DK Travel : Barcelona : Parc de la Ciutadella

Parc de la Ciutadella

No one has rated this yet.

Rate it

Review this attraction

Are these details incorrect?

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.
For sights in the Barri Gòtic & La Ribera see Barri Gòtic & La Ribera For more of Barcelona’s parks see Parks & Beaches

Top 10 Sights

1. Cascade Fountain

1. Cascade Fountain

One glimpse of this fanciful, Baroque-style fountain and you’ll probably guess Gaudí had a hand in its creation. Winged horses with serpent tails rear over a mossy waterfall and chubby cherubs giggle at play amid jets of water.
2. Arc de Triomf

The grandest entrance to the park is the Arc de Triomf, designed for the 1888 Exhibition by Josep Vilaseca i Casanoves. Topping the arch are angels tooting horns and offering wreaths.
3. Parc Zoològic

These colourful flamingos are just some of the stars at this child-friendly zoo, which also has pony rides, electric cars and a train see Attractions for Children.
4. Llac

4. Llac

In the centre of the park is a placid, man-made lake, where you can rent a boat for half an hour or more.
5. 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.
6. Museu de Zoologia

The Zoological Museum is housed in Domènech i Montaner’s striking building. The centrepiece is a collosal whale skeleton, which hangs amid scores of stuffed animals, including a sabre-toothed tiger.
7. Museu de 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.
8. Hivernacle & Umbracle

Palm trees and other tropical vegetation exude humidity inside the late 19th-century Hivernacle and Umbracle greenhouses. The latter was designed by architect Josep Fontseré, the former by Josep Amargós.
9. Parlament de Catalunya

9. Parlament de Catalunya

Housed in the lovely Palau de la Ciutadella, 1891, is the Catalonian Parliament, where Pascual Maragall (the President of Catalonia) and other political groups meet. In front is the Plaça d’Armes and a graceful water-lily pond with a sculpture (1907) by Josep Llimona.
10. 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.

Practical Information

Pick up a picnic at the bustling Santa Caterina food market (northwest of the park), or have a drink and a snack within the colonial elegance of the Hivernacle café. If it’s a hot day, cool down with a bowl of gazpacho . Main entrance: Pg Pujades Park: open 8am– 10:30pm daily; free DA Zoo: open Nov–Feb:10am–5pm daily; Mar–May & Oct: 10am–6pm daily; Jun–Sep: 10am–7pm daily; €14, children €8.5 DA Museu de Zoologia & Museu de Geologia: open 10am–2:30pm Tue–Sun (Thu until 6.30pm); €3 each museum, €4 joint ticket DA