Parc Guell was planned by Antoni Gaudi, the same eccentric Catalan architect who designed La Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera and many other famous landmarks in Barcelona. It’s a fanciful, medium-sized park, laid out over a hill in Barcelona’s less prepossessing northern suburbs. My friend who lives in Barcelona told me it was one of her favourite places, so when I disappointingly abandoned my visit to the Picasso Museum because of long queues, I decided to take her advice.

Parc Guell is in the Northern parts of Barcelona’s outlying Eixample district and reachable by metro (Lesseps on the Green Line – L3). From the metro there are signs pointing the way to the park, but BE WARNED: Parc Guell is a good 20 minute walk, with the last 200 metres along a steep uphill. It’s not a particularly pretty walk either, most of it being along a busy, modern road.

The park itself is nothing like any other park I’ve ever been to. It was created by Gaudi for one Count Eusebi Guell, a sort of well-to-do industrialist, but the park was left unfinished. Even unfinished it has a magical charm. It unfolds over a range of tiers and terraces spaced over a relatively hilly landscape. Wide, winding pathways and narrow stone steps lead you around the various spaces. As you walk around the park you catch glimpses of Gaudi’s unmistakable style: frothing stone pillars, crumbling earth balconies, cavernous spaces and whimsical touches, like the brightly coloured, mosaic lizard at the entrance.

At the very, very top of the park is a wonderful observation terrace where you can see all of Barcelona spread out below you. Well worth the climb. Further down, almost directly above the entrance, is a brightly coloured, mosaic-covered terrace where most people stop for food, either from the café there or brought as picnics. On this terrace is also a little kiosk selling ice creams, snacks and drinks. If you were stopping for lunch I would have to recommend you take it to the top terrace with the beautiful views – much more secluded. You could even get your supplies from one of the many supermarkets on the street from the metro to Parc Guell.

There’s a small house in the park which Gaudi lived in at one time, which I learned about only after my visit. It’s been converted into a museum and I’ve been told it contains some interesting furniture designed by Gaudi. I would have loved to have seen it.

The reason I have only given Parc Guell a recommend and not a highly recommended is because I went there by myself on a cloudy day in October. I could imagine it being a great place to take children or to go to as a couple on a nice sunny day. Maybe even taking a picnic. It’s quite far out and is relatively large so I would suggest planning at least a full afternoon there.

A good first stop while visiting Barcelona is Parc Guell, as it sits on the Northern edge of town and is quite afar from most other attractions. It also offers a great introduction to Antonio Gaudi and his style.

Parc Guell was built between 1900 and 1914. At that time, the whole architectural world was enamored with creating "perfect" living communities featuring a balance of living dwellings, commercial buildings and nature. These were utopian visions sponsored by the very rich and executed by the very talented. Eusebio Guell happened to be such a rich man and sponsored the park. He was in fact the main financial backer of Gaudi's many other projects and there are many "Gaudi Guells" such as Palau Guell, Colonia Guell, etc.

Gaudi's vision for Parc Guell was quite ambitious - to take a barren hill and transform it into a thriving community. He worked fourteen years on the project, but only partially succeeded. Gaudi masterfully incorporated natural features into the community's meeting places, spiral streets and a sprawling market. He allowed steep slopes and cliffs to remain, creating many winding paths for the future residents to enjoy. In effect, Gaudi managed to transform the landscape into a very unique work of urban art, but the project never succeeded commercially. In the end only several buildings were constructed and the area never became the utopian community it was meant to be. Instead, it became Barcelona's main municipal park, that is now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Choose a sunny day to see Parc Guell. The sun brings out the magnificent colors of the ceramic tiles that are everywhere. To get there, take the subway to Vallcarca Station instead of the closer Lesseps Station, as it is suggested in many guide books. The area around Parc Guell is hilly and with Vallcarca you will mostly descend down instead of going up. These hills are very steep and are not to be trifled with, especially on a hot day. When you get off Vallcarca, just follow the signs to the escalators taking you to the park. That's right, there are outdoor escalators out there and you better take them. Also, make sure you get some water in the corner store right before the escalators. Once in the park, check out Paseo de Palmas, the famous curved bench, and of course the Lizard, which happens to be our favorite symbol of Barcelona. The Lizard is extremely photogenic and a perfect background for that "quintessential Barcelona shot," if you can get it without ten other people around you. We spent at least four hours in the park, much more than we anticipated. But it was so pleasant there to enjoy the delicate scent of flowers while walking among exotic trees and unique architecture. After seeing the park, head for lunch to the café next to the entrance, which is pretty good and not too expensive. Hours: Every day from 10am to 18pm in the winter and from 10am to 21pm in the summer.

