Here is my first cool spot in Barcelona.
I was super excited to show this place to my friend. She was on a visit to Barcelona and I wanted her to have an off beaten track experience of the city. I took her here because I had good fun last time I came. This park is not in the city centre however still within reach by metro. It is not a super popular destination either and most people I know who came here are locals (like me!). So today, I want to talk about the Horta Labyrinth, situated in a park close to Collserola Mountain.
Last Sunday, the park was full of people, picnicking and visiting. But the most surprising moment of the day was when we found Cinderella taking pictures with Prince Charming on the main pavilion in her blue ball dress. Then Cruella and Snow White walked up to the same pavilions in a very animated conversation. I wonder what they were talking about, they were probably sharing makeup tips… Then there was Tinkerbell taking pictures with some kids on the stairs… No, I did not hallucinate… A group of Disney fans have decided to take over the park for pictures and everyone enjoyed it.
A romantic park
Back to the park. This place is so romantic with all the nooks, the hidden and not so hidden statues, the small romantic bridge over the river, the fountains and ponds, the neoclassical garden as well as the romantic garden, the domain that is closed to the public and the two labyrinths. A big one and a small one. At the entrance, on the right-hand side of the park, there is the closed domain with ivy climbing the walls. We admired it through the grills of the gate. Every time I look at it, I am trying to imagine the life of the family who used to own it. Did they have flamboyant parties? Dinners and balls? This could also be the perfect setting for a wedding.
For me, the best part of this garden remains the big cypress maze in the middle – the small one is by far much less interesting. Don’t get your hopes up though, this labyrinth is not huge. It is just big enough to be enjoyed. My friend and I entered the labyrinth from the bottom of the pavilions, down the stairs, wondering at each step what is next on our way. Up to Eros’s statue, in the middle of the labyrinth, the walk is easy. From the centre on, it is another story. There are many options of paths leaving from here and believe me it is not that easy to get out. We have tried several ways and it took us a while to find the exit. I went there again recently with a group of friends and we had the same experience. The mastermind behind this maze was a genius. He managed to create a challenging way out within a “small” labyrinth.
Finding our way out
Both times I was here, we were full of excitement. But then we had to keep on taking turns that led us nowhere… While searching to get out, I saw other groups as lost and helpless as we were, trying hard to find their way out too. As we started to lose hope, we followed one corridor and…found the exit by chance…Doesn’t real life happen like this too sometimes? When you don’t expect IT the least, IT happens.
It had been fun to try to “find the way”, getting lost inside and finding the exit. When we finally saw the end of that tunnel…ahem… labyrinth, we felt triumphant…and happy we overcame this small challenge. It has been strange as well to get lost inside this labyrinth. We have experienced so many feelings in such a short time: fun, excitement, frustration, a bit of panic, hope and excitement again and it also felt timeless. We probably only spent 20 mn inside but it felt like an eternity. That was a good way to spend a Sunday morning. As a reward. we deserved a good lunch. The two times I was in the labyrinth I headed afterwards to La Paradeta for some seafood and fish. So my next post will be about this restaurant. Teaser…
The park is free on Wednesdays and Sundays. Otherwise, the admission fee is 2,23 euros. And yes, this amount is odd.
Metro: L3 stop Mundet
Website: click here.