Friday, January 16, 2015

My Barcelona - Part III

Once again I am going to show you a bit of Barcelona from my perspective.

One thing that I absolutely love in the city is the variety of beautiful and interesting parks
There are plenty of wooded areas or green spaces, suitable for strolls, sports or sunbathing. One could find shady spots to rest in the summer, fountains and sculptures to admire, lakes, children's playgrounds etc.

Probably one of the most notorious parks in Barcelona is Parc Güell (that I talked about in an earlier post) revealing Gaudi's imprint.  

One of the two vast green "lungs" within the city, Parc de Montjuic spreads over a hill and includes beautiful gardens, as well as the Botanical Gardens, museums, fountains, sports facilities etc.  Sadly for me, I was able to visit only small part of the hill (you could see photos here).

The romantic Parc del Laberint and the popular Parc de la Ciutadella are definitely worth visiting ...

There is no doubt that Parc del Laberint is a green jewel. It is Barcelona's oldest garden and a matchless example of artistic gardening with its romantic garden with flower beds, small squares, tall trees and a waterfall. The grounds are full of hidden corners to be discovered, some of them decorated with sculptures of mythological figures.

The centerpiece of the park, from where it also gets its name, is the maze, created from pollarded cypress trees.





The Parc de la Ciutadella is a quite busy place, crowded with locals and tourists. But its beauty is worth mixing with the mobs for a while. There is a lot to see and do there, like visit to the Zoo or some of the museums, boating in the lake, sports like cycling or jogging, or just sit back, drinking coffee and enjoying the street musicians and performers. 

The Castell dels Tres Dragons, hosting the Zoology Museum of Barcelona:


The lake:


The magnificent fountain:




Besides the parks, one of my favorite parts of Barcelona is the Gothic Quarter with its Medieval buildings, small streets opening out into squares, charming places to have something to eat or drink, interesting shops and street art.


The Barcelona Cathedral:







There is so much more to discover in that city. I'll be sure to go back there one day ...