Explore every corner - even the pathways through Park Güell are full of Gaudí’s innovative creations, and you won’t want to miss anything.
Park Güell is named after the local businessman and great patron of Catalan arts who commissioned it, Eusebi Güell. Güell wanted to create a stylish modern estate for wealthy families of Barcelona, and for its eccentric and beautiful design he hired his friend Antoni Gaudí. The location he had chosen was the best around, with gorgeous views of the sea and the Barcelona Plain, and the plans were carefully made to take full advantage of the site.
The park’s design was born out of the Modernisme movement in the 1860s. This was a uniquely Catalonian aesthetic project that rejuvenated Barcelona, marrying the continental innovation of art nouveau to deep-rooted cultural foundations. Gaudí incorporated traditional Catalan mosaic techniques into the strikingly innovative style of his plans. While the departure from traditional architectural forms appears rather alien, twisting organic shapes like the turrets in the Porter’s Lodge and the palm tree gates recall the irregular lines of the natural world. The whole park is a fantastical chimera of art, nature and Gaudí’s fertile imagination.
The Park's pinnacles and gardens are teeming with colourful detail. The remarkable Dragon Staircase is decorated with goblins, the Catalan crest, and the iconic salamander - known fondly as ‘El Drac’ - which has become the emblem of the park. This huge double stairway is flanked by two tall crenelated terraces with grottoes beneath, and leads to the Hypostyle Room. This is an amazing Greek-inspired chamber supported by 84 Doric columns; in an architectonic masterstroke, Gaudí hits the the straight lines and symmetrical precision of Greek architecture with a typically cartoonish, psychedelic slant.
Atop the Hypostyle Room and partly set into the surrounding rock is the Plaça de la Natura (Nature Square), a large open plaza offering a stunning view over the city, and decorated with further beautiful mosaics. From the square an iron door leads through a portico to Güell’s old mansion, which is now a school. An abandoned housing plot has become the Austria Gardens, named for the trees donated by that country in the 1970s. Its lush greenery echoes the Park’s thoughtful incorporation into the environment: Gaudí worked around the carob and olive trees already growing on the site, and carefully chose additional species to thrive in the Mediterranean climate, also installing an ingenious irrigation system that prevents the land’s erosion. Gaudí lived for some time in his own home on the estate, and this is now the Gaudí Museum.
The Park didn’t remain private for long, and housing development was stopped in 1914. The area was initially let for public events such as Catalan sardana dancing, before quickly becoming a popular local attraction; in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This spectacular place remains an essential part of any visit to Barcelona.
Discover the best of Barcelona, from its famous Ramblas to the iconic Sagrada Familia, and explore its most famous highlights, panoramas and some well-hidden gems in a day!
On your private tour, you will:
Barcelona has become a popular tourist destination for visitors around the world as it is home to some of the world’s most unique and beautiful historical buildings and sites, delicious food, and vibrant culture, not to mention the amazing 4km of beaches. Its’ warm and sunny climate also makes Barcelona a hugely popular place to visit!
This tour is ideal for those who would like a taste of what Barcelona has to offer in a day. Whether you’re interested in history, taking a walk through the vibrant streets of the Gothic Quarter, indulging in various delicious cuisines, or soaking in the city’s uniquely designed buildings, you will experience a bit of everything through this tour.
Start your tour wandering the beautiful streets of downtown Barcelona. Take a walk to the heart of the city at Plaza Catalonia, the bustling street of Las Ramblas, the unforgettable Gothic Quarter, and to the magnificent Church of Santa Maria del Mar.
After a lunch break, a private car will drive your group and guide you towards a panoramic city tour to Montjüic to admire the city from above! On your way down back to the city you will enjoy a brief photo stop at iconic Gaudi houses before arriving at Park Güell, a prime example of Barcelona’s modernism, and one of the highest points of the city to enjoy amazing panoramic views.
Your tour ends with a privately guided tour of Barcelona’s crowning glory, designed by Antonio Gaudi, one of the greatest and most unique architects of all time: the UNESCO World Heritage site of La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, with tickets included.
Please note: Your clothing must be appropriate to enter the Sagrada Familia. Your knees and shoulders, back, and stomach must be covered. See-through clothing and swimwear are forbidden.
Explore the best of Barcelona on a private tour of Gaudi’s imprint on the city, with tickets to La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, and Park Güell.
On this walking and driving combined private tour, you will:
A trip to Barcelona would be incomplete without exploring Gaudí's imprint on the city. Not only was he one of the most influential architects of Barcelona’s modern and art nouveau period in the late 19th and early 20th century, but in history.
His architectural masterpieces helped transform the city of Barcelona into the thriving, bustling, historical and cultural metropolitan city it is today.
In Dreta de l'Eixample view the world-renowned Casa Batlló, Casa Milá, and Casa Vicens Gaudí. You will get a sense of Gaudí’s innovative and eccentric mind as you walk into the various edifices designed by him, from the cathedral spires at La Sagrada Familia to the gingerbread gatehouses, grottos and ceramic animals in Park Güell.
Enjoy two hassle-free private transfers to Park Güell and Sagrada Familia and admire the city from the comfort of your car. Your tour ends with a guided tour inside the Sagrada Familia where you will then be free to stay at your leisure.
Join us on the tour and you will be transformed into another world as you enter the intricately designed spaces.
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