Park Guell is another of Gaudi’s gorgeous masterpieces. The Park began in 1900, when Eusebi (I can’t say I’ve heard that first name before) Guell hired Gaudi to plan and create a large property for rich families on the hillside that Guell owned. He figured to strike it rich with a bunch of mega-mansions that had views over Barcelona all the way to the Mediterranean.
There were to be 60 plots for houses on this land, and a couple of houses were built, but in the end the project didn’t pan out and construction halted in 1914. The City of Barcelona purchased the property in 1922 and opened it as a public park in 1926. A portion of the park where most of Gaudi’s works are located is called the Monumental Zone, and requires a ticket to enter. The tickets are in half hour increments to cut down on crowding, but it was very crowded regardless. I don’t think Barcelona has an “off season” anymore. Still, this place is gorgeous and well worth the visit!
The upper area where we first entered is surrounded by these beautiful benches, and they are actually very comfortable….more so than any other park bench I have ever sat on….since they are actually designed around the human body. Why is this such a hard concept?
A path that led to the lower areas had this wave formation. Very interesting….like standing inside an actual breaking wave.
One of the support columns.
I love the design of the support columns, almost looks like intricate golf tees.
This building, designed originally as the Porter’s Lodge for receiving visitors to the estate, is now the gift shop.
These broken tile surfaces are everywhere. Gaudi never let a piece of tile go to waste!
This is perhaps Gaudi’s most famous statue. Is it a lizard, a dragon? Who cares….you can buy a smaller version in pretty much any tourist shop in Barcelona. This statue is on a stairwell in the park. It was a selfie extravaganza! I had to wait to get a shot without somebody leaning up next to it.
Just below this lizard is another one, only much less famous. Perhaps because you can only see the head? The water from the first lizards mouth feeds the water in the second lizards mouth….notice the same drool pattern?
This is a very cool and comfortable little bench just above the lizards.
This is the view from that bench. I amazingly had maybe 3 seconds without being blocked by selfie takers!
This shot is from just above where we were seated, Truly a gorgeous little spot.
Even the signs for the park are ornate. They are spread out across the exterior wall and each one was very differnt.
This was a special place to visit. I can see why the locals love it so much. The rest of the park outside the Monumental Zone didn’t have a lot of the bright colors, but the Gaudi influence was evident everywhere along the landscape. Next up, Casa Vicens, Gaudi’s first house project.