An urban wood

The Turó de la Peira park is not just another park, it feels more like a wood. It lies in the Nou Barris district and can be reached from the Can Peguera and Turó de la Peira neighbourhoods that surround it, embrace it and almost keep it a secret. It is spread over nearly eight hectares, and delving into its leafy pine grove and enjoying the smell of Mediterranean vegetation encourages you to forget you are in a city.

It opened as a public park in 1936, under the Second Republic, and it occupies the site of an old quarry that had belonged to the Marchioness of Castellbell. In 1977 it was expanded and given a new layout before being completely renovated in 2007, when it acquired its current size and the new facilities it has today.

Climb to the top

The park winds its way up the hill it is named after in a spiral of circular paths that take you to the top. There are also stone steps that let you climb there in a straight line. Along the way are resting places, with benches, platforms, children’s playgrounds and picnic areas. The scenery gradually changes as the lower part, predominantly landscaped and grassy, gives ways to the leafy pine grove higher up.

Whichever path you take, they all lead to the summit 140 metres above sea level, dominated by a cross and with an impressive viewpoint. Getting there is a real treat because it offers some unique, 360º views of the city, and you can see the Collserola and the sea at the same time.