After a particular spring and two months of confinement around the world, a real desire for greenery and bucolic landscapes rises to our heads! We have found in Catalonia enough to satisfy your desires for flowers, spices and tranquility and Barcelona is full of gardens, with their specificity. And to discover the city's parks, you take the metro or the bus, which has the advantage of offering you a nice ride… For each park, we tell you which buses to take or the corresponding metro stations.
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Park Guell
It is perhaps THE most famous park in Barcelona. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this work, rich in its originality, is the colorful symbol of the Catalan city. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, Gaudí, its architect, wanted to respect the natural relief of the place by giving free rein to his imagination: colorful pavilions and mosaic benches will amaze you at every corner of the park! A major attraction, a stroll through this park offers some of the most beautiful symbols of the city, to name just the famous mosaic salamander or the large terrace surrounded by wavy benches which offers a dazzling view of the horizon. An original, curved space that fits perfectly into the true nature of Gaudí's imprint.
Carrer d'Olot 5
Metro: Vallcarca (green) or Lesseps (purple).
Bus: 92 or 24.
Price: 8 euros adult / 6 euros -12 years old.
The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Ciutadella park
The Parc de la Ciutadella is a perfect place to spend a great day in Barcelona. Adobe stock
The Parc de la Ciutadella has the advantage of being located right in the city center. Created on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1888, it owes its name to an old military citadel which previously occupied the premises. Very diverse, the 60 hectares of the park are home to the Museum of Modern Art, the Parliament of Catalonia and a zoo that covers more than 50% of its area. A park that is both family and just as romantic, since the charm of classic gardens has been preserved across all its paths and walks. Its famous fountain is based on the Trevi fountain in Rome and the massive structure was designed by Josep Fontsére with the help of the young Antoine Gaudi (then still unknown). It is also possible to climb on the two huge crab claws which serve as stairs to a podium with a sculpture of Venus to enjoy a panoramic view of the park and the surrounding pond.
Passeig de Picasso 21
Metro: Jaume I (yellow).
Bus: Passeig Pujades / Parc de la Ciutadella: 40, 42, H14, H16
Parc de la Ciutadella / Princesa: 39, 51, H14.
The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Joan Miró Park
This large diaphanous park, also known as the “Parc de l'Escorxador”, that is to say, the slaughterhouse park. Adobe stock
In the Eixample district, the Joan Miró park is a very pleasant nature area for a break between two visits. Do not miss the sculpture created by Joan Miró, the Woman and bird from a height of 22 meters. Spanning the equivalent of four blocks, this vast park is on two levels. The lower one is landscaped with pines, palm trees, fragrant eucalyptus trees and a pergola covered with wisteria and bougainvillea. The ideal place to walk with children because the park also offers a beautiful outdoor play area.
Carrer d'Arago 2
Metro: Espanya L1 (orange)
Bus: L94 L 95 N16
The park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The botanical garden of Montjuic park
The botanical garden covers 14 hectares and is home to 4000 species. Adobe stock
You have to know how to take the time to discover the mountain of Montjuic and its magnificent Cactus park which covers more than 14 hectares. Better known as the Gardens of Mossène Costa i Llobera, this site brings together more than 800 species of exotic plants. Ranked among the 10 most beautiful gardens in the World, its gardens offer an exceptional view of the sea and the port of Barcelona, but also a breathtaking stroll on the varieties of Mediterranean flora harmoniously staged in the sandstone of the postmodern alleys of the botanical garden.
Carretera de Miramar 38
Metro: Monjuic Park (purple)
Bus: L55
Free entry.
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Horta Labyrinth Park
Little known to the general public, the Horta Labyrinth Park is a magical and secret corner of Barcelona. Adobe stock
Very little known to the general public, the Horta Labyrinth park is a magical and secret corner of Barcelona. Built in 1802 by the Marquis Joan Antoni Desvalls de d'Ardena, it was the Mecca for grandiose receptions of the Barcelona upper middle class. We appreciate the contrast of the two romantic and neo-classical styles that make the Labyrinth of Horta park a unique corner of nature.
Passeig dels Castanyers
Metro: Mundet (purple).
Bus: 27, 60, 73, 76.
Entrance 3 euros - free Sunday and Wednesday. Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The gardens of Pedralbes
The gardens were designed by Nicolau Rubió i Tudurí in 1924, from a project that included, in a decorative geometric layout, a large part of the trees that the property already owned. Adobe stock
Around the Palace, in the Italian style of the 19th century, the Pedralbes gardens are freely accessible. The Palau is not open to the public, but you can enjoy a pretty fountain for free, designed by Gaudi himself, and take a walk to the pool. The grounds of the royal palace mix the tradition of French and English landscapes in impressive gardens which surround the palace which is still the residence of the royal family in Barcelona today and which hosts a famous music festival. in summer.
Av de Pedralbes 63
Metro: Pedro Reial (purple).
Bus: N12.
Free entrance to the gardens, open from 10 a.m. to dusk.
Collserola park
At the top of the Sarrìa Sant Gervasi district and less than 15 minutes from the city is the Collserola Park, the old lung of Barcelona. Adobe stock
Behind the mountain of Tibidado, this park covers 8,000 hectares of protected nature, making it the largest in the city. With time and city planning policies, it has become a real space for recreation and discovery of nature. Collserola Park has marked trails, recreation areas and watchtowers, offering breathtaking views of the Catalan city. The Mediterranean climate and variable relief have crystallized into mixed wood vegetation, where white pine and holm oak abound, with riparian species in the wetlands which alternate with cultivated areas and bushes. The fauna counts approximately 190 species of vertebrates; there are squirrels, foxes and a few wild boars, in addition to many varieties of birds.
Carretera de l'Església, 92
Metro: Baixador de Vallvidrera (S1 orange).
Bus: 118 - 128.
Free entry.
Laribal Gardens and the Greek Theater
The Laribal gardens, located between the Joan Miró Foundation and the Greek Theater, were built for the 1929 World Fair. Caroline de Balanda / Le Figaro
Known for its amphitheater-shaped theater completely integrated into the mountains, these gardens were designed for the 1929 Universal Exhibition on the Quarry of Montjuic - which allowed the construction of many buildings in the Catalan capital. The best architects, sculptors and landscapers of the time transformed a house and its vegetable garden into a majestic palace surrounded by gardens. It also sports a pergola, a gazebo and several pools, and constitutes the true Greek paradise. If not with an additional local touch: a large Catalan-style house. This corner of greenery once again offers a view of Barcelona.
Avinguda Diagonal 686
Metro: Poble Sec (green).
Bus: L55.
Free entry, open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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