Barcelona Photo: Georgios Tsichlis/Shutterstock.Com Fanciful Architecture and Hip Restaurants Have Come Together with the Sunny Spanish Climate and Beaches
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Barcelona Photo: Georgios Tsichlis/Shutterstock.com Fanciful architecture and hip restaurants have come together with the sunny Spanish climate and beaches. This has transformed Barcelona in just a few decades from a rough port city to one of Europe’s—if not the world’s—premier destinations. Stroll along La Rambla, admire the Casa Calvet’s façade or the Casa Mila designed by Gaudi, visit the Market of la Boqueria or shop at El Corte Inglés, and sample some of the many bars, cafés and late night haunts while you’re at it. Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com Top 5 Casa Vicens The more recent of Gaudí's many projects to be opened to the public is the C... National Art Museum of Cat... The Museu nacional d'art de Catalunya, MNAC for short, hosts many temporary ... La Sagrada Família Catarina Belova/Shutterstock.com Antoni Gaudi's ambitious project remains, as of today, unfinished, which by ... La Rambla Barcelona's most well-known street is unofficially not just one uninterrupte... Casa Mila Another one of Gaudi's unconventional architectural creations, Casa Mila, al... Alliance/Shutterstock.com Updated 11 December 2019 Destination: Barcelona Publishing date: 2019-12-11 THE CITY expansion of the city. DO & SEE MarinaDa/Shutterstock.com Like many other cities on the Mediterranean, Kemal Taner/Shutterstock.com Barcelona was founded by the Romans. The original settlement, called Barcino, was a small Much of the attraction of Barcelona is the city’s port located on the same spot as today’s wide range of sights. The architect, the design cathedral. The town was overshadowed by nerd, the football fan, the art historian, the city Tarragona, the capital of the province. Both the planner - there is something for all of them in the Visigoths and the Moors invaded Barcelona; most self-assured city on the Mediterranean. A however, their inuence was not as important to visit to Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila and Casa the future of the city as the arrival of the Franks Calvet is a must when visiting Barcelona. in the late 9th century. It was at that point that Casa Vicens Barcelona and Catalonia started shaping their own identity, dierent from the rest of Spain. The more recent of Gaudí's many projects to This is most apparent in the language - Spanish, be opened to the public is or Castilian, has many Arabic words, while the Casa Vicens. Built Catalan has many French words instead. So between 1883 and 1885 Catalan is not a Spanish dialect, but a language and declared as a World in its own right, related to other Romance Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005, Casa Vicens languages. was the rst house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Located in the bohemian district Barcelona’s history is seen everywhere in the of Gràcia, this bold project, commissioned as a city. The oldest areas are located by the sea, summer house, combines elements of nature into including the shopping enclave Barri Gotic. On a chaotic and yet peaceful retreat. the other side of the main boulevard, La Rambla, Photo: OnedayPix/Shutterstock.com lies the legendary Raval district. Until the 1980’s Address: Carrer de les Carolines 20-26, Barcelona this was the slum area, home to the city’s own Opening hours: Mon: 10am - 3pm, Tue - Sun: 10am - 7pm Chinatown (Barrio Chino) and the red light Phone: +34 935 47 59 80 district. Today, designer shops and cafés have Internet: www.casavicens.org Email: [email protected] moved in. Further north is fashionable Eixample, the area created as a result of the 19th century Destination: Barcelona Publishing date: 2019-12-11 National Art Museum of Catalonia La Rambla The Museu nacional d'art Barcelona's most de Catalunya, MNAC for well-known street is short, hosts many unoicially not just one temporary exhibits uninterrupted stretch but through the year, but it is ve (hence it being also known for for its known as "Las Ramblas"), Romanesque collection of mural paintings. Here each containing attractions of their own. A you can also nd pieces like Gaudi's furniture or pedestrian-only walkway runs through the illustration from Casas and other artists of the street's central section, with street artists, Catalan Modernism. souvenir vendors, bars