The Horta Labyrinth, closed since March 2025 for a comprehensive renovation, is preparing to reopen in early 2027. The works, with a budget of 1.32 million euros largely funded by European Next Generation funds, included planting 2,211 new cypress trees, renewing the pavement for better permeability, restoring sculptures, and implementing a sustainable irrigation system.
The closure of the park surrounding the garden, which began on March 13th, was due to containment measures for African swine fever. This situation has delayed the final phase of rooting for the new trees planted since December 2025, which requires several additional months to ensure their adaptation.
During the renovation, foundations and remnants of the original 18th-century irrigation system, designed by Italian engineer Domenico Bagutti, were discovered. Archaeologists Joan Llaberia and Òscar Varas documented channels and a water mine, confirming the flood irrigation method and providing new data on the space's organization.
The garden complex, spanning 54 hectares and owned by the Desvalls family until the 1970s, was inaugurated as a public park in 1971. Currently, the Palau del Marquès d’Alfarràs, also restored, hosts an exhibition and is undergoing the process to be declared a Site of National Cultural Interest (BCIN).
Park management and the kiosk concessionaire have voiced complaints about the continued closure, deeming it unnecessary as the garden's perimeter prevents wild boar entry, unlike other areas of the Collserola mountain range.
