Discover the Parc Güell & Horta areas of Barcelona
3 things to do and see
A guide to the attractions in Parc Güell & Horta areas of Barcelona. Hills that were farmland & shanty towns, anti-aerial gun emplacement during the civil war
Description of Parc Guell & Horta Area
Between the mountains behind Barcelona called la serra de collserola is a series of small hills in the Carmel district. Located on these hills is the Antoni Gaudí urbanisation of Parc Güell which via a short walk is linked to parc Guinardo and the Carmel Bunkers known as Turo Carmel or Parc de Carmel. The Carmel Bunkers are a large anti-ariel bombardment gun emplacement from the the civil war and was a popular night spot for drinking and enjoying the panoramic views of the city.
Parc Güell is named after Eusebi Güell, a rich Catalan entrepreneur who contracted Antoni Gaudí to construct a premium residential complex in the hills outside of downtown barcelona for the wealthy merchants of the city. The project was a comercial failure due to it being too far from the city centre and only two houses inside the estate were actually built. Upon the death of Eusebi Güell in 1918, his heirs gifted the unfinished housing estate to the City Council and it and opened as a municipal park in 1926.
Within Parc Güell is a separate museum called Casa Gaudí or Gaudí House which is the former home of Antoni Gaudí. For Information about the Gaudí house in Parc Güell, click on the detailed page for Parc Güell below.
I recommend visiting Parc Güell and Carmel Bunkers together in one day. Both sites offer spectacular panoramic views of the Barcelona city. Allow at least half a day to vist parc Güell on its own because of its location outside of the centre of the city and take your walking legs because Parc Güell is large with a lot of beutiful paths to explore.
Parc Güell is one of two famous parks in Barcelona with the other being Parc Cuitadella. For a more general overview (or list) of all the Parks and Gardens In Barcelona this page will be more usefull.
Note that I have amalgamated the adjacent La Salut, El Carmel, El Guinardo and La Vall d'Hebron neighbourhoods on this page to make this list of things to do and see in the area. It covers from the top of the Gracia neighbourhood up to the edge of the city with Parc Collserola and Tibidabo.
La Salut, El Carmel, El Guinardo and La Vall d'Hebron neighbourhoods are modern residential constructions, (Horta means field or allotment) and non-touristy so do not have many hotels and few attractions but there are some gems hidden away such as the labyrinth de Horta park.
Labrinth de Horta sits in the foothills of collserola and is the oldest garden in Barcelona and located in the grounds of a former mansion. It can be visited on its own or combined with a walking route to Tibidabo.
For detailed information of each attraction such as maps, photo galleries, getting to guides, tips and tickets, click on one of the photos below.
Happy Exploring!
Attractions in Parc Guell & Horta Area
