On my quest for the best parks in town I came across the park of the castle of Oreneta. Although disappointingly the park has no castle to marvel at anymore it has other qualities that render it unique in its kind. Built on the slope of a hill in Sarria it overlooks Barcelona and on a clear day you can even see the sea. Actually that is not quite true. Even on a clear day you won’t be able to see the sea, but with a bit of imagination you’ll be able to figure out where the sea is supposed to be beyond the fumes and smog that have rendered the horizon indistinguishable from wherever you are in Barcelona.

This park can best be described as a family park. Perfect for a picnic (keep an eye out for the hidden picnic tables on your way up the hill) with a whole range of things to do for the little ones. And I don’t mean the playground or the table tennis area. Nor do I refer to the obstacle complex where the kiddos can climb up, down, and through the most bizarre set of iron structures. Nah! I’m talking about the ponies and the choo-choo trains!

 
Halfway up the hill you’ll come across a sign steering you off to the left down from the path into the open prairie where you’ll encounter a pony ranch. This part of the park stretches for about a mile and you can hire a pony with an instructor who will get the youngster onto the pony and teach the basics on how to stay on the pony and how to hold on without tearing out its ears. Once the basics are mastered the very brave can go on a trip with mom and pop around the circuit and “gallop” at snail pace across the countryside. The experience will cost you 5€, and the ponies operate Sat, Sun & Holidays from 10am-14pm

Right at the top of the hill, past the playground with the swings and seesaws, past the tire on a rope and the café, which sells cheap drinks at expensive prices, you’ll come to a railway crossing. If you have not noticed when crossing the lines that something is different about these railway tracks, you’ll notice the moment a little miniature steam engine rolls past you packed with a handful of kids screaming and shouting, spurring on the train on into the wilderness hidden beyond the trees and bushes of the park.

The trains run every Sunday except on some holidays and the whole month of August between 10am and 2pm and for as little as 1.2€ your kid is on its way to explore the magic of steam powered trains and find out the heritage of the word choo-choo train. The circuit seems small from the onset but is laid out in such an imaginative way that it spans close to a kilometre passing through three tunnels, past two ponds, and one viaduct and feels like a journey of miles. Bundled with the imagination kids can have at that age, they’re bound to have a laugh.

 
In total there are more than twenty different trains inspired by their bigger brothers. The assortment consists of electric, diesel and of course steam operated trains.

By now you’ll have spent the whole morning running behind the kids watching them burn off that seemingly endless pool of energy. But we all know there is a bottom to that hole and a lunch break will look exceedingly inviting.

Along the park you’ll have noticed blocks of stone giving you rough directions to the different attractions of the park and after I figured out that it read Ponis and not something else, I figured what Rostidoria(Pollastres) might mean. Walking seemingly in circles you’ll be following the signs up the hill and back down again to encounter about a dozen family sized tables with benches and the irresistible smell of Freshly ROAST CHICKEN!