Barcelona is bursting at the seams with art. And not just any art— some of the most colorful,
texture rich art you will ever see. These flamboyant works remain preserved and available for the public to see, and it is definitely worth taking advantage of.
One area guaranteed to blow your mind is Park Güell. The park was created in 1914 and is located on Carmel Hill, Barcelona. The park was a result of an iconic collaboration between Eusebi Güell and Antoni Gaudi. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, one of the most well-known and to this day, a relevant Catalan architect, it is safe to say his style of architecture is one-of-a-kind. To visit Park Güell, it is highly recommended to book your tickets in advance. This will ensure a smooth and stress-free entrance to the park. Click here to purchase your tickets. Locals have access to the park free of charge. The park offers three ticket options; timed entry tickets for 10 euro, a guided tour option that also includes skip-the-line-access for 23 euro, and combo tickets that include access to Park Güell as well as Sagrada Familia for 79 euro. If you are driving to the park, find parking information here. Excluding the guided tour option, you have the luxury to explore the park at your own pace and take as many photos as you want throughout the entire experience!
On vacation from London, Emanuel recommended the guided tour if you wanted to learn more about Gaudi, his design style, and the history behind his creations.
“It made me more connected to the pieces when I learned a little bit about the history behind them,” Emanuel said. “I’d recommend the tour if you want to learn and not just sightsee.”
Once you have entered the park, you have to walk for a few minutes in order to reach the famous traditional style Gaudi mosaics and designs. The walk is enchanting and lovely, reminiscent of a storybook. A few staircases and snapshots later, you’ll reach a platform that overlooks a huge open area encapsulated by the famous mosaic benches. You will have a view of palm trees, Gaudi’s work, and the beautiful blue Balearic Sea.
The bench lookout area offers a place to rest while still providing views of the art below that is still waiting for you to explore. The benches are covered in bright colors and patterned intricate tiles that simply make you pause and begin to think about the complexity of the creation process. There will most likely be many people here taking on the views and taking photos on the benches.
Madison, a tourist and social media influencer from the United States, came to the park to snap photos for her Instagram.
“This place is unreal,” Madison said. “This is probably my favorite tourist attraction I’ve seen here so far and it gave me great content for my social media.”
Exploding with vibrant colors you can’t help but savor with tons of pictures and textures you can’t help but reach your hand out to touch, the park is simply covered in mosaic masterpieces. The concept of mosaics like these on such a grand scale is mind boggling!
Take it in, take photos, and bask in the art that surrounds you. Let the encompassing rich colors and textures connect you to the electric city of Barcelona and all that it has to offer.
Keep in mind that although there is no time limit you can spend in the park, once you leave one section to head to the next, you may not go back to the previous section. Make sure not to rush! Leave each section once you have fully taken it in and are ready to keep moving forward.
Once you have mentally grasped the long winding bench covered in mosaic tiles, frolicked around the open area, and taken enough photos of the stunning overlooking view, head down stairs to the next section of the park. More art awaits! Each art piece is just as mind blowing as the one before.
Once you arrive on the second level of the park, you will know you are experiencing something truly special. As you come down the stairs, there stands a Hypostyle Hall. Your eyes will immediately gravitate upwards to the ceiling of the structure. The ceiling is created by many small concave domes and every inch is covered with tiny neutral colored mosaic tiles. In the center of each dome, there are circular overlapping colorful mosaic designs. The contrast between the vibrant mosaic on top of the neutral mosaic captures your attention and brings a sense of liveliness to the massive structure. You can’t help but stop and stare to appreciate the intricacy of the work. It is truly breathtaking.
A photographer from Madrid, Gonzalo set up his tripod and camera equipment to take photos of the ceiling.
“These mosaic tiles are fascinating, especially on camera,” Gonzalo said. “Taking photos is more fun when you get to photograph things like this.”
As you continue walking, before you even completely get down the next staircase, you guessed it— there is another mosaic masterpiece. The next mosaic masterpiece is unlike any of the ones you have seen prior at the park. These mosaic filled walls that outline the staircase known as the Dragon staircase. The mosaic design has an aesthetically pleasing checkered-like pattern. The colored mosaic tiles are concave while the white mosaic tiles are convex, creating an entrancing view. In the middle of the two staircases lies the famous dragon itself. The dragon is engulfed in blue, orange, yellow, and teal mosaics. Feel free to take photos but remember not to touch it.
As you head down the staircase, you will reach the famous Porter’s Lodge Pavilion. There are two structures there with their own unique mosaic touches and details. That concludes the Park Güell experience as the exit shortly follows.
This famous attraction sheds light on the unique art of Gaudi and his lasting impact his legacy left on the city. This park truly encapsulates the vibe and atmosphere of Barcelona: colorful, fun, historic, lively, and authentic.
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