Horta & Guinardó

There is no doubt that this park is the green jewel of the Horta and Guinardó district. It was designed in 1792 by the Italian engineer Domenico Bagutti, as an initiative of the owner of the estate Joan Desvalls, the Marquis of Llupià and Alfarràs.

This is Barcelona’s oldest garden and a matchless example of artistic gardening, which reached its apogee when the marquis’s descendants extended the grounds under the supervision of the architect Elies Rogent, with the addition of a romantic garden with flower beds, small squares, tall trees and a waterfall. A total of 55 hectares of partially landscaped gardens laid out according to the widespread taste for neo-classical gardens at the time, although the park’s woodland setting give it that romantic touch. The grounds are full of hidden corners to be discovered, some of them decorated with sculptures of mythological figures.

The park is also the home of the Torre Soberana, a 14th-century country house, which was restored and redecorated in the Arabesque style in the 19th century. The park takes its name from the maze, created from pollarded cypress trees, and is a meeting place where young and old alike, who visit this charming spot at the foot of the Collserola Ridge, can enjoy their leisure time.