Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As you continue up (on the left-hand staircase), look left, down the playful “pathway of
columns” that supports a long arcade. Gaudí drew his inspiration from nature, and this arca-
de is like a surfer's perfect tube.
Terrace:
Once up top, sit on a colorful bench—designed to fit your body ergonomic-
ally—and enjoy one of Barcelona's best views. Look for the Sagrada Família church in the
distance. Gaudí was an engineer as well. He designed a water-catchment system by which
rain hitting this plaza would flow into and through the columns from the market below, and
power the park's fountains.
When considering the failure of Park Güell as a community development, also consider
that it was an idea a hundred years ahead of its time. Back then, high-society ladies didn't
want to live so far from the cultural action. Today, the surrounding neighborhoods are some
of the wealthiest in town, and a gated community here would be a big hit.
Gaudí House and Museum:
This pink house with a steeple, standing in the middle of
the park (near the side entrance), was actually Gaudí's home for 20 years, until his father
died (though Gaudí did not design the actual house). His humble artifacts are mostly gone,
but the house is now a museum with some quirky Gaudí furniture and a chance to wander
through a model home used to sell the others. Though small, it offers a good taste of what
could have been.
Montjuïc (mohn-jew-EEK, “Mount of the Jews”), overlooking Barcelona's hazy port, has
always been a show-off. Ages ago it was capped by an impressive castle. When the Spanish
enforced their rule, they built the imposing fortress that you'll see the shell of today.
The hill has also played an integral role in the construction of Barcelona's great struc-
tures—significant parts of the historic city, the cathedral, the Sagrada Família, and much
more were all built with stones quarried from Montjuïc.
Montjuïc has also been prominent during the last century. In 1929, it hosted an in-
ternational fair, from which many of today's sights originated. And in 1992, the Summer
Olympics directed the world's attention to this pincushion of attractions once again. While
Montjuïc lacks any single knockout, must-see sight, it is home to a variety of very good
ones, and most visitors should find one or two attractions here to suit their interests. For the
majority of travelers, the most worthwhile sights are the Fundació Joan Miró, Catalan Art
Museum, and CaixaForum.
SightseeingStrategies:
I'velistedthesesightsbyaltitude,fromhighesttolowest—from
the hill-topping castle down to the 1929 World Expo Fairgrounds at the base of Montjuïc
(described in the next section). If you're visiting all of my listed sights, ride to the top by
bus, funicular, or taxi, then visit them in this order so that most of your walking is downhill.
However,ifyouwanttovisitonlytheCatalanArtMuseumand/orCaixaForum,youcanjust
