Barcelona: Park Güell

View of the city from "Nature Square"

 

I have visited Barcelona a few times over the years and I have always prioritized visiting Park Güell. It's such a unique park and fits Barcelona's personality perfectly but this time around I was unfortunately disappointed. The biggest change that has occurred since I last visited eight years ago is the addition of an entry fee. In my previous visits the park was still functioning as an actual public park and I have wonderful memories of hanging out in the park listening to people play music, watching young people kicking around a football, or observing relaxed elders under a tree eating a bocata and drinking wine. 

This time around the park felt less like a park and more like a tourist attraction. There may have been some effect with pandemic protocols but I could not believe how poorly signed and organized the park was. My suspicion is that they have redesigned the park to control the crowds and funnel tourists in a predetermined entry/exit path. Even getting in the park was a little confusing with specific gates for entry and exit. There was a "digital map" that was broken and the available paper maps were not clear. I think we had a pretty natural flow to our walk but we were constantly met with "exit only" signs. 

Gone were the general public and in their place were throngs of tourists and some street performers that frantically picked up their goods and ran whenever the authorities passed by. I felt like no one was actually enjoying the park as a public space rather we were all just taking pictures and walking a circuit to view the most famous features of the park. 

I read online that most of the park is actually still accessible for free to the public and only the famous monuments require payment. It's entirely possible that this move not only creates revenue for the city but also funnels the tourists (myself included) away from the recreational use areas and thus improves the quality of those specific areas for the locals.