and restaurants competing for visitor attention. Photo: Suradech Singhanat/Shutterstock.com Address: Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona Photo: LALS STOCK/Shutterstock.com Opening hours: Tue–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–3pm Address: La Rambla, Barcelona Phone: +34 936 22 03 76 Internet: www.museunacional.cat/en Casa Mila Another one of Gaudi's La Sagrada Família unconventional Antoni Gaudi's ambitious architectural creations, project remains, as of Casa Mila, also known as today, unnished, which La Pedrera ("quarry", for by no means takes away its wacky appearance from its popularity - at distantly resembling an actual quarry), is one of nearly 3 million yearly Barcelona's primary attractions. Entry tickets visitors, La Sagrada Familia is Spain's 2nd most include a free audio guide. visited monument. The masterpiece was crafted meticulously to embody the Christian faith Photo: Arnau Miguel/Shutterstock.com through composition, sculpture, and Address: Passeig de Gràcia 92, Barcelona Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 6pm, weekends and individualistic, obeat design. Guided and audio holidays: 10am - 2pm tours available. Phone: +34 932 14 25 76 Internet: www.lapedrera.com Photo: basiczto/Shutterstock.com Address: Carrer de Mallorca 401, Barcelona Park Güell Internet: www.sagradafamilia.org In this park with stunning views over the city you can admire several impeccable works of Gaudi. Actually, the entire park is designed by the artist himself. Statues and buildings in dierent colours and shapes stand side by side Destination: Barcelona Publishing date: 2019-12-11 and the park is listed as a UNESCO World Poble Espanyol Architectural Museum Heritage Site. Located in one of the most emblematic areas of Photo: Vladitto/Shutterstock.com Barcelona, within walking Address: Carrer d'Olot, Barcelona distance from the Phone: +34 902 20 03 02 Montjuïc Fountains, Internet: www.parkguell.cat Poble Espanyol is one of Casa Batllo the most attractive sites of the city for it unique Once Gaudi got his hands setting, featuring architecture from across on this previously Spain, contemporary art, crafts, shopping and unremarkable building in gastronomy. All this in a peaceful environment, Passeig de Gràcia, it was ideal for children and adults. never to be simply passed Photo: Catarina Belova/Shutterstock.com by again. Fascinatingly Address: Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 18, Barcelona idiosyncratic and almost beast-like on the Phone: +34 935 08 63 35 outside, it continues to amaze from within with Internet: www.poble-espanyol.com twisted lines and elements that could only be thought up by the genius of Gaudi. Plaça Reial Plaça Reial, a beautiful Photo: altafulla/Shutterstock.com square and one of Address: Passeig de Gràcia 43, Barcelona Barcelona's busiest, most Opening hours: Daily: 9am - 9pm vibrant spots (especially Phone: +34 932 16 03 06 Internet: www.casabatllo.es so at night), is known for Email: [email protected] its many outdoor venues, restaurants and nightclubs. During summer time Picasso Museum it becomes an even more popular meeting place The Picasso Museum has when open air concerts take place. Stroll around one of the most extensive or sit down with a tasty drink at one of the bars art collections by the and just enjoy the moment. 20th century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The Photo: Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com permanent collections Address: Plaça Reial, Barcelona contain more than 3,800 works, and this is one of Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site the most popular and most visited museums in Sant Pau is Barcelona’s Barcelona. new wonder. The world’s Photo: gary718/Shutterstock.com largest Art Nouveau site Address: Carrer Montcada 15, Barcelona has been restored and Phone: +34 932 56 30 00 invites you to enjoy one of Internet: www.museupicasso.bcn.es the most emblematic works of architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. Destination: Barcelona Publishing date: 2019-12-11 Declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in Phone: +34 934 12 08 10 1997, Sant Pau is a city within a city, 12 Internet: www.macba.es Email: [email protected] buildings of great architectural value surrounded by gardens where history and architecture exist Palau de la Música Catalana Concert Hall side by side. This sublime concert hall designed by