomprehensible curls.

The further we move along the hall, the more this first impression changes. There is amazing harmony. It seems as if tropical flowers bloom on the walls and ceiling right in front of us. Perhaps this is how the architect conceived this place.

Walking through the hall to the very end, we find ourselves on a spacious Esplanade (terrace), which offers a beautiful view of the city in the distance. What would it be like to live here? Among mosaics, benches, to pass every day under the vaults of the Hall of a hundred columns, hurrying about your business? Luckily for us tourists, the buyers turned down the opportunity to “settle in” this place. But now each of us can visit the park.

Working hours

• From October 29 to March 23, the park is open from 8:30 to 18:30.
• From March 26 to April 30, the park is open from 8:00 to 20:30.
• From May 1 to August 27, the park is open from 8:00 to 21:30
• From August 28 to October 28, the park is open from 8:00 to 20:30.

What is the price

Until 2013, the entrance to Park Güell was free, free. Now, alas, this will not work.

Tickets can be purchased in two ways:

• At the box office of the park
• On the site

The cost is slightly different.

Website price:

• for adults - 7 euro;
• children from 7 to 12 - 4.90 euro;
• pensioners - 4.90 euros.

Checkout price:

• for adults - 8 euro;
• children from 7 to 12 - 5.60 euro;
• pensioners - 5.60 euros.

It is better to book and buy a ticket online. The fact is that every 30 minutes the ticket office of the park can only sell 400 tickets, and given the crowds of people, you may have problems.

Why stand in line when you can not stand? Buying a ticket online is fast, simple and modern. But, you can safely enter the park whenever you want (during working hours).

By the way, you can buy a ticket as much as 3 months before the visit. Plus, it's cheaper that way.

Official site: www.parkguell.cat

Where to stay in Barcelona

Now a lot of housing options in Barcelona appeared on the service Airbnb. We have written how to use this service. If you do not find a free room in the hotel, then look for accommodation through this booking site.

We offer good options for hotels in Barcelona

How to get there

By metro: Lesseps station. Then a short walk for 20 minutes, but you won't get lost. There are signs everywhere.

By bus: The easiest way to get to the park is by tourist bus. Park Guel stop. You will be dropped off right at the entrance.

Address: Carrer d'Olot, 5, Barcelona

Park Güell on the map

Thank you friends for being with us. We hope you are interested in Park Güell and want to see it with your own eyes. Subscribe to updates, read our blog and get inspired with new travel ideas.