Park Güell

On the hillside above the city stands a mosaic wonderland that was never meant to exist at all. Perched on Carmel Hill in the Gràcia district, Park Güell began in 1900 as industrialist Eusebi Güell's ambitious dream to create an exclusive residential estate for 60 wealthy families. He hired Antoni Gaudí to design a British style garden city, even using the English spelling Park instead of the Catalan Parc to attract sophisticated buyers. The project failed spectacularly. T

he steep location far from the city center, strict building rules allowing construction on only one sixth of each plot, and Gaudí's radical organic designs scared away buyers. By 1914, only 2 houses were ever built. Gaudí himself moved into the show home in 1906, living there with his father and niece until 1925. What makes this place extraordinary is Gaudí's trencadís technique, creating vibrant mosaics from broken ceramic tiles.

The famous dragon fountain greeting visitors at the monumental staircase actually serves as overflow for the underground water cistern. The undulating 110 meter bench wrapping around the main terrace was shaped using workers' bodies as molds to ensure perfect comfort. After Güell died in 1918, the city purchased the failed estate in 1922 and opened it as a public park in 1926. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1984.