Barcelona's Park Guell worth the walk

The Park Guell is perhaps the most striking example of Gaudi's early Art Nouveau style. It is located about a 10 minute walk from a stop on the tourist bus red line. The park was originally a commercially unsuccessful housing project of the rich industrialist Count Eusebi Guell, after whom the park was named. The original idea was to build sixty luxury houses, with spectacular views away from the smoky air of the city, but ultimately only two homes were built. Gaudi moved into one of them in 1906.

The Parc Guell, as it is called in Catalan, was inspired by the English City Garden movement. While entrance to the Park is free, Gaudí's house, "la Torre Rosa," containing furniture that he designed, can be only visited for an entrance fee. There is a reduced rate for those wishing to see both Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia.

Built in the years 1900 to 1914, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.