Barcelona is Antoni Gaudí's world — everywhere you look in the city there are audacious entryways, quirky rooflines, and Art Nouveau flourishes.
They all contribute to the energy of the city, making it feel like everything is organic and alive, moving with the cars and people.
Parc Güell is perhaps one of Gaudí's best known creations and is understandably of Barcelona's most iconic spots, but it offers a fantastic view of various parts of the city.
View of the city from Parc Güell
We booked an entry time in the later morning, so understandably entered with several dozens of others — but there are so many spots in the greater Parc that you can wander through for free!
We "hiked" up streets and escalators from the Lesseps metro station to enter the Parc, and wandered down to the enclosed section for our entry time.
Turó de les Tres Creus
View of the guardhouse below and the gated areas
You enter onto the flat plaza that overlooks the guard house, looking out into the city towards the ocean.
From here you can meander through the herb-filled gardens, looping back into the cavernous colonnaded area beneath the plaza before descending the famous dragon steps.
Fragrant herb garden
The colonnades that hold up the plaza
Here it was definitely teeming with tourists, but it was also a Saturday morning so everyone was there to enjoy the day — finding a spot to enjoy picnic lunches, celebrating birthdays, and going for weekend runs.
The Guard House of Parc Güell from the Dragon Steps
Mosaic details of the Dragon Steps
Guadi's house watches over the garden and plaza. You can purchase Parc tickets that include a visit to the house.
Gaudí's incredibly constructed colonnades
Even if you don't want to pay for the gated area, the Parc is well worth a walk around with so much to see outside the paid entry areas.