Renewal of hedges and vegetation in Parc del Laberint d’Horta to start in the spring

Besides the renewal of all the cypress trees making up the maze, native vegetation will be added, paving improved, a sustainable watering system installed and steps and balustrades restored, among other elements in the historical garden.

22/10/2024 - 12:21 h - Environment and sustainability María José Martín López

The project by Barcelona City Council, through the Municipal Institute for Parks and Gardens, should guarantee the protection and conservation of the city’s oldest historical park. The work is being funded with European Next Generation funds as part of the Sustainable Tourism Plan for Destinations in Barcelona.

The maze will get 2,211 cypress trees between 150 and 175 centimetres in height, filling the kilometre and a half route around the maze. Native species will also be added which do not need as much water, and the whole watering system renewed with a sectoral drip circuit. The precision of the new system will allow watering to be regulated according to orientation, areas of shade and the state of vegetation, making it more adaptable to the needs of the cypress trees.

With the aim of more sustainable use of water resources, paving will also be improved to make it more permeable and allow the soil to get better use from water. Parterres will also be optimised to conserve humidity better, and gravel added in some areas to facilitate water filtration into the subsoil.

Besides the renewal of vegetation in the historical garden, its sculptures and ceramic structures will also be restored, along with steps, balustrades and some other ceramic elements.

The park will be closed while the project is carried out. Work is expected to start in March 2025 and take 12 months.

About the Parc del Laberint d’Horta

The Parc del Laberint d’Horta is the city’s oldest remaining historical garden. It started being built in 1791 and the first stage was completed in 1808. The park has the city’s only hedge maze, one of only a few this old and with such important heritage value in the whole of the Spanish state.

The last major renovation process at the park was in 1994 and since then it has been managed as a garden museum, with access controlled. The garden is currently listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest, with the process under way to make it a Cultural Asset of National Interest.

The renovation project will satisfy the UNESCO recommendation to conserve historical gardens, set out in the Florence Charter, which recognises historical gardens as monuments and the obligation to protect them.