Barcelona

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Park Güell

C/Olot

Park Güell is a fairytale of a place, and the fantastical exuberance of Gaudí’s imagination is truly breathtaking. The two gatehouses were based on designs the architect made earlier for the opera Hansel and Gretel, one of them featuring a red and white mushroom for a roof. From here, walk up a splendid staircase flanked by multicoloured battlements, past the iconic mosaic dragon, to what would have been the marketplace. Here, a hundred palm-shaped pillars hold up a roof, reminiscent of the hypostyle hall at Luxor. On top of this structure is the esplanade, a circular concourse surrounded by undulating benches decorated with shattered tiles.

The park is itself magical, with twisted stone columns supporting curving colonnades or merging with the natural structure of the hillside. Gaudí lived for a time in one of the two houses built on the site. The house was actually designed by his student Berenguer, but has since become the Casa-Museu Gaudí; guided tours, some in English, are given. The best way to get to the park is on the 24 bus; if you go via Lesseps metro, be prepared for a steep uphill walk.

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