Jardins del Palau Reial de Pedralbes

• Children's play area inside the grounds, plus big lawns for running and picnics
• Hidden Gaudí fountain, the dragon-head Font d'Hèrcules, tucked in the bamboo grove for kids to hunt down
• Shady in summer under mature pines and palms, so bring a picnic and stay cool

Grand public gardens hidden behind a wall of bougainvillea on the Diagonal, laid out around an early-20th-century royal palace with lawns, fountains and an oval pool. Wide gravel paths and shady pines give little ones room to run, and there is a playground inside. The hidden highlight is the Font d'Hèrcules, a dragon-spout fountain designed by a young Gaudí.