So it's finally here.... by Summer 2019, the way to visit Park Güell is about to change:
BACKGROUND
Until now, many visitors used the buses #24 and/or #92 to reach Park Güell, especially when coming from Sagrada Família as the park is on top of a hill and when it's hot it's not so pleasant to walk to. However, this brought too many inconveniences to the neighbours of the neighbourhood of La Salut, where the park is located, as the buses where far too often saturated with bypassers. Even with the reinforcement of the lines introduced last year, the buses continue to be full to the rim. Also, a noticeable increase of dodge faring among tourists taking those buses has been detected.
NEW "TERMS"
Therefore, the City Hall has decided to alter the manner visits to the park are made by introducing changes both to the way tickets are sold as well as to the way visitors will reach the park.
- Bus stops for lines #24 and #92 by the park will be eliminated
- Tickets to visit Park Güell will be sold exclusively online
- The cost will rise to 10€ and will include the ride in the shuttle from the nearby Alfons X metro station (please read X as "the 10th", as it refers to Roman numerals, not the alphabet letter 'X') to the park and vice versa. This shuttle will be a "new" service for the purpose of transferring visitors from the metro to the park.
These measures intend to drive visitors' traffic away from the regular bus lines serving the neighbours of that area of the city and into the metro system, which is far more capable of absorbing extra traffic and also to disperse the number of visitors throughout the day. As in many other sites in the city, allocating time-band slots will facilitate the management of the flow of visitors.
So, if you are planning to visit next year, stay tuned for sometime next Spring/Summer for these measures to enter into effect. There'll be enough information available, ie. at the park's site: www.parkguell.cat or at the TI site: www.barcelonaturisme.com
ABOUT THE PARK
I would like to take the opportunity to remind that the park is divided into two zones:
- the Monumental zone -which contains most of the "monuments" for which is worthwhile visiting this park- and which includes the Plaça de la Natura, with the wonderful views of the city and the serpentine tiled bench, impressively ergonomically designed; the Pòrtic de la Bugadera (the Laundry Room Portico) a wave-shaped stone portico, an inspiring pathway with slanting columns acting as a double colonnade, this buttress is another Gaudi masterpiece; the Hansel and Gretel Houses at the entrance of the park, two gatehouses resembling the fairytale gingerbread houses; the Drac (dragon in the Catalan language) covered in "trencadis" or mosaic from shards of tiles, a feature that can be seen throughout the park, measuring 12 feet long, some say it is a tribute to St. George who slew a dragon for Barcelona.
- and the rest also referred to as the free area, which occupies 92% of the park and is like a typical Mediterranean pine forest. In the free area, you can also find other monuments such as the different roadways and viaducts built on columns and vaults made from stones found on the site. On the pathway itself, there are stone-crafted pillars with plots of vegetation at the top. Also the Turó de Les Tres Creus (Three Cross Hill) the highest point of the hill with a panoramic view of Barcelona.
For those willing to have a picnic, near the Laundry Room Portico there's a picnic area with tables. Free of charge, but no services involved so you have to bring your own food and drink.
Enjoy!