Turó Park from above, photo courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Barcelona is filled with parks and green spaces, and Turó Park is one of its most emblematic; while Ciutadella Park and Parc Güell might be the preferred destination of tourists, this park is one of the most popular with local residents. It’s known for being a quiet space dedicated to the arts, for its secluded, tranquil atmosphere and its biodiversity.
An Historic Amusement Park
Located at Avinguda de Pau Casals, 19 in the neighborhood of Sant Gervasi - Galvany, these three square acres of gardens are located on land that was the site of an historic amusement park, from 1912 to 1929. The amusement park included a large plaza for outdoor parties and gatherings, a miniature railway, a roller coaster, a skating rink, a lake where you could take a ride on Venetian-style gondolas, puppet shows, a hot air balloon, and other attractions that delighted Barcelona’s turn of the century upper class and bourgeoisie. Dog shows, car shows, ballroom dances and even exhibitions brought in from other parts of the world—a display by a supposedly Himalayan tribe, for example—all took place on the park’s grounds.
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From 1912 to 1929 an amusement park was located where Turó Park is today. Photo by Arnau Izard i Llonch, July 2, 1914, courtesy of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Deed).
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From 1912 to 1929 an amusement park was located where Turó Park is today. Photo by Arnau Izard i Llonch, July 2, 1914, courtesy of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Deed).
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From 1912 to 1929 an amusement park was located where Turó Park is today. Photo by Arnau Izard i Llonch, July 2, 1914, courtesy of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Deed).
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From 1912 to 1929 an amusement park was located where Turó Park is today. Photo by Arnau Izard i Llonch, July 2, 1914, courtesy of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Deed).
Before the amusement park was built, the site and its surrounding lands were mostly farms and fields; the construction of this attraction marked the start of urbanization of the area. The original plot of land covered everything from Avinguda Diagonal to Avinguda de Sarrià, and from Carrer d’Amigó to Carrer de Doctor Roux and Carrer de la Reina Victòria.
In 1917, this extensive parcel was designated as a future green space by the Barcelona City Council’s urban planners. The owners, industrialist Josep Bertrand and his wife Manuela Girona, negotiated an agreement that allowed them to cede a central portion of the land to the city in exchange for permission to develop the surrounding property. The City Council named one of the adjacent streets after Josep Bertrand to thank him and his family for the gift of the land.
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A sculpture by Apel·les Fenosa in Barcelona's Turó Park honors Pau Casals. Photo by Òscar Giralt courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
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A sculpture by Apel·les Fenosa in Barcelona's Turó Park honors Pau Casals. Photo by Vicente Zambrano González courtesy of Ajuntment de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
The Creation of Turó Park
The park as we know it today was the brainchild of architect Nicolau M. Rubió i Tudurí, and for many years was one of the few public green spaces in the city. The park was designed under his supervision and was opened to the public in 1934, five years after the amusement park closed.
Today, it’s a public garden dedicated to the memory of the poet, playwright, novelist and journalist, Eduard Marquina, and contains many sculptures honoring other writers, poets, artists and musicians. If you go through the main entrance on Avinguda de Pau Casals, you’re immediately met by a massive sculpture by Apel·les Fenosa honoring the legacy of the cellist Pau Casals, as well as another work featuring a group of flute players. Legend has it that the angelic flute players are meant to welcome young lovers of art, music and literature, and to beckon them to enter this green haven located in the middle of chaotic Barcelona.
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La "Biga de la Font de l'Aurora" by sculptor Joan Borrell i Nicolau. Photo by Canaan (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
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The original Font de l’Aurora by sculptor Joan Borrell i Nicolau. Photo by unknown author, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Other works of art featured on the grounds were created in memory of opera singer Francesc Viñas and painter Jean Michel Folan (both by Josep Calará), or the statue by Eloïse Cerdan in homage to the writer Eugeni d’Ors. There’s also a series of paths that follow a “poetry route,” honoring works by Federico García Lorca, Sylvia Plath, Salvador Espiriu, Dylan Thomas, Walt Whitman, Fernando Pessoa, Alfonsina Storni, Narcí Comadira, Joan Vinyoli, and of course, Eduard Marquina.
Another famous statue, la Biga de la font de l’Aurora by sculptor Joan Borrell i Nicolau, depicts two rampant horses drawing a carriage with the sun god, Helios, at the reins. The sculpture was originally part of a larger installation that included a fountain, as well as a similar carriage driven by the moon goddess Selene. The monument was dismantled in 1931, but this part of it was preserved by Rubió i Tudurí.
Artificial pond in Turó Park. Photo by Vicente Zambrano González courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Flora, Fauna and Food
Turó Park is also famous for its plant life; several of the century-old original trees are still alive and thriving, including carob trees, holm oaks, poplars, date palms, Canary palms, magnolias, plane trees, lime trees, oleanders, Himalayan cedars, laurels and others, as well as many varieties of ivy, grasses and flowers. The park’s pond, surrounded by poplar trees, is covered with fat green lily pads, which are central to the complex ecosystem of fish, frogs, insects and algae that exists within the pond.
The large, grassy area located near the pond is a perfect place to picnic, read a book, or to simply stretch out and relax, and the many curving paths that wind through the park provide shady spots to take a stroll. Several of these paths lead to two popular restaurants located in the park: Café Turó, which serves a selection of classic Spanish and Catalan tapas, and Pinhan Café, a Turkish restaurant.
A walkway in Turó Park. Photo by Òscar Giralt courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
The grounds also include two children’s play areas, an outdoor stage for family-friendly entertainment—which is surrounded by roses and other aromatic plants—ping-pong tables, a dog park and public toilets. The nearby 1000-square-meter dog park is a unique feature because it's one of the few in Barcelona that does not allow dogs, in an attempt to protect the park’s sculptures from damage. Cycling and futbol are also not allowed in the park, for the same reason.
Another, more modern attraction at the park is the “digital gimcana” or digital puzzle game called "El Secret del Turó Park.” Participants are asked to solve ten puzzles within the space of an hour and within a radius of 500 meters; the starting point is in front of the stage in Plaça del Teatret. All the puzzles are related to the “secrets” that have historically attracted so many writers, poets and literature lovers to the area.
Turó Park is open from 10:00 to 19:00 from November through March, and 10:00 to 21:00 from April through October.