Parc de la Ciutadella – The green lung of Barcelona
An oasis in the big city – a place to experience relaxation and history – the Parc de la Ciutadella in the middle of Barcelona. We explored this 17.4-hectare park on a walk and breathed in its richness.
The most scenic way into the park is via the metro station Arc de Triomf. The mighty Arc de Triomf marks the way into the park.
The Arc de Triomf was built in 1888 for the 1888 World Exhibition in Barcelona as the entrance to the fairground. The arch made from red bricks stands about 30 metres tall. It’s hight is very impressive, especially when walking through the arch. The crests of the 49 Spanish provinces and of Barcelona were set up around the arch. The Arc de Triomf is decorated with stone bats. A bat was the heraldic animal and lucky charm of King Jaume I. (1213 – 1276) who led Barcelona to economic success.
Continuing on this path quickly leads into the Parc de la Ciutadella. Shaded paths and nice spots on the lawn to relax are plentiful, especially in the summer months. But there are also interesting sights in the park: The Catalan Parliament with the Museu d’Art Modern, the Museu de Geologia, the zoological museum and the Barcelona Zoo, the Castell dels Tres Dragons, the winter garden L’Hivernacle, a wonderful water feature and the Umbracle (tropical greenhouse). It is also possible to rent a rowing boat and take it out onto the small lake. Many different experiences are guaranteed.
We passed the Castell dels Tres Dragons on our walk. This building was constructed in 1887 for the 1888 World Exhibition in Barcelona. It was used as a restaurant and coffee house. It is a lovely brick building with towers and crenellations. The simple façade was adorned with multi-coloured ceramics. Unfortunately, the building was under construction during the time of our visit. I would have liked to have a look inside.
What I particularly liked in the Parc de la Ciutadella was the beautiful water feature Font de las Cascada. We were saddened to find out that during the time of our visit the water level in the feature was too low so that water wasn’t running down the cascades.
Nevertheless, the structure of the fountain and the figures were fascinating to me. Gaudí, relatively unknown back then, was involved in the design of the fountain, which was also constructed for the 1888 World Exhibition in Barcelona. The stone dragons, which are guarding the basin, are his favourite stylistic element to use. For its innercity location, this park is big. We enjoyed our walk!
Address:
Passeig de Picasso, 21 08003 Barcelona Spain
Opening Hours:
December to February: 10.00 – 18.00 March and November: 10.00 – 19.00 April and October: 10.00 – 20.00 May and September: 10.00 – 20.00
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