Unfolding languidly just to the east of the old town, this green, tranquil oasis provides a welcome respite from the city centre. Built in the late 1860s on the site of a former military fortress (ciutadella), the park was artfully designed to offer Barcelona’s citizens an experience of nature (shady corners, paths and greenhouses), recreation (rowing boats on the lake) and culture (two museums). The 1888 Universal Exhibition was held here and in preparation the city’s great Modernista architects were brought in to work their magic. Lluís Domènech i Montaner created the eye-catching Castell dels Tres Dragons (today the Zoological Museum) and a young Antoni Gaudí helped design the flamboyant Cascade Fountain.
Zoo
Museu de Ciències Naturals (Castell dels Tres Dragons) & Museu de Ciències Naturals (Edifici Geologia)
|
Park GuideTwo metro stops provide access to the park: to approach through the grand Arc de Triomf, disembark at the metro station of the same name. If you’re heading to the zoo, get off at Barceloneta metro stop, which is within easy walking distance. |
Park Plan
|
Parc Zoològic
Snowflake, the albino gorilla is just one of the stars at this child-friendly zoo, which also has pony rides, electric cars and a train (see Parc Zoològic).
Antic Mercat del Born
The outline of Barcelona’s medieval streets, houses, shops and palaces are revealed below this old market. The foundations date from 1714, the year Felipe V and his French allies entered the city.
Castell dels Tres Dragons
Domènech i Montaner’s striking building is now part of the Natural Science Museum. The centrepiece is a huge whale skeleton, which hangs amid scores of stuffed animals, including a sabre-toothed tiger.
Edifici Geologia
Roam to your heart’s content among 15,000 minerals, 14,000 rocks and over 100,000 palaeontological pieces, including a collection of Catalonian fossils.
Homenatge a Picasso
Antoni Tàpies toasts Picasso’s cubist legacy with an abstract creation of his own. Tàpies’ Homage to Picasso – a large glass cube filled with furnishings and abstract objects – requires some mental gymnastics to decipher its meaning.