It's a great way to spend a casual day in Barcelona. Take some time to travel around this park and take in the sights... bring your lunch and have a picnic. Make sure to visit highlights like the small house where Gaudi stayed, take a hike to the highest point and get a beautiful glimpse of the Sagrada Familia which even if it's 2020 and you're reading this probably will not be complete. There is a very cool water drainage system that include the beautiful tiled iguana at the entrance and PLEASE don't skip out on taking a brief nap on the colorful benches just atop the park.

In Barcelona, it is impossible to avoid Gaudí's work as it is everywhere. Indeed, a difficult question for the visitor with limited time is to decide which of these works they should see. The guide on our 'bus turistic' had definite views on whether or not Park Guell was worth a visit. A tourist must have asked that very question and he went on a rant Basil Fawlty style about what an idiot you'd feel when you had to tell your friends back home that you went to Barcelona but somehow missed Park Guell. How right he was!

Park Guell is a must-see. Getting there can be a bit of an effort, as unless you take a taxi you are going to have to climb. It is worth noting that the 'bus turistic' gets closest of all public transports. But get there, whichever way you do it.

On arriving to the front gate of the Park, my overwhelming impression was that I was Gretel and that the witch was going to come out any minute. The two houses at the entrance do bear a strong resemblance to gingerbread houses... Gaudí does exuberance like no one else, yet manages to retain an air of tastefulness. One of these houses a souvenir shop (full of Gaudí inspired things, you'll think you want them and wonder why you bought them when you get home).

As we entered the park, there seemed to be a crowd of people on the steps in front of us. This is where the famous salamander covered in 'trencadís' (a sort of glass and pottery mosaic) poses for thousands of pictures. This sculpture has become a symbol of the park and indeed of Barcelona itself.

Rather than heading straight for the square and the hall of 100 columns, we went to the right and walked around the park first. It is a wonderful oasis of peace in a busy city. There are wonderful views of the city to be seen from the top.

The Casa Museum Gaudí is worth a visit, this was Gaudí's own house, the first built in the park which was intended to become a garden city. I don't think I would want to see it if it was too busy though, as the rooms are quite small. I was surprised at how sober the house was in comparison with other Gaudí creations. His bedroom was furnished in a particularly modest manner.

The square is very, very busy. The famous serpentine bench has been polished by many a bottom! This part was not my favourite, it was nice but way too busy with bus-loads of school children, and there was little shelter from the sun. The Hall of 100 columns was very impressive, with its leaning pillars and more mosaic. The interesting acoustics were put to good use by a lone guitarist.

All in all, I am of the same opinion as our bus driver: You can't go to Barcelona and not 'do' Park Guell.

If you're thinking about visiting the Parc and getting there by metro, I would recommend taking the metro to Vallcarca instead of Lesseps, because it's less of a walk from the station and there are outdoor escalators that take you up to the park if you take the Vallcarca exit. From there on, it's all downhill, so it's less tiring, even though you might feel like you're not taking the "conventional" route by not entering the park via the front entrance, where the famous mosaic dragon is.

The park is definitely worth visiting. The mosaics and the gingerbread-house-like buildings are so cute, and there's no admission charge!