Editing Park Güell (section)

== Municipal garden ==
[[File:Parc Güell Dragon Restored.jpg|left|thumb|Gaudí's multicolored [[mosaic]] salamander, popularly known as ''El Drac'' (English: the dragon), facing the main entrance following its restoration due to a vandalism incident in February 2007]]
[[File:Park Guell Terrace.JPG|left|thumb|Gaudí's mosaic work on the main terrace]]

Park Güell has since been converted into a municipal garden. It is accessible by the [[Barcelona Metro|metro]], though the closest stations ([[Vallcarca metro station|Vallcarca]] and [[Lesseps station|Lesseps]]) are some distance from the site at the base of Turó de Carmel. City buses and commercial tourist buses also serve the park. In October 2013, an entrance fee was introduced for the Monumental Zone (main entrance, terrace, viaducts, and areas with mosaics), though Barcelona citizens can enter free of charge. Limited tickets are available and often sell out in advance. La Torre Rosa, Gaudí's home converted into a museum featuring furniture he designed, requires a separate entrance fee, though a reduced rate is available for visitors also seeing the [[Sagrada Família]] Church.

The entrance is flanked by two gatehouses designed by Gaudí, forming the Porter's Lodge pavilion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parkguell.barcelona/en/park-guell/emblematic-features/entrance-pavilions|title = The entrance and the porter's lodge pavilions &#124; Web oficial Park Güell &#124; Barcelona}}</ref> One building contains a small room with a telephone booth. The other, formerly the porter's house, now houses a permanent exhibition of the [[Barcelona City History Museum]] (Catalan: ''Museu d'Història de Barcelona'').<ref>{{cite web|title=MUHBA Park Güell|url=http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/en/muhba-park-guell}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXEGigoEa5k| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211122/fXEGigoEa5k| archive-date=2021-11-22 | url-status=live|title=LMVC UPC CPSV. MUHBA. Levantamiento del Parc Güell Casa del Guarda|date=3 April 2013|access-date=2 April 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The park's focal point is the main terrace, enclosed by a long bench shaped like a [[sea serpent]]. The curves of the serpent bench form enclaves designed to encourage social interaction. The design of the benches was the work of Gaudí's collaborator [[Josep Maria Jujol]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/sep/09/gaudis-partner-in-iconic-barcelona-design-finally-gets-the-limelight |title=Gaudí's partner in iconic Barcelona design finally gets the limelight |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Stephen |last=Burgen |date=2016-09-09 |access-date=2016-09-09}}</ref>

Another prominent feature throughout the park is the series of elevated pathways, originally intended to service the houses. Designed by Gaudí, they jut out from the steep hillside or rest on [[Viaduct]]s, often serving as roofs for lower footpaths within arcades. To minimize their visual intrusion, Gaudí constructed them using local stone, making them appear as an extension of the landscape. Echoing natural forms, the columns and branching [[Vault (architecture)|vaults]] supporting the roadways were carved to resemble tree trunks. Similar to his earlier work at the Church of Colònia Güell, Gaudí used curved vaulting and the alignment of sloping columns to create [[Inverted catenary|inverted catenary arch]] shapes, functioning as ideal compression structures.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dataphys.org/list/gaudis-hanging-chain-models/ |title=1889 – Gaudí's Hanging Chain Models |website=List of Physical Visualizations |date=20 January 2015 |access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref>

At the park's highest point is a stone hill with steps leading to a platform topped by three large crosses. This [[calvary]] is officially named "El Turó de les Tres Creus." Two crosses point north–south and east–west, while the third and tallest points skyward. From here, visitors have a panoramic view of the main city, including the Sagrada Família, [[Torre Glòries|Agbar Tower]], the [[Montjuïc]] area, and the Mediterranean Sea in the distance.

Park Güell supports a variety of wildlife, notably several of Barcelona's non-native parrot species, and there have even been sightings of the [[Short-toed snake eagle|short-toed eagle]]. The park also hosts a population of [[Macroglossum stellatarum|hummingbird hawk moths]].
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