Citadel Park is one of Barcelona’s oldest and most picturesque green areas. Locals like to walk here on weekends and have picnics, and for tourists, the zoo and museums are of interest.
General information
Citadel or Ciutadella Park is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Barcelona for both tourists and locals. It was founded in the late 19th century, and is located in the north-eastern part of the Old Town.
For many decades, this was the only place in the area where you could relax, so today in the Citadel there are a number of museums, a zoo, as well as the Parliament building of Catalonia.
The park covers an area of 30 hectares, and is named after the citadel, which once stood on the site of the park complex.
The central part of the Citadel is an artificial lake and 3 alleys (Lipovaya, Vyazovaya and Topolina). Here you can find several fountains and sculptures. And Picasso Avenue, which runs along the park, is famous for its ancient buildings built for the World Exhibition, the center of which was Ciutadella Park.
What is in the park
A waterfall and an artificial lake are located in the central part of the Ciutadella park, and are very popular places for recreation both for tourists and local residents.
These two attractions appeared in the park shortly before the Barcelona World Exhibition. The architect Josep Fontser tried to create the effect of antiquity, so that it seemed to visitors that all the sculptures and statues have been standing here for many decades.
There are only two attractions associated with the lake. The first is a leisurely walk, and the second is a boat ride through the picturesque parts of the Citadel park.
The Castle of the Three Dragons is another attraction of Barcelona, erected for the World Exhibition. This is a large stone building in the Art Nouveau style, in which for a long time there was a cafe.
Toothed towers, original plates with floral ornaments, small bridges connecting different parts of the castle – all this creates an indescribable atmosphere of fabulousness and antiquity.
Now the Castle of the Three Dragons is one of the hallmarks of Ciutadella Park in Barcelona. Here is the Museum of Zoology of Catalonia, the permanent exhibition of which includes:
- Minerals The collection contains more than 300 types of unusual minerals brought to Barcelona from around the world.
- Animal world. Here you can get to know the animals that live in Spain and Europe as a whole.
- Apiary. This is one of the most interesting parts of the exhibition, where you can not only see the recreated apiary, but also get to know how the bees live and work.
- Volcanoes. In this part of the museum you will learn a lot of interesting things about the volcanic region of Olot.
- City birds.
Opening hours: 11.00 – 18.00.
The Parliament of Catalonia sits in one of the oldest buildings in Barcelona – in the former military arsenal, erected in 1720. This is a small, but very interesting, from an architectural point of view, structure, consisting of two floors and an attic.
If you look at the building from above, you can see that it was built in the shape of a cross. In the center – a massive dome, on the sides – small courtyards with greenery.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was reconstructed. So, it was tiled with terracotta tiles, and the facade was decorated with busts of famous Catalan artists.
To get into the parliament building, which has been sitting here since 1980, will fail. You can only enjoy the interesting facade.
The zoo is the most visited part of the Ciutadella park in Barcelona. When you purchase a ticket at the box office, you will be given a colorful booklet with a detailed description of the animals and recreation areas in the zoo.
The enclosures in which the animals live are well equipped, and you can watch animals from different points of view. At the zoo you will see:
- monkeys;
- Bears
- peacocks;
- parrots
- hippos;
- rhinos;
- flamingo;
- elephants;
- lizards.
One of the most interesting parts of the park is the kitchen. Here, children and adults can observe who prepares food for animals and how.
In addition to the zoo itself, the price of the ticket includes a visit to the dolphinarium – you can go backstage and also visit the show for free. You should come at least 20-30 minutes before the start – the show is popular, and places quickly take up.
Tourists note that the Barcelona zoo is not very different from other European parks, so if you came to the capital of Catalonia without children, you can safely skip this attraction.
“Lady with an umbrella” is one of the most famous sculptures of the Ciutadella park. She appeared here in 1888, to the World’s Fair in Barcelona. The statue was created by the sculptor Horn Soler from marble.
“Lady with an umbrella” is a great example of a girl who lived in one of the wealthy Catalan families at the end of the 19th century. She was dressed in the fashion of that time: an elegant dress with a fitted top and an elegantly falling skirt, in her hands – a miniature umbrella.
Practical information:
Ciutadella Park is located in the north-east of Barcelona, 2 km from the seafront. Nearby is the French Station and the Aquarium of Barcelona.
You can get to the sights on:
- The train. You must exit at the Estació de França station (French station) and walk 300 meters to the north.
- Underground. You need to get off at either Ciutadella Vila Olímpica station or Jaume I. This is the yellow metro line (L4). You will need to walk 200-300 meters to the sights.
- The bus. The following routes go to the Citadel Park in Barcelona: H16, 59, V19, V27, B20, B25, H14, N0, 136, V21, N11. Transport runs every 10-25 minutes.
Practical information:
- Location: Passeig de Picasso, 21, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Opening hours: 10.00 – 17.00 (January-March, November, December), 10.00 – 19.00 (April, May, October), 10.00 – 20.00 (June-September).
- Ticket price (to the zoo): 21 euros – adults, teenagers under 12 years old – 13 euros, children under 3 years old – free of charge.
- Official website: https://www.barcelona.cat
Useful Tips
- Buy a ticket to Ciutadella Zoo in advance on the official website – this will save you time and get a 20% discount.
- If you plan to visit the dolphinarium, bring pillows or towels with you – the entire show, which lasts 1.5 hours, is offered to the audience to sit on cold stone steps.
- If you plan to spend several hours in the Citadel park, take food and water with you – there are no shops on site.
- Unfortunately, in Barcelona there are a lot of pickpockets, which often rob the guests of the city. Since Park Ciutadella is a tourist destination, always carefully monitor your belongings. Also try not to carry the backpack behind your back, do not open the map demonstratively (this is a signal for thieves). It is advisable not to carry the camera around your neck.
Citadel Park is a well-kept corner of Barcelona where you can find a lot of entertainment.
Beautiful places of Ciutadella park:
