Must see
When not to go
August is not only seeringly hot, but many businesses close for at least 2 weeks and most Barcelonians will be on holiday.
When to go
Setmana Santa, Easter Weekend
Like many Spanish cities, Barcelona celebrates the Easter weekend in flamboyant style with great costumes and elaborate floats decorated with religious scenes and often images of Christ on the cross. People crowd the streets in their ‘Sunday best’ and the atmosphere is captivating.
Must Sees
La Rambla
Barcelona’s main drag, La Rambla is 1km of Spanish carnival and the perfect way to enjoy a traditional ‘paseo’ (stroll). It leads through stalls, shops, street performers, bars and restaurants from the Old Town down to the sea. The flower and bird stalls are a particular highlight and provide good opportunity for photography enthusiasts.
La Pedrera - Casa Mila
You cannot go to Barcelona without appreciating the stunningly imaginative architecture of Gaudi. La Pedrera provides an excellent example of his vision and fantastical ideas from curved shapes to the now familiar broken tile mosaics. You can also visit the museum in the building and learn more about the work of the great architect. Open 10am - 8pm daily, November to February; 9am - 6.30pm, mid June to late July; 9am - 12pm at the weekend. Admission is €8 for Adults and €4.50 for concessions.
Gaudi died crossing the street outside his impressive church, which is still being built. The 8 spires are an iconic feature of Barcelona’s skyline and four more are planned before completion. By visiting the church you will contribute to its eventual completion and witness the creation of the 8th wonder of the world. You can even take a lift up to the bell tower and see, not only the intricately detailed spires covered in gargoyles and tiling, but unrivalled views of the city. The sight of the spires lit up at night is something quite special.
Parc de la Ciutadella
Every hot bustling city needs an area of green and a place of escape. Barcelona’s Parc de la Ciutadella provides just this. Typical of Barcelona’s decorative landscape, the Parc is filled with inspiring works of art, from the Gaudi-esque Baroque fountain to the immensely grand Arc de Triomf entrance. You can unwind beside the central man-made lake and even hire a boat and take to the water. There is also plenty to entertain young children such as the Parc Zoològic which houses flamingoes and the Museu de Zoologia where the big draw is the enormous whale skeleton.
Museo Picasso
Like Gaudi, Picasso’s life and work permeate the city that he once described as ‘Barcelona, beautiful and bright’. Picasso had many studios situated across Barcelona and it is possible to trace his life and art by taking to the streets. His ‘Blue Period’ from 1901 - 1904 demonstrates his sympathy and personal unhappiness at the poverty he experienced around him. You can see the ‘El Loco’, or ‘Madman’, in the Museu Picasso, which is characteristic of Picasso’s ‘Blue Period’.
The museum is open from 10am - 8pm Tuesday to Sunday and costs from €5 for entry. On the first Sunday of every month entry is free.
Tapas
An essential aspect of the Barcelona experience is the wonderful food and relaxed style of eating. Barcelonians eat late and take their time...!
Small plates of tapas are offered with drinks at most bars, and range from marinated olives to crispy calamari. Bar – Restaurante Can Tòmas is a good cheap tapas bar, serving the city’s favourites and legendary patatas braves (fried potatoes coated in a spicy tomato sauce)! After a long night of bars or clubs, an early morning chocolate con churros (hot chocolate with lightly twisty pieces of fried dough for dipping..delicious) provides the perfect nightcap!
Added 2008/03/17 @ 22:40:59
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