Everything you need to know for your visit to Park Güell

Before being a public park with gardens, Park Güell was a project for the private enjoyment of a housing estate for wealthy families on Montaña Pelada. The development included some 60 triangular-shaped plots with a complex network of paths, viaducts and stairways that crossed the topography of the land. The building conditions were very restrictive, as only one-sixth of the plot could be built on. The height and location of the houses could not obstruct the view of the sea or the sun for the neighbours.

Gaudí took inspiration from British residential parks, which is why he called it Park Güell, i.e. in English.

The young architect preserved the existing vegetation on the old estate, keeping trees like olive and carob in place. He also introduced various plants from the Mediterranean ecosystem, which were in low demand. To protect the land from erosion, Gaudí designed irrigation systems through other water collection and storage systems.

In 1900, the land was levelled and construction of Parc Güell began. The work progressed rapidly, and the project was completed in 1907, by which time various events had already taken place in the large square.

The first person to buy a plot in Park Güell was a friend of Eusebi Güell (who commissioned Gaudí to design the project). Later, Gaudí himself moved there with his father and niece.

The construction was abandoned in 1914 due to a lack of buyers. Since only two houses had been built on the site, it was converted into a large private garden. Eight years after Eusebi Güell’s passing in 1926, it finally opened its doors to the public as a municipal park. The Güell family house was also transformed into a public school.

Finally, Gaudí’s house was opened to the public as a museum in 1963. The park was later declared an artistic monument in 1969 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.