A few days ago I heard the news that the Barcelona City Council is considering to start charging an admission fee to enter Gaudi´s Park Güell.
The neighbors in the area have decided to speak up and complain, so the issue is now under discussion. This beautiful garden complex was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi and built in the early 1900’s. Nowadays, the park receives an average of 14,000 tourists every day. More that 4,000,000 visits per year!
Park Güell
They haven’t yet decided on the price of the ticket or when they would lunch the iniciative, but the main reason for this fee is to alleviate the high maintenance costs and to have better control over who enters the parc, discouraging sneaky pickpocketers from prowling around the area looking for innocent victims.
Overall, the cost of maintaining the park and its gardens in perfect condition is costing the city between 600,000 and 700,000 per year, not counting the extra costs for unforseeable damages.
In my opinion it’s a good initiative. After all, the park should be an enjoyable place to be, not a dirty, crowded and dangerous space to seek fictitious relaxation.
Check out more information on Park Güell.
