Visiting Park Guell

In a city where there are a number of fantastic parks to visit, the fact that Park Guell is my favourite gives an indication of just how much it has to offer visitors.

Park Guell was the brain child of the famous Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudi, the main who created many of the city’s most famous buildings including the cathedral and Sagrada Familia. The site was originally due to be a housing development for the rich, but as there was very little interest in it the development was scrapped. The show home became home to Gaudi himself and is a now a museum to him containing many of his original works. Depending on what time of year you visit there may be a small queue to enter the house and there is always a small fee to pay.

Park Guell is a vast green space which expands up onto different levels. From certain parts of the park there are absolutely fantastic views of the city skyline and coast, and this is one of the main reasons that people come here. Other features of the park include small scale examples of Gaudi’s architectural genius, whilst the striking entrance to the park is like something from a fairytale.

Accessing Park Guell is one of the few negative aspects of the visit due to the fact that the nearest metro station is about 15 minutes away and one must scale a large hill in order to reach it, but this does not stop millions of people visiting each year.

Try Some Different Parks in Barcelona

When one thinks of parks in Barcelona, immediately one’s mind turns to the famous Park Guell as it is the most famous park in Barcelona. There are, however, many other parks around the city which are offer a less high profile alternative for the tourist seeking a spot of refuge from the built up city. Below are some of the parks which you should try:

Park de la Ciudadella - This park is hugely historic and offers many attractions to entice and entertain the tourist. There are museums, mainly concerned with art and culture, a large lake which is pleasing to the eye and perfect for a boat ride and also a range of glorious architecture. As the park was initially built for royalty there are endless gardens and attention to detail.

Park Laberint - This park takes its name from the significantly sized maze which forms the centrepiece. The maze will keep you entertained for hours whilst the view over the city is breathtaking. Much of the greenery within the garden is sculptured by man and provides an inspiring and soul cleansing experience. The quaint canal adds a touch of romance and is perfect a for lunch time picnic.

Jardins del Palau Reial de Pedralbes - The building in the middle of this splendid garden used to be the Barcelona residence of the Spanish Royal family, which explains its sophistication and the spotless condition in which it is kept. Within the grounds are many museums and buildings which are used for political purposes.

5 Family Attractions in Barcelona

Whether you stay in Barcelona itself or visit on a day trip from one of the many resorts close by, there are plenty of attractions in Barcelona which are ideal for a family visit. Below are just some of the family attractions in Barcelona:

Tibidabo amusement park - With all of the hallmark rides such as the rollercoaster and water flumes, this is a high quality amusement park and a great choice for a family day out.

Beach - One of the main benefits of being located on the coast is that the city of Barcelona has 4 beaches all in easy reach of the city centre. The beaches are all pleasant in appearance and well managed. A promise of these beaches serves as perfect ammunition to persuade your kids to walk around the city.

Barcelona Aquarium - The Barcelona Aquarium, or L’Aquarium Barcelona as it is known locally, is home to some of the most fascinating species of sea life in the world. If you are with your kids you have the perfect excuse to go along. Its ok, we won’t tell anyone that you want to go along anyway!!!

Zoo - A safe choice to keep the family entertained, the zoo in the Barcelona has lots to offer in terms of presentations, shows and activities. One of the best features of the zoo is its location; it is easily within walking distance of the city centre.

Parc de La Ciutadella - This famous park is located right in the centre of Barcelona. It is a great place to chill out after a busy day around the city, but also has a range of activities such as boat rides to enjoy.

Barcelona’s Outdoor Sculpture

Many visitors to Barcelona are struck by the quality and quantity of its outdoor sculpture. As you wander around, you may think that nearly every square, park or boulevard boasts a striking piece of artwork. And you are right.

As part of the regeneration process for the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona’s city council acquired a sizable collection of sculpture from local and international artists. It was part of the criteria of giving the city a much-needed facelift without causing major structural changes. And it worked! These bright, thought-provoking elements have become as much a feature of Barcelona’s urban landscape as its 19th century architecture.

Perhaps the most famous work of public art in the city is the ‘Barcelona Head’, a vivid, cartoon-like face by the late trailblazer of the Pop Art movement Roy Lichtenstein (it lives in front of Port Vell marina). In front of the Ciutadella Park, Antoni Tapiés, Catalunya’s greatest living artist, pays homage to Picasso with a thought-provoking composition of copper, glass and water.

