Park Guell

Oh, this park. 

It was on my bucket list to one day visit Park Guell.

It's the first thing I think of when I think of Barcelona. 

With Gaudi being the architect, you know it is going to be extraordinary!

I love how he uses mosaics to make his pieces look so colorful and unique.

I'll let the pictures do the talking!

A little bit of history about this park:

It was was commissioned by Count Eusebi Guell (whom the park is named after) and built in the early 1900s.

It was originally intended as a commercial housing site for the wealthy in Barcelona but was unsuccessful so, fortunately for us, it became a park!

Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and gets over nine million visitors a year!!

There are two parts to the park, one that requires an entrance fee and one that is open to the general public.

The $8/person to access the paid area is totally worth it as you get the best views from that area!

You can also walk through what was once Gaudi's home (now a museum) which provides such interesting insight on the life of both the Guell family and Gaudi.

(side note: make sure you book tickets in advance to guarantee you can get in on the day/time you want)

Here are some views you get from the paid area:

Amazing, right?!

I just love how colorful everything is.

I think it's amazing how Gaudi put such different and seemingly random tile pieces together yet they go together so perfectly!

Another unique feature of this park is the way Gaudi created rock pillars to look like part of nature.

The real wonder is how they are still standing!

They give the appearance of being brittle and weak but they must be pretty sturdy to remain after so many years and so many visitors. 

This was a huge highlight of our time in Barcelona and we HIGHLY recommend it!