Escaping the City

A unique aspect of the city of Barcelona is that while it is a huge city, located right on the Mediterranean Sea, it still has a large amount of green grass parks. Many of which are much more than city block full of trees and benches, but rather small getaways that one can disappear into and forget all about being in such a large city. The two I have in mind are Parc de la Ciutadella and Parc del Laberint d'Horta. Ciutadella is Barcelona’s most well know park in the Ribera district. It was converted into park starting in 1872, after King Philip V’s citadel was demolished. In 1885, the area was designated as the site of the 1888 Universal Exhibition, which boosted the development of the park. The most famous building that still remains from the Universal Exhibition is the “Castel dels Tres Dragons.” The other famous cite in the park is the Cascada, an arch waterfall in the corner of the park built to resemble the “Trevi Fountain” in Rome. Today, walking through Parc de la Ciutadella, one cannot help but feel a bohemian vibe. Many of the city’s younger residents inhabit the Parc during the dancing, dancing, singing, playing, and eating. It is full of vibrant life and is a wonderful break from the traffic and business heavy grid of the Exaimple. The other, Parc del Laberint d'Horta, located next to the University of Barcelona’s campus in the Horta-Guinardó district of Barcelona, is a 18th century neoclassical garden. It is truly a blast from the past and one of Barcelona’s best-kept secrets. Wandering through the maze of gardens and walkways and waterfalls, one completely forgets that they are living in the 21^st century and feels as though they have traveled back in time to18^th century Italy. Filled with statues of roman gods and beautiful gardens, it is truly a little slice of paradise hidden in Barcelona’s outskirts.