Up in the park of Montjuïc, a group of girls performing the sardana (Catalunya’s national dance) have appeared in countless holiday snaps. Over on the Rambla del Raval, a rotund, copper cat by Columbian artist Fernando Botero has become a landmark and meeting place on this popular boulevard. Another piece of art that serves this purpose is Rebecca Horn’s ‘Homenaje a Barceloneta’. Consisting of four, stacked metal cubes, the work is inspired by the box- like chiringuitos (or beach bars) that used to line this part of the coast, and were bulldozed to make way for the sand that the sculpture now stands on.

Barcelona Zoo - join us at Parc de la Ciutadella

Barcelona Zoo is in a great location (located in Parc de la Ciutadella and near to the old city center and near the beach. It is a beautiful zoo, where animals live in spacious pens. Until 2003, a white gorilla called “Floquet de Neu” (snowflake) was the major attraction of the zoo. The animal died in that year to skin cancer, but this albino gorilla still has its own website on the Internet. This is not only to keep the memory of snowflake alive, but also knowledge about the endangered gorillas across. There are descendants of the albino gorilla in the zoo, but none has inherited the unique properties of snowflake.

Even without snowflake a visit to the zoo is worth it. You will not only find hippos, lions, tigers and monkeys, but also animals that occur only in Spain. Examples are the Iberian ibex and the Iberian wolf. Very nice is the Dolphinarium. Behind glass you can see how the 'nut' swimming in the water and often they are just curious to the window to see who they are now back to peep.

Like most zoos do, the Barcelona Zoo in maintaining many endangered species. For example, in a special native center, animals are bred and later they are released into the Donana, a protected area in Catalonia. Furthermore, the zoo has electric cars, picnic areas and a mini train.
In the park surrounding the zoo is a large pond, where you can rent a rowing boat. Parc Zoològic in Parc de la Ciutadella (also entrance on Carrer de Wellington).

Opening hours: 10.00 - 18.00 (summer 7pm)
Admission: adults €14.95, children 3 to 12 years €9

Diving with sharks in Barcelona

The aquarium “L’Aquàrium Barcelona” is situated in the port of Barcelona. This attraction is suitable for young and old. Thousands of large and small fishes are swimming around in large basins. There are three water tanks. One is used for the ocean and can be seen in the Oceanarium. This basin includes 4 million liters of water. Two other tanks are devoted for the tropical waters and the Mediterranean Sea. There are special tunnels where you can walk through. You have the idea that you are really under water and that the fishes swim next to you.

Experienced divers can swim in the aquarium with sharks. But there are a couple of conditions. First of all, you must follow a course where you learn all about sharks and their behavior. After that you go into the basin and discover the 15 sharks who swimming around, a unique experience. Of course, you must be in good condition and take your diver license with you. The activity includes three parts.

Part one is a guided tour. You make a guided tour in L’Aquàrium Barcelona and see a lot of different sharks such as the black tip reef shark, the sandbar shark and the sand tiger shark. Part two is the theoretical class. The course has different parts in relation with the sharks and their behavior and habitats. Part three is the dive in the Oceanarium. After all the information about the sharks, their behavior and the rules for in the basin, you can make your dive and discover all the theory about the sharks in real. This is an unique experience.

This shark dive is only intended for qualified divers, the maximum number of people is 4 divers per dive. Only on Wednesdays and in the weekends you can make this dive. The price for this shark dive is Euro 300. This price includes the guided tour of L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, theoretical class on sharks, dive in the Oceanarium, diving equipment and material, souvenir of the activity, insurance and free entrance to L’Aquàrium for 2 people.

If you are travelling to Spain, ensure you have insurance for Barcelona.

Parque de la Ciutadella, in Barcelona

During the weekends families, students, couples and seniors seem to meet in the Parque de la Ciutadella in order to celebrate life. As soon as the sun comes out and it is getting warm, you can see fathers playing football with their sons, little girls running over the playground and old men playing Petanca.

Couples are lying in the grass, students sitting under the streets, presumably studying, and others juggle with pins and balls accompanied by musicians playing their instruments and singing their songs.

In a different place young people learn dancing salsa and right next to them some women gather together exchanging cooking recipes. You can also take a rowing boat enjoying the sun on the water or sit down and have a coffee watching over the events.

If you need a relaxing place in Barcelona where you can be just yourself, the Parque de la Ciutadella is the right spot for you.
- By Jette Winkler