Beautiful parks and gardens

Park Güell was commissioned by Eusebi Güell who wanted to create a stylish park for Barcelona aristocracy.
The park contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. Gaudí was strongly influenced by natural shapes and used them in his work. At the top of Güell park is a terraced area where you get a wonderful view of the park and of Barcelona City. You will find multi-coloured tiled mosaic seats, the vibrant colours of the tiles are truly breathtaking.

Address: Carrer d’Olot 7
Ⓜ Lesseps, Vallcarca
Bus: 24, 32
Price: Admission to central area adult: 8€ /child 6€

For more information, visit this website.

Parc Montjuïc is the hill in the southwest of Barcelona and allows great views of the city and the Mediterranean. In or near the vast park, you will find the Fundacio Juan Miro, the national museum of art, beautiful colour foutains, a castle and amazing botanical gardens. The botanical gardens include the National botanical garden, the Laribal garden, the fortress and the desert gardens of Mossen Costa i Llobera. The gardens are all unique and distinctive with a variety of plants species being represented. Some of the gardens are more formal with terraced and boxed-in garden rooms like the Laribal gardens. While other gardens like the National botanical gardens are more relaxed and park-like with indigenous plantings of the region and countryside. There are also exotic gardens like the Mossen Costa i Llobera, which has an impressive collection of desert, cactus and sub-tropical plantings amassed into one of the largest cactus and succulent collections in the world.
You will find great information on the parc here.

There are different ways of getting there:
1. Teleferico de Barcelona: From Port Vell (found close to the end of Las Ramblas) you can hop on a cable car for a scenic cruise across the Mediterranean sea that will land you around halfway up the mountain... All for a hefty €11.00 one way or €16.50 return.
2. Metro: At Parallel Metro station take the Funicular. You can use a public transport ticket, so it's a cheaper option and works out at €1.03 one way or €2.06 return with a T10 ticket. That said, it only takes you halfway up, but handy if you're travelling from the other side of the city.
3. Bus: The cheapest choice is getting the 150 bus from Plaza Espanya, which will drop you off right outside the castle. Again, €1.03 one way or €2.06 return with a T10 ticket.

Next to Barcelona but a long way from the city pollution, Passeig de les Aigües is one of the favourite green spaces of Barcelona residents, for doing sport, walking or just enjoying the hills and the magnificent views. 
Traditionally known as Carretera de les Aigües, it owes its name to the fact it was originally the road used to distribute water from the hills.

Getting there: You can reach it by transport and the Vallvidrera funicular, which links the Peu de Funicular station with Vallvidrera, has a specific stop for this path.

For more information, please visit this website.

The magnificent Serra de Collserola massif rises up over Barcelona Metropolitan Area, almost touching the city, a much-loved and immensely valuable natural area and great privilege for the huge population that lives around these mountains to enjoy. Collserola is a well-preserved, 8,000-hectare natural area in which forest predominates but which also includes a variety of other plant formations that provide a habitat for valuable biological diversity.
Collserola is also a place for discovery and learning, a place for meeting and for leisure. All this means that the final goal of the Park Consortium’s management policy is to promote environmentally-friendly and sustainable use of the reserve whilst also conserving the natural heritage it contains.

For more information and to see the activities you can do, visit the parc's website.

The Parc de la Diagonal Mar is a must-see for visitors because it epitomises the new Barcelona and is quite unlike any other city park. This ambitious contemporary work encapsulates Barcelona's desire to become a city at the forefront of originality and sustainable architecture.
The architectural practice of the husband and wife team of Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue reached the pinnacle of innovative and sustainable architecture with their design of the Parc de la Diagonal Mar in 2002. Located in the new Forum Barcelona, on a disused factory site, this 14-hectare park is divided into seven large areas. Each area was designed to evoke different sensations. A large children's play area, a raised walkway over water, the lake with sculptures which spray out water, the curved tubular structures, the giant central plaza, etc, are clearly defined areas which are linked by a common element: water

For more information, visit this website

It was created when a Catalan aristocrat decided to convert an old, extensive family property at the end of the 18th century. The garden’s layout, buildings and ornamentation were designed by Bagutti – an Italian architect – and Delvalet – a French gardener. It was enlarged in the mid-19th century, this part adopting a romantic style. In 1969 the family reached an agreement with Barcelona City Council who acquired the estate and opened it to the public. Restoration works began in 1993. Although the extraordinary maze is the best known part of the gardens, its other areas, statues and especially its luxuriant vegetation make a visit thoroughly enjoyable.

Address: Calle Germans Desvalls (Parc del Laberint ), s/n. 08035 Barcelona

Prices: General: €2,23 Reduced: €1,42 
Admission free on Wednesdays and Sundays
Retired persons: Admission free 
Children: Admission free

Schedule:
From Nov 01 to Mar 31: From 10:00 AM to 07:00 PM
From Apr 01 to Oct 31: From 10:00 AM to 09:00 PM
Dec 25: From 10:00 AM to 02:00 PM

For more information, visit this website.