Even if it seems I end up spending almost every summer vacation in Italy, my true love when it comes to Mediterranean countries will always be Spain. And although Spain has lots of hot interest points, Barcelona is by far the first one. If you haven’t seen it so far, it should definitely be on your list!
So what is there to do in Barcelona, one may ask. The answer: anything and everything! First, you got to make sure to stay there for at least one week. It’s what you need to have a slight chance to see some of the major tourist attractions in this really great city.
Tip: Get the Barcelona Card. It allows you to travel freely around the city, to get several discounts on admissions and even free entrances to a list of museums. It also includes a map of the city and a map of the metro network, as well as information about the main sightseeing areas.
Now that we had that covered, let’s see the best that Barcelona has to offer!
Gaudi all the way!
I just love Gaudi! I could admire again and again all the marvels that come out of his hands and his incredible imagination. I don’t favour any of his masterpieces, I just find all of them exquisite and love them all for a special detail.
Sagrada Familia
Gaudi spent almost 40 years of his life building this wonder carved in stone that combines Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Built entirely from donations, “the expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people” (Antoni Gaudi).
Personal favourite: the ceiling of the nave with the tree-like columns and the 4 The Evangelists depicted as symbols: a bull (Saint Luke), a winged man (Saint Matthew), an eagle (Saint John), and a lion (Saint Mark).
La Pedrera
Also known as Casa Mila, the one century old house is the last residential building designed by Gaudi. La Pedrera is maybe the most famous building of the Catalan Modernisme or Catalan Art Nouveau period. and one of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s most ambitious works. It is a container that is a work of art in itself. I love the stepped roof with its 28 warrior head chimneys, the fantastic courtyard, the undulating stone facade and twisted iron balconies.
Casa Batllo
The spectacular Casa Batllo is another landmark of Modernism that captivates with its forms, use of material and colours and shows that Gaudi`s imagination had no limits. The spectacular rooftop and the attic arches are the thing I like most of it.
Park Guell
The park belongs to the naturalist phase of Gaudi, when his work was inspired from organic shapes found in nature. Here I suggest you to visit also Casa Museu Gaudi. Antoni Gaudi lived and worked here for 20 years.
Montjuic Hill
The site of the International Exhibition (1929) and the Olympic Games (1992) houses the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Museum, Palau Sant Jordi, a castle, Poble Espanyol, the National Art Museum and the famous Magic Fountain.
Jardi Botanic
So far, this is definitely my favourite botanical garden! The rather new garden (1999) displays plants within a natural landscape of bushes and trees and houses species from seven regions of the world with Mediterranean climate, including the sub-tropical vegetation of Canary Islands, the precursor (in evolutionary terms) of the Mediterranean plant life.
Poble Espanyol
Entire Spain put together, this is Poble Espanyol, also a legacy of the 1927 International Exhibition. This open air museum of architecture includes 117 buildings from all over Spain, a craft area with more than 40 craft shops and lots of restaurants.
Barri Gòtic
With its intricate network of narrow medieval streets in the Gothic Quarter takes you from the City Hall to the 13th and 14th century Royal Palace with its medieval courtyard known as the Plaça del Rei.
Museu d`Historia de Barcelona
Under Plaça del Rei lays the Roman ruins of Bracino, as the most extensive and comprehensive underground Roman ruins in the world. Dating back to 1st and 6th centuries AD, the ruins include a fish factory,a wine press the famous Roman baths and a dyeing and laundering center.
Museu Picasso
Shelters Picasso’s early works, including the Blue Period and a series of studies based on Velásquez’s Las Meninas, as well as a collection of prints.
Museu de la Xocolata
Hope you don’t need any reasons to visit this delicious place. Even the ticket is a bar of chocolate!
Mirador de Colom
As the lift inside the iron column will take you 60 metres above the ground, you`ll get one of the best panoramic view over the city. Situated at the end of La Rambla by the sea, the Mirador de Colom commemorates the discovery of America.
L`Aquarium
Want to walk on the bottom of the see and admire the rich marine life? Than this is definitely for you!
Boqueria
When you get hungry and tired I highly recommend you to pay a visit to the best market of Europe. Boqueria will fascinate you with thousands of smells and colours and I guarantee you will never forget the sensations you experience here.
Do not miss! A guided tour on bike, the tapas bars, and a day at the beach, no matter the season! And take your time wandering on La Rambla, the world’s greatest boulevard!
AliTravelling 