Park Güell, Architectural park in La Salut, Barcelona, Spain
Park Güell is a hillside garden on the slope of Carmel Hill, featuring winding paths, staircases, and terraces integrated into the natural topography. The main zone displays stone viaducts, a large platform with mosaic benches, and a columned hall, while the outer areas blend into Mediterranean vegetation.
Eusebi Güell commissioned Gaudí around 1900 to design a residential estate modeled on English garden cities, but only two houses were sold. The city of Barcelona acquired the site in 1922 and opened it as a public park.
The main staircase leads to a dragon made from colorful ceramic shards that has become one of the most photographed motifs in the city. Visitors see organic shapes everywhere that recall plants and animals, while the columned hall below suggests a forest of stone trees.
The zone with the famous structures requires an entry ticket with a set time slot that should be bought online in advance. The woodland paths and viewpoints outside this area remain freely accessible at all times.
The undulating bench on the main terrace extends over more than 100 meters (about 330 feet) and forms a continuous seating surface whose curved shape was modeled after the imprint of a seated worker. The embedded mosaic pieces come from nearby ceramic factories and give each section a different color pattern.
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