"“And here’s the Arc de Triomf”—a phrase you might not expect to hear in Barcelona. It gets even more confusing when you discover that the monumental stone gateway at the entrance of Parc de la Ciutadella (which indeed shares a name with the French landmark), was actually supposed to be the Eiffel Tower. True story: The Barcelona council rejected Gustave Eiffel’s design, leading him to pitch it to Paris. Inside the Ciutadella? The core is a tree-lined boulevard with couples promenading, kids running, street artists blowing giant bubbles, locals training their dogs, students sunbathing on the grassy banks, and older folk watching on. The site is vast: few parks could house a city’s zoo and its regional parliament, let alone put them next door to each other, which is the case here. Other beautiful structures that are open for strolling include the cast iron Umbracle, where arched roofs shade verdant kentia palms, fig trees and giant elephant’s ears; the recently restored Hivernacle, a spectacularly decorated 135-year-old greenhouse; and the natural sciences museum, Centre Martorell d’Exposicions." - Gemma Askham
