Gaudi's Guell Park invites visitors into his world of wonder and magic

With a rooftop view of Barcelona, our road trippers visit Park Guell, on Carmel Hill in the Gracia district of Barcelona. It was designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and is considered a masterpiece of imagination and modernist architecture. Gaudi is also known for his inventive homes and apartments and his lifelong project, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world and a wonder to behold.

STEP INSIDE GUELL PARK AND ENJOY ITS MARVELS: SERPENTS, COLUMNS, WAVES

The Dragon Stairway invites visitors to climb into a magical world
 and the Hypostyle Room of 86 columns.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

ONE OF the most popular attractions in Barcelona is Park Güell. The stunning park is like no other, the creation of famed architect Antoni Gaudi.  It is found above the city on  Carmel Hill, which offers a spectacular view of beautiful Barcelona.

We took a bus to within a couple blocks of the wondrous place, and on our third visit we saw new detail.

MOST PEOPLE visit to see the vibrantly tiled Serpentine Benches in the Greek Theatre with its panoramic views. But, there are many more equally engaging things to do and see in Park Güell.

THIS VISIT,

The Laundry Room Portico, meant to resemble ocean waves. 

we explored the Laundry Portico, marveled at the Hypostyle Hall, ascended the Dragon Stairway, visited Gaudi’s House and said hello to the beloved dragon, "El Drac." The first landing offers a variety of capricious shapes including  goblins, while halfway up the steps is the emblem of Catalonia. One must stop to admire the dragon -- actually a winsome salamander -- covered with decorative tile-shard mosaic. This has become the most popular image of the park and we enjoyed watching young and old "pet" the mosaic creature which acts as the symbol of Barcelona.
‘'El Drac'’ is known by other names -- "the dragon"’ and "the Park Güell lizard." Acting as a guard for Park Güell, it was created from brick and is coated with Gaudí’s signature Trecandís technique.

 

Gaudi House Museum is a wonderful, detailed look at
the world, its colors and forms that shaped the artist.

 THE PARK was built between 1900 and 1914, inspired by the "garden city movement" of the 20th century. Gaudi was a visionary and built the park on the edge of the city.  His notion was to allow the park and the self-contained communities within it to be surrounded by both clean air and green open spaces. 

 A famed Catalan architect, Gaudí was also a savvy businessman and named the park after his sponsor Count Eusebi Güell, who loved Gaudi's work and endowed his creativity.

The mosaic salamander statue
has become a symbol of
Barcelona.  

The estate remained Gaudí’s family home until his death in 1926. That's a sad story because he was hit by a tram on his way to inspect his beloved Sagrada Familia, and had no identification on his person.  He was identified several days after the accident in a pauper's morgue, and when people realized it was the great man, he was accorded a massive funeral befitting royalty.
THE SERPENTINE Bench is another favorite of ours, a well loved mosaic tile bench that winds its way along the terrace around Park Güell. It was created by Gaudi using the Trencandís technique, which he invented, and was widely copied during Catalonia’s modernism and surrealism periods 

Mosaic creatures and plants
 deck the halls of the park.

THE AUSTRIAN Gardens and Gaudi House Museum were originally meant to be part of a grand housing estate plan. It was Gaudi's hope that 60 villas would be built 

Guell Park deserves a visit; do
plan to spend several hours.

but the plan failed. So Park Güell was opened to the public, and the Austria Gardens became a plant nursery. Poignantly named, they gained their title through a donation of cherished trees from Austria in 1977. Both houses built on the estate can be viewed from the gardens.  One of them became Gaudí’s home, and is known as the Gaudí House. It's a charming place with personal effects providing insights into the life of a true visionary and genius.

At Guell Park, the stairs are often photographed, and one
may book a tour of the place so as not to miss highlights.

CONSTRUCTED in a slanted shape, the Laundry Room Portico was designed to mimic an ocean wave. Created with textured walls and statues, the pillars at the exterior were put in place in order to secure the road above.
Typical of Gaudí's genius, he cleverly used design to blend his creativity with the surrounding natural environment and meet the demands of the complex construction.

"Dance" by Henri Matisse, was painted in 1920
and is among the world's most beloved paintings.
It resides in New York's fabulous MoMA.

For more about this fascinating city and its rich cultural attractions: www.barcelonaturisme.com 

We recommend Visit Barcelona tickets.

ON TAP: We're on the trail of unique museums, art projects and nature inspired wonders around the world. We'll take readers inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York and check out the city's delightful High Line, a public park and walkway built on the site of an elevated historic freight rail line which was in disrepair. That and British trains, caves, craters and Central Park as it welcomes spring. We'll also feature a veteran special effects artist who found success in Hollywood. Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family, performance and more:    www.whereiscookie.com