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Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards
Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book
Best Travel Guide, Benjamin Franklin Awards finalist
“Impressive in its presentation and abundance of material.”
— National Geographic Traveler
“PhotoSecrets books are an invaluable resource for photographers.”
— Nikon School of Photography
“One of the best travel photography books we’ve ever seen.”
— Minolta
“Guides you to the most visually distinctive places to explore with your camera.”
— Outdoor Photographer
“This could be one of the most needed travel books ever published!”
— San Francisco Bay Guardian
“The most useful travel guides for anyone with a camera.”
— Shutterbug’s Outdoor and Nature Photography
“Takes the guesswork out of shooting.”
— American Way (American Airlines magazine)
PhotoSecrets Park Güell, first published May 3, 2016. This version output April 21, 2018.
Curated, coded and designed by Andrew Hudson. Copyright © Andrew Hudson for PhotoSecrets (Photo Tour Books, Inc.). Photos, text and maps copyrights are listed in the credits section.
“‘And what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversations?’”
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Thank you to the many talented photographers that generously made their photos available. Photos distributed by the following:
Text copyright of Wikipedia editors and contributors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA).
Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors. Open data licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).
Cover image by Luciano Mortula/Shutterstock.
Back cover image by .
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any way without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner(s) and the publisher of this book.
The information provided within this book is for general informational purposes only. Some information may be inadvertently incorrect, or may be incorrect in the source material, or may have changed since publication, this includes GPS coordinates, addresses, location titles, descriptions, Web links, and photo credits. Use with caution; do not photograph from roads or other dangerous places or when trespassing, even if GPS coordinates and/or maps indicate so; beware of moving vehicles; obey laws. The publisher and author cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book. There are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, images, or graphics contained in this book for any purpose. Any use of this information is at your own risk.
For corrections, please send an email.
A great travel photograph, like a great news photograph, requires you to be in the right place at the right time to capture that special moment. Professional photographers have a short-hand phrase for this: “F8 and be there.”
There are countless books that can help you with photographic technique, the “F8” portion of that equation. But until now, there’s been little help for the other, more critical portion of that equation, the “be there” part. To find the right spot, you had to expend lots of time and shoe leather to wander around, track down every potential viewpoint, and essentially re-invent the wheel.
In my career as a professional travel photographer, well over half my time on location is spent seeking out the good angles. Andrew Hudson’s PhotoSecrets does all that legwork for you, so you can spend your time photographing instead of wandering about. It’s like having a professional location scout in your camera bag. I wish I had one of these books for every city I photograph on assignment.
PhotoSecrets can help you capture the most beautiful sights with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of enjoyment. So grab your camera, find your favorite PhotoSecrets spots, and “be there!”
Bob Krist has photographed assignments for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Travel/Holiday, Smithsonian, and Islands. He won “Travel photographer of the Year” from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.
For National Geographic, Bob has led round-the-world tours and a traveling lecture series. His book In Tuscany with Frances Mayes spent a month on The New York Times’ bestseller list and his how-to book Spirit of Place was hailed by American Photographer magazine as “the best book about travel photography we’ve ever read.”
The parents of three sons, Bob and his wife live in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Thank you for reading PhotoSecrets. As a fellow fan of travel and photography, I hope this guide will help you quickly find the most visually stunning places, and come home with equally stunning photographs.
PhotoSecrets is designed to show you all the best sights. Flick through, see the classic shots, and use them as a departure point for your own creations. Get ideas for composition and interesting viewpoints. See what piques your interest. Know what to shoot, where to stand, when to go, and why it’s interesting. Now you can spend less time researching and more time photographing.
The idea for PhotoSecrets came during a trip to Thailand, when I tried to find the exotic beach used in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. None of the guidebooks I had showed a picture, so I thought a guidebook of postcard photos would be useful for us photographers. Twenty-plus years later, you have this guide. Thanks!
Now, start exploring — and take lots of photos!
Originally an engineer, Andrew Hudson started PhotoSecrets in 1995. His first book won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book and his second won the Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards.
Andrew has published 38 nationally-distributed photography books. He has photographed assignments for Macy’s, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Men’s Health and Seventeen, and been a location scout for Nikon. His photos and articles have appeared in Alaska Airlines, National Geographic Traveler, Shutterbug Outdoor and Nature photography, Where, and Woman’s World.
Andrew has a degree in Computer Engineering from Manchester University and a certificate in copyright law from Harvard Law School. Born in Redditch, England, he lives with his wife, two kids, and two chocolate Labs, in San Diego, California.
At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Park Güell |
| Catalan: | Parc Güell |
| Country: | Spain |
| Autonomous community: | Catalonia |
| City: | Barcelona |
| District: | Gràcia |
| Neighborhood: | La Salut |
| Established: | 1914 |
| Designer: | Antoni Gaudí |
| GPS: | 41.413611, 2.152778 |
| Far: | 4 km (2.6 miles) from center of Barcelona |
Antoni Gaudí’s naturalist architecture from 1900–1914 adorns this park with decorative and mythological surprises.
Photographer: Angela Llop
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Grand stairway leading to the hall and terrace.
Photographer: Ardfern
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
The four bars representing Catalonia and a serpent head.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413630 2.152884 |
| What: | Sculpture | When: | Morning |
| Look: | North-northwest ↑ | Far: | 4 m (13 feet) |
Photographer: Ferran Pestaña
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: Ardfern
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Georges Jansoone
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | El Drac, Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413678 2.152831 |
| What: | Detail | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Jordicerda52
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: William Avery
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | El Drac, Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413678 2.152831 |
| What: | Side | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Ardfern
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | El Drac, Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413678 2.152831 |
| What: | Front | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Year of the Dragon
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Porticos flanking the grand staircase.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413654 2.153109 |
| What: | Portico | When: | Morning |
| Look: | West ← | Far: | 5 m (16 feet) |
| AKA: | Porxo dels Carruatges |
Photographer: Shkermaker
Year: 2005.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Doric columns support the roof of the lower court.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413799 2.152619 |
| What: | Court | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Sala Hipòstila |
Photographer: Deror Avi
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Any use with attribution.
Photographer: Godmeister
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Gaudí’s unique tiled mosaics on the ceiling.
| Addr: | Where: | 41.413859 2.152643 | |
| What: | Mosaic | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Axaxaxaxmlö
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Spiral two-story ramp with columns.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413258 2.152300 |
| What: | Ramp | When: | Morning |
| Look: | West ← | Far: | 20 m (66 feet) |
| AKA: | Rampa i Casa Larrard |
Photographer: Adam Jones
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
An undulating bench.
| Addr: | Where: | 41.4143223 2.1528365 | |
| What: | Mosaic wall | When: | Morning |
| Look: | South ↓ | Far: | 40 m (140 feet) |
Photographer: Luciano Mortula
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
Photographer: Luciano Mortula
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
Photographer: Valeri Potapova
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
Photographer: Umberto Nicoletti
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: Burn The Asylum
Year: 2004.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
An undulating bench in the shape of a sea serpent, covered with tile-shard mosaic planned by Josep Jujol.
| Addr: | Where: | 41.413754 2.152766 | |
| What: | Mosaic wall | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Walter Horvath
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
A retaining wall finished with large capitals made to look like palm trees.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.414332 2.152571 |
| What: | Retaining wall | When: | Morning |
| Look: | Northwest ↖ |
Photographer: Bernard Gagnon
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Two buildings at the entrance — Warden’s House and Porter’s Lodge (with spire).
| Addr: | Where: | 41.413790 2.152728 | |
| What: | Pavilions | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | South-southeast ↓ | Far: | 20 m (66 feet) |
Photographer: Bernard Gagnon
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
West (tall) pavilion.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413798 2.152788 |
| What: | Pavilion | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | South-southeast ↓ | Far: | 40 m (140 feet) |
| AKA: | Conserjería |
Photographer: Valérie75
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
A mosaic sign for Park Güell.
| Addr: | Where: | 41.413297 2.153043 | |
| What: | Mosaic | When: | Morning |
| Look: | Northwest ↖ | Far: | 10 m (33 feet) |
Photographer: Wolfgang Staudt
Year: 2004.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
West (tall) pavilion.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413754 2.152809 |
| What: | Roof | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | South-southeast ↓ | Far: | 40 m (120 feet) |
Photographer: Turol Jones
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
West (tall) pavilion.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413440 2.153007 |
| What: | Spire | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Imelenchon
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
East (short) pavilion.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413552 2.153007 |
| What: | Pavilion | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | East → | Far: | 17 m (56 feet) |
| AKA: | Casa del Guarda |
Photographer: Wolfgang Staudt
Year: 2006.
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY 2.
Photographer: Doc Searls
Year: 2014.
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY 2.
Colonnaded footpath under the roadway viaduct, with external columns sloping to take the diagonal thrust from the vault supporting the road.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.413725 2.151886 |
| What: | Portico | When: | Morning |
| Look: | West-southwest ← | AKA: | Pòrtic de la Bugadera |
Photographer: Pug Girl
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY 2.
Photographer: Luciano Mortula
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
Supports the rising pathway.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.415257 2.154003 |
| What: | Wall | When: | Morning |
| Look: | West-northwest ← | Far: | 4 m (13 feet) |
| AKA: | Viaducte dels Enamorats |
Photographer: Andrew Moore
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Pathway past columns.
| Addr: | Park Güell, El Carmel, Horta-Guinardó, Barcelona | Where: | 41.415516 2.154055 |
| What: | Walkway | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | South ↓ |
Photographer: Georges Jansoone
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
Gaudí’s family home from 1906 to 1925 and now a museum, built by Francesc Berenguer in 1904.
| Addr: | Where: | 41.414634 2.153640 | |
| What: | Museum | When: | Morning |
| Look: | West ← | Far: | 9 m (30 feet) |
| AKA: | Casa Museu Gaudí, La Torre Rosa | Wik: |
Photographer: Yair Haklai
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Canaan
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Calvary.
| Addr: | Where: | 41.412403 2.150991 | |
| What: | Monument | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | East → | Far: | 12 m (39 feet) |
| AKA: | Monumento al Calvario |
Photographer: Axaxaxaxmlö
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
One of two houses in Park Güell, for lawyer Martí Trias i Domènech.
| Addr: | Park Güell, Barcelona | Where: | 41.415102 2.152426 |
| What: | House | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | North-northeast ↑ | Far: | 26 m (85 feet) |
| AKA: | Casa Trias |
Thank you to the many wonderful people and companies that made their work available to use in this guide.
Photo key: Tap the camera icon to see the photo. The two letters reference the distributor and license. Key for distributors: f:Flickr; s:Shutterstock; w:Wikipedia. Key for license: a:CC-BY-SA; b:CC-BY; h:Shutterstock standard; m:public domain.
Cover image by .Ardfern ( wa); Burn The Asylum ( wa); William Avery ( wa); Deror Avi ( wm); Axaxaxaxmlö ( wa); Canaan ( wa); Bernard Gagnon ( fb); Pug Girl ( wa); Godmeister ( wa); Yair Haklai ( wb); Walter Horvath ( wm); Imelenchon ( wb); Georges Jansoone ( fa); Adam Jones ( wb); Turol Jones ( wa); Jordicerda52 ( wa); Angela Llop ( fa); Andrew Moore ( sh); Luciano Mortula ( fa); Umberto Nicoletti ( wa); Ferran Pestaña ( sh); Valeri Potapova ( fb); Doc Searls ( wm); Shkermaker ( wb); Wolfgang Staudt ( wa); Valérie75 ( wa); Year of the Dragon ( wa). Some text adapted from Wikipedia and its contributors where noted by the URL path in the “Wik” table field, used and modified under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA) license. Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors, used under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).