Citadel Park
The Citadel Park is one of the parks of Barcelona in Spain. The park has museums, a pond, and the Barcelona Zoo. The park is crowded all the time, townspeople and travelers love to walk along the paths, engage in various sports, ride boats and bicycles. There are many opportunities for outdoor activities in the park.
After ending the war for the Spanish throne, Philip V in 1714 ordered the construction of a fortress in the center of Barcelona, and its guns were exposed towards residential areas. To build the fortress, several residential areas were demolished, and a special tax was imposed, reminding the people of Catalonia that they had lost the war for their sovereignty. In this form, the fortress stood for about 150 years and in the 19th century the fortress was no longer needed. The Spanish authorities gave the go-ahead for the destruction of the fortress, the townspeople enthusiastically destroyed it. At the moment, the current Arsenal remains from the buildings of the fortress, which is used as the residence of the Parliament of Catalonia. The rest of the fortress territory became the Citadel Park.
In 1888, the Citadel Park was chosen to host the first World Exhibition. For this purpose, the park was rebuilt and decorated with pavilions. In 1892, a zoo appeared on the territory. The park is based on 3 alleys and a pond where you can watch turtles who like to bask on rocks, as well as fish. Vegetation and a cozy atmosphere contribute to peace. In one of the reservoirs there is a statue of Despair, made by a Catalan sculptor and which has become a symbol of Barcelona. In 1881, the Cascade fountain was opened in the park, which is decorated with a sculptural ensemble with an Aurora quadriga. At that time, several sculptors worked on the fountain, among whom was the little-known Antonio Gaudi, who later became famous throughout the world due to his creations: Park Guell and the Sagrada Familia.
The Citadel Park houses the castle of the three dragons, which began the history of Catalan modernism. Nowadays, it houses the Lewis Dumenek i Muntane restaurant, as well as the zoological Museum. A significant part of the park is occupied by the Barcelona Zoo, famous for its rare animals. The zoo has a dolphinarium where you can find a killer whale, a whale skeleton, as well as a miniature of Mount Montserrat.
