One of Barcelona's most famous landmarks is a colourful statue of a giant lizard. This was part of Gaudi's famous Parc Güell project, which he designed as a “first class bubble” in the middle of Barcelona city. His original intention was to create a green space where wealthy individuals could have their houses, surrounded by an extensive green park with privileged views over the whole of Barcelona. Unfortunately the funds were not enough for the project; this is how Barcelona City Council came to name this the Parc Güell.
Funnily, the first thing you see when arriving at the entrance is not a vast green expanse, but a pair of Hansel-and-Gretel-style houses, with Gaudi's famous bright colours and shapes; the spires seem almost orthodox in style, and the windows seem to bulge outwards and give the houses a candy-like, bloated appearance.
The park extends over a hill in the middle of Barcelona, with views on all sides. From here you can see the whole city, with the Sagrada Familia in the foreground, and the controversial W Hotel at the Barcelona port in the background. Other prominent buildings in view are the Tibidabo, a church at the top of the mountain behind Barcelona; the Olympic stadium and parks; and Montjuic park.
Gaudi himself lived within the park area for a time. His house can be visited inside the park. However, they do not take cards, so take cash... As well as this there as endless paths all over the hill with excellent views of the various landmarks within the park itself (the lizard, the imposing entrance, as well as the impressive plaza with benches in the shape of a very long lizard's body, which go all the way round the plaza:
No comments:
Post a Comment