Catalan notes. Part 3. Barcelona from above.
The third full day of stay in Barcelona. We decided to call this walk in this way, since today we will conquer the nearest hills and mountains, and admire the city from a bird's eye view.
The Royal Palace of Pedralbes was once the residence of the Spanish royal family in Barcelona. The history of the palace began in 1918, when the local industrialist Eusebi Gü ell donated his mansion to the king as a token of gratitude for conferring on him the title of count. A separate story deserves a beautiful garden of the palace with exotic plants, ponds, as well as a fountain by Antonio Gaudi.
The famous FC Barcelona stadium is also nearby. But our path went up .2 steps from the palace is the Gü ell estate, the architect of which was ...well, of course, Gaudi. You will not pass by it - a formidable dragon at the entrance will show you the way.
Another 15 minutes along the well-groomed quiet streets, and we find ourselves in the Middle Ages.
The Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes was founded in 1326. The place of the building is the former quarries of a unique white stone - “piedras albas”. From them came the name of the entire area - Pedralbes. Despite its venerable age, the monastery has perfectly preserved small cells, the height of the ceiling in which does not exceed 160 cm, a refectory, halls, and a hospital. About 20 nuns now live in the monastery. Their cells are located on the north side of the monastery, where you can also see utility rooms. It is also possible to view the second floor by climbing the stairs, which are located next to the utility rooms. The atmosphere, as expected, is peaceful, thoughts are carried away somewhere far away ...
But time does not wait, the next point - Torre Bellesguard (La Torre Bellesguard) - translated from Catalan - a beautiful place. Even in the Middle Ages, there was a palace belonging to the royal Catalan dynasty.
In 1900, a more modern building was built on the site of the castle, also in the form of a Catalan Gothic castle. The famous Gaudi used the same material during the construction that was used to create the old castle. To our deepest regret, we didn’t even get inside the courtyard ...Sunday ...in the depths of our souls we guessed that this could be so, so we weren’t very upset and went to meet the top of the world - Tibidabo.
Along the way, we also met the wonderful monastery Monastir Santa Maria de Valldunzella - a classic representative of Catholic architecture, if I may say so. After the peculiar architectural style of the city, from which the head was spinning, we even managed to miss the lines so familiar to European cities. At the foot of Tibidabo, an old restored tram was waiting, ready to give a ride to anyone for 4 euros.
A dubious pleasure, given that the bus costs 1 euro and runs at least ; ) It is important that you can climb the funicular to the top, where you will be taken by the same tram or bus. At the very top of the Tibidabo hill, which crowns the Collserola mountain, there is an amusement park, which is one of the symbols of the city. This park was created in 1899. This is a magical place where everyone can admire the city and find an attraction to their liking that will cheer you up for the whole day. The Ferris wheel offers the most breathtaking view. The main attraction of the summit is the Church of the Heart of Christ, an expiatory temple located next to the amusement park. At night, the temple is beautifully illuminated and can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. What can I say, the views are breathtaking, the whole city, at a glance, the wind rips off the hat and blows away ...
But that is not all. We left the most important for last.
This greatest creation of Antonio Gaudi made Barcelona famous, and provided the most brilliant architect with a pass to eternity. Like other creations of the great maestro, Park Guell (Park Gü ell) is taken under the protection of UNESCO as a pearl of world heritage.
Park Guell was created in 1901-1913. as conceived by the well-known politician and philanthropist Eusebi Gü ell, who bought a hill with several hectares of land for the construction of luxury housing in the then fashionable "Garden City" style, which came from England. Gü ell commissioned the construction of a landscaped area around the mansions to his proté gé Gaudí . Gü ell's venture subsequently failed because wealthy Spaniards did not want to leave to live too far from the city center. But the history of the failed extravagant project is forever inscribed in the history of Barcelona, thanks to the fantastic work of Gaudi, who brought his part of the work to the end.
The unique technique of facing the sculptures with fragments of colored glass and bottles, original design solutions and a unique play of color is only half the battle. The atmosphere of the park allows you to experience a distinct feeling of being in a fairy tale. Indeed, only in naive children's fantasies can buildings reach for the sky at uneven angles, fantastic arches lean towards the ground contrary to physical laws, and a fabulous sea serpent, wriggling in rings around the perimeter of the garden, can simultaneously be a giant bench for a couple of hundred people. Park Gü ell is really the case when words cannot help the cause. He needs to be seen.
At this tourist "mast-si plan" was completed. 3 days. Kilometers of “walking” streets, thousands of pictures, head spinning from impressions . . it's time to take a time out and finally plunge into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea ...
Route of the day:
Royal Palace of Pedralbes - Manor Gü ell - Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes - Torre Bellesguard - Monastir Santa Maria de Valldunzella - Tibidabo - Park Gü ell
…to be continued…
