Calling all Harry Potter fans: there’s a dope labyrinth park in Barcelona and you don´t have to be a Triwizard Champion to enter it. Located in the district of Horta, the Parc de Labirint d’Horta is home to a beautiful 820 yard long maze (disclaimer: apparently maze is not synonymous for labyrinth, but for the purposes of my post I will continue to upset those who find my misuse of the word disturbing because ain’t nobody got time to differentiate the two) that transports you back to the year 1791 when it was built by Joan Antoni Desvalls of d’Ardena. It´s kind of a trek to get there since it´s not in a touristy area, but that´s what makes it all the more appealing. Fuck tourists, ammirite?
I´m a huge HP nerd, so it was no question that my answer would be ¨fuck YAAAS!¨ when my roommate asked if I wanted to take a 40 minute metro ride to get lost in the labyrnth after class. Like the millennials we are, we put in our headphones to help pass the time, aka avoid the boredom of interacting with one another. While she jammed to her “good vibes” Sound Cloud playlist, I opened the podcast app on my iPhone (Apple should be sponsoring me for this advertisement) to listen to If I Were You, the only advice podcast on the internet hosted by Jake and Amir.
Once we arrived in Horta I wrapped my headphones around my PopSocket, and prepared myself to enter the Park and experience something mystical. Despite studies attempting to show spiritual effects of labyrinth walking, there is no empirical evidence that supports the disputed ¨labyrinth effect” besides Dumbledore´s claim that “people change in the maze,” which is enough evidence for me.
Unlike the Triwizard Maze which hosts the Triwizard Cup, in the center of the Barcelona labyrinth, located inside the neoclassical garden, stands a statue of Eros, the goddess of love. Unbeknownst to my roommate and me, this is a hot spot for lovers. I was expecting to find a sphinx or a water fountain, not a bunch of adorable couples sucking face.
The reminder of how terribly single I was almost made me wish the statue of Eros was a portkey meant to transport me to the Little Hangleton graveyard to face my death at the hands of Voldemort – but then I remembered that being single isn’t as bad as having to probably smell Voldemort’s breath before he curses me. Can you imagine the Dark Lord brushing his teeth twice a day with a Darth Vadar toothbrush, flossing, and using mouthwash after a tiresome day of splitting his soul into horcruxes? I don’t think so.
I know what you’re thinking; this dope ass park must cost like, one hundred million dollars to get into! I’m just a broke college student, how can I afford that? WELL dear reader, you’re absolutely wrong! Entrance to this magnificent gem is as free as watching the Mayweather v Pacquiao fight on Periscope!
There’s much more to be explored in the Labyrinth Park in Horta, but you’ll have to check it out yourself (because I’m too lazy to write about it/the Labyrinth is the most important part). In the meantime, brush up on your Goblet of Fire knowledge with this quiz I made on riddle.com. Let the odds be ever in your favor!
A Broad on a Budget 