TOP 6 PARKS IN BARCELONA – PARK GüELL IS OVERRATED!

Barcelona is a very lively city which offers a wide range of activities. From spending hours at Barcelona's Best Beaches to dancing through the night in one of the city's Coolest Clubs, you'll never run out of things to do! But living the Barcelona lifestyle can sometimes be a bit exhausting, so you might want to step away from the city life from time to time. And what is more relaxing than a walk through an idyllic parc? Luckily, Barcelona has some great green spots to offer. While most people have heard of Gaudi's famous Park Güell, some hidden gems remain to be discovered. Without further ado let's get into my list of  the Top 6 Parks in Barcelona. No. 6: Parc de Cervantes This is one of those hidden gems. The Parc de Cervantes is located at the outskirts of the city at the border between Barcelona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat in the Pedralbes Neighbourhood. Since its inauguration in 1965, the Parc de Cervantes has been the place to be for rose lovers in Barcelona.
The whole park with its 87,665m² is home to 11,000 roses of 245 different species. You can reach Park de Cervantes via metro L3, it is just 2 minutes walk away from the final stop "Zona Universitària".
No. 5: Parc Güell The famous Parc Güell just made it into my Top 6 but it only takes the 5th place for me. The parc in Gràcia, designed by Antoni Gaudí, was completed in 1914 and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Most of the architect's work can be found in or around  the park, with some of the most iconic sights in Barcelona as the former home of Gaudí which now is a museum of his lifework.
Yet, my favourite work in Parc Güell is the spectecular pillars which support the beautiful bottom side of the terrace's floor, decorated with beautiful unique mosaics. Parc Güell can be easily accessed by taking the metro L3 and getting off at Vallcarca. From there, it is a 15-minute walk. I recommend you to take take the stairs on Baixada de la Glòria , and then go to the entrance on Passatge de Sant Josep de la Muntanya.
No. 4: Parc del Guinardo & Bunkers The Parc del Guinardo is number 4 on my personal toplist. The mediterranean style park was created in 1918 on the plot of the former country house of the famous writer Miguel de Cervantes. At one corner of the Parc, remains of a more recent part of history, namely the Búnqueres de Carmel. They were built in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War in order to protect the city from airstrikes.
Nowadays, they are becoming more and more popular as an observation platform. This definitely is the place to go if you want to have a picnic while enjoying the beautiful view over the roofs of Barcelona at sunset. You can easily reach the Bunkers within 5 minutes of walking after getting off the bus line V17 at the stop "Gran Vista - Turó de la Rovira".
No. 3: Parc del Laberint d'Horta Next up on my list is the Parc del Laberint d'Horta. The oldest existing park in Barcelona is located at the northerm rim of the city at the borders of the Collserola nature preserve. It consists of a classical garden from the 18th century, a romantic garden from the 19th century and the iconic garden labyrinth which gave it its name.
The whole park is designed around the theme of love which makes it a perfect place to take a first date in Barcelona (for more inspiration, feel free to download our free eBook on the best 25 Places for a first date). The Parc del Laberint d'Horta manages to keep a unique atmosphere by only allowing 750 visitors per day. This prevents damage to the facilities and ensures some privacy, yet it also means that you may end up in front of closed gates. Moreover, the park demands an entry fee of 2.50€ for adults, yet the experience is worth it. To reach the park, you can take the metro L3 and get off at the stop "Mundet". From there, it is a 10-15 minute walk to this romantic paradies.
No. 2: Parc de la Ciutadella The second  of my favourite Top 6 parks in Barcelona is the Parc de la Ciutadella. Built in 1870 on the remains of the former military fortress of the Spanish oppressors of Barcelona, the park is located in the heart of the city in the trendy Born neighbourhood. Due to its centrality and diversity, you find nearly every kind of person visiting the park. The beautiful well Font de la Cascada is a lovely photo scene and attracts hundreds of tourists a day. The romantic lake with its little islands invites lovers to a boat trip and the paths framed by exotic plants are frequented by runners at every hour of the day.
Moreover, the park de la ciutadella is home to the Parliament of Catalonia, which resides in the former arsenal of the spanish military fortress and you can visit the Zoo Barcelona after strolling through the parc as it is just next to it. The Parc de la Ciutadella simply is a great place to go during lunch break or after work and enjoy an authentic part of Barcelona life in whatever way you want. Generally, the Parc de la Ciutadella can be reached by foot from most parts of the inner city. However, it can also be easily accessed by taking metro L4 via the stop "Ciutadella / Villa Olímpica".
No. 1: Montjuïc Finally, I now want to share my favourite green spot in Barcelona with your: Montjuïc. Honestly, it is not completely right to call Montjuïc a park as the 173m high local mountain of Barcelona is not one cohesive facility. Rather, the large area is a mosaic of many different parks and other attractions. Beautiful gardens like the Jardins de Joan Maragell, historic sites like the Castell de Montjuïc and iconic buildings like the Palau Nacional together form a very unique atmosphere with incredible views across the city.
You can spend hours on Montjuïc and will only have discovered a small part of what it has to offer. You can simply enjoy the beautiful view from the top of the mountain, satisfy your intellectual needs by visiting the National Art Museum of Catalonia or even travel the whole of spain within few hours by visiting the artisans' village Poble Espanyol, which was built for the World's Fair 1929. You can reach Montjuïc several different ways, depending on where you want to enter. However, unless you are not taking the cablecar from the port, most of the public transportation options include some walking (which I definitely believe is worth it). All in all, the amazing amount of diversity in flora and architecture simply is amazing and makes each visit to Montjuïc a unique experience.
Do you agree on my personal Top 6 parks in Barcelona or do you have other favourites? Please let me know in the comments! Thank you for reading! - Patrick