On the colorful stairs, you immediately see Gaudí’s famous lizard. No one really seems to be able to figure out exactly what kind of animal this ‘monster’ is supposed to represent. Is it a huge salamander? An iguana? Or a lizard, snake head, or dragon? In any case, together with the mosaic bench, this is the most popular photo opportunity in the entire park!

Here, attention is especially drawn to the winding Jujol bench. When designing this bench, Gaudi wanted to make a chair that would be absolutely comfortable for the human body, so the workers had to sit naked on the plaster, and a chair for the bench was made from the resulting model. The entire bench is decorated with shards of porcelain and glass depicting a perfect picture of creative mosaic art.

At the top of the stairs, you arrive at the Sala Hipostila, or the Hall of the 100 Pillars. These Doric columns – 6 meters long and 1.20 meters in diameter – serve to support the platform above, but are also designed to drain rainwater. There are pipes in the columns that ensure that the rainwater from the terrain above is drained to a reservoir that was to supply the garden city with water. The colorful ceilings of the Sala Hipostila are the work of the architect Josep María Jujol, Gaudí’s most creative collaborator.

Above the Sala Hipostila is a large oval square, surrounded by a long winding bench that doubles as a balustrade, today a favorite with visitors for its beautiful mosaics ( called trencàdis ). Gaudí had actually wanted to turn this square into an open-air theater of the esplanade, not for nothing did he call it the ‘Greek theatre’ (Teatre Grec). The square measures 86 by 40 meters and are partly supported by the columns below.

There are two pavilions, one on either side of the main door. The Casa del Guarda, which is now a part of MUHBA(Barcelona History Museum), was the porter’s home, while the one on the right served as the concierge’s office with a waiting area and a phone booth.

The terrain on which the now so green Park Güell was built was once barren and very dry. Gaudí deliberately chose Mediterranean tree and plant species that would adapt well to the terrain: pine trees, eucalyptus, magnolia, palms, cypresses, almond trees, plums, mimosa, thyme, lavender, sage, and rosemary. Result: it always smells delicious!

You will also find the beautiful Gardens of Austria (Jardins d’Àustria), so named because many trees from Austria were planted here, which Barcelona received as a donation in 1977. The garden was created after the park opened as a municipal park and a nursery was built here.

One of the houses in Park Güell belonged to Eusebi Güell: Casa Larrard. This villa dates back to the eighteenth century but was completely renovated by Gaudí. Today this house is the Park Güell Escola Baldiri Reixac and children go to school here.

On the east side of the square of the Greek Theater, there is an original iron gate with a path leading to the gardens of Casa Larrard. This ‘portico’ or promenade way, one level up from the house, is surrounded by a pine forest and is shaped like a large wave on sloping columns, with a double column for support. It is one of the best examples of the organic architecture that Gaudí stood for. The slanting columns may not give the feeling of stability, but they are designed in such a way that they support things firmly.

Casa Museu Gaudí was Gaudí’s official residence from 1906 to 1925, although he showed himself there less and less over the years: he was totally absorbed in the construction of the Sagrada Família, where he also had a bed from 1925 stand. It is one of two houses that were eventually completed in the garden city of Park Güell, recognizable by its donut-pink outer walls. The house is also called the ‘Torre rosa’ (pink tower).

The second house that did get off the ground in Park Güell was Casa Trias, named after the lawyer Martin Trias I Domenech, the first buyer of a plot in the garden city in 1902. This lovely villa is not open to the public.

The highest point of Park Güell – and according to many the place with the best view of Barcelona – is the hill Turo de les Tres Creus. Here are three crosses on top of a pile of stones, the Golgotha. Two of them indicate the cardinal points (NSEW), and the other points to the sky.

Gaudí had planned to build a chapel on this spot so that the inhabitants of the garden city would have a place to pray. However, during the work, the remains of prehistoric caves came to light and it was then decided to make a memorial site with the three crosses ( tres creus ) here.