Barcelona parks

Summary
Barcelona can really boast about its wide variety of parks. You can immerse yourself in Park Güell's modernista wonderland, check out the animals at the Park de la Ciutadella's zoo, ride some roller coasters in the Tibidabo Amusement Park, or admire the city's blooming botany collection at the Park of Montjuïc.

Barcelona, Spain can really boast about its wide variety of parks, all great options if you prefer greenery to the city's beaches. Parks are ranging from the largest to the smallest, both private and public. The parks and gardens in Barcelona are close to main city's attractions and Barcelona hotels, many of them include that were the former private gardens and parklands of the city's nobility and whether it is just a small square with surrounding trees or a larger open space, they are all peaceful places to relax.

Güell park, designed by Antonio Gaudí is the most famous park in Barcelona, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has been subject to all types of praise and criticism, including comments such as "outrageous modernism", "surrealistic island", "nightmare expressionist park". These ornate parks and gardens are an Edenesque retreat in the center of Barcelona. Originally intended as a public housing project, the site was turned over for city use in 1923 and has been enjoyed by patrons ever since. Stepping into Park Guell is like stepping into a strange but beautiful alternate dimension. The benches, buildings, fountains and trails of Park Guellare full of colorful mosaics and undulating forms in an almost psychedelic homage to natural forms - from the guardian lizard fountain at the entrance to a broad lookout space with spectacular views of Barcelona.

If you're looking for some green respite right in the city center, the Parc de la Ciutadella is your best bet. Park de la Ciudadella is situated in the Barri Gotic, and you can find many huge, important museums of art and culture, and even a great lake where you can rent boats. Home of the famous Universal Exhibition of 1888, the Ciutadella Park also is the location of one of Europe's finest Zoos containing a museum devoted to the subject. There is also a museum devoted to Modern Art, a museum exhibiting a collection of geological and paleontological items, and two interesting buildings containing an impressive variety of plants.

The oldest garden in Barcelona is The park Labyrinth of Horta as well as a magnificent example of the neoclassical art period. Labyrinth park is adorned with statues of various mythological figures. It was built in the 18th Century by the architect Domenico Bagutti as a project to landscape the property of Antoni Desvalls. Later in 1971 it was handed over to the city council, as the Desvalls family was not able to maintain such a complex garden anymore. Stairways join the multiple levels of the park. These gardens are divided into three levels: the irrigation level, the labyrinth level, and the romantic level. The trick with irrigation is to have a stockpile of water at the top of the garden to fuel the many fountains and plants down to the villa. The trick with the labyrinth level is to watch the sun; but that doesn't help too much, we hit six or seven dead ends.