Barcelona Things To Do

Works of Gaudí

Anontio Gaudí is one of the most famous architects of the Art Nouveau movement whose work had an enourmous impact on the face of Barcelonan architecture and whose creations are now one of Barcelonas main attractions. Among his most famous works are Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (also know as La Pedrera), both of which are located on Paseig de Gràcia and can be reached by walking up the street from Plaça de Catalunya or by taking metro line L3 (green line) to the Passeig de Gràcia stop. The breathtaking cathedral of the Sagrada Família is his most famous work and has yet to be completed. Construction began in 1882 and is projected to be finished around 2026 althouth the final date varies. This towering church was Gaudí's attempt to showcase his intense devotion to christianity and he worked on it tirelessley until his death in 1926. It can be reached by metro lines L5 (blue line) and L2 (purple line) which stop at metro stop Sagrada Familia. Another one of his most famous works is Park Güell, located at the top of Barcelona. The park was funded by it´s namesake, Eusebi de Güell and was contructed between the 1900 and 1914. Today the park serves as a peaceful retreat offering interesting architectual works of Guadi and a fanastic view of the city.

1.    Montjuïc Hill

-    Montjuïc Fountains:
From Plaza España up to Palau Nacional you can find a path of fountains and cascades being the Magic Fountain the principal one due to the combination of music, lights and water shapes.

There is a different timetable for the Magic Fountain show depending on the season. You can't miss it.

-    Spanish Village:
It represents the architecture of various regions of Spain. It is a conjunction of Castilian, Aragonese and Andalucian buildings, Basque streets, Galician and Catalan quarters and a Dominican monastery.

Within the village you can find restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, nightclubs, among others.

-    The Olympic Ring:
It is the group of sports installations where the 1992 Olympics took place. It is composed by the Olympic Stadium, the Bernat Picornell swimming pools, the Calatrava tower, the Palau Sant Jordi and the National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia.

-    Others:
National Art Museum of Catalonia - Palau Nacional, South West Cemetery, Joan Miró Foundation and Montjuic Castle.

2.    Tibidabo Mountain

-    Sacred Heart Expiatory Temple:
It is actually one church on top of another. It was designed in neo-Gothic style and it has a bronze statue of the Sacred Heart as a crown. You get a spectacular view of the city.

-    Collserola Tower:
It is a telecommunications tower with an observation area that you can reach in a glass lift.

-    The Amusement Park:
It was the first amusement park built in Spain and the second in Europe.

3.    Antoni Gaudí Architectural Work

-    Parc Güell:
A garden city that as the lonely planet states: "is where Gaudí turned his hand to landscape gardening. It's a strange, enchanting place where Gaudí's passion for natural forms really took flight".

-    La Sagrada Familia - Holy Family Temple:
It is an enormous symbolic building with three facades that represent the nativity, the passion and death of Jesus Christ and the Glorification. The whole structure, with its details, is full of meaning.

-    Batlló House:
It is another Gaudí masterpiece. As the Ajuntament de Barcelona describes it on its web page it has "a mosaic facade and a tiled roof". It looks like taken out of a fairy tale...

-    Milà House - La Pedrera:
On the exterior it has a spectacular wave effect accentuated by its iron balconies that make it an extremely original piece of work, but the originality of La Pedrera is not only exposed on the sculptural forms of its facade, it also extends to the interior of the building. On the roof it has big chimney pots looking like medieval knights.

4.    The Gothic Quarter

As the Lonely Planet accurately describes it, it is "a classic medieval warren of narrow, winding streets, quaint little plazas and wonderful structures from the city's golden age".  The most important places to see within the Barri Gótic are:

-    Plaça Sant Jaume:
It hosts government buildings like Palau de la Generalitat and Ajuntament de Barcelona.

-    The cathedral:
It is a fine example of Gothic Architecture.

-    Others:
Casa de l'Ardiaca, Palau Episcopal, Roman Towers, Roman Walls, Plaça de l'Àngel, Banys Nous and Sta. Llúcia.

5.    La Rambla:

It is a pedestrian boulevard divided into sections with different names; from the upper end, which runs into the Plaça Catalunya, to the lower end below the Columbus monument; Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla de les Flors, Rambla dels Caputxins and Rambla de Santa Mònica or Rambla del Mar.

On Rambla Canaletes make sure that you drink water from the Canaletes Font because folk tradition affirms that anyone who drinks from this fountain will keep returning to Barcelona.

It is packed with cafes, restaurants and kiosks. Also it is full of pavement artists, mimes, and living statues.

6.    Parc de la Ciutadella:

It is the perfect combination between nature, architecture and entertainment. The following list contains the main places to visit within the park and around.

-    Cascada.
-    Museu Nacional d'Art Modern de Catalunya.
-    Parlament de Catalunya.
-    Parc Zoològic.
-    Museu de Zoología.
-    Arc de Triomf.

7.    Port Vell:

It is Barcelona's old port. The footbridge connecting  Moll d'Espanya with Moll de la Fusta has a modern wave design. Places to see:

-    Maremagnum shopping centre.
-    L'Aquàrium.

8.    Port Olímpic - The Olympic Harbour:

Situated on la Barceloneta quarter, its capacity enables it to berth a considerable number of sports boats. It is the perfect place to go an eat sea food. The most important indoors attraction to visit is Museu d'Història de Catalunya.

Montjuic

Situated to the southwest of the city center Montjuïc is Barcelona´s largest park with a wide range of offerings including gardens, museums, fountains, restaurants and the Montjuïc Castle. It is a wonderful place to spend a day getting lost in and offers some of the most spectacular views in the city. There are a number of different ways to reach Montjuïc. The metro lines L1(Red line) and L3(Green line) both stop at Plaça Espanya. From there you can walk through the two venetian towers up to the Museum of National Art Catalunya which is a beautiful building housing some of the most important works of Catalan artists. You can also catch the Funicular de Montjuïc which leaves from Barceloneta. This offers fantastic views of the city and a relaxing ride up the mountain. Another possibility is to take the Funicular de Montjuïc which leaves from metro stop Paral-lel and drops you off at the entrance to the Telefèric de Montjuïc. You can then take these up to the top of Montjuïc, the Castell de Montjuïc. Whatever way you choose to get there, Montjuïc is a sight not to be missed if you have more than a short time in the city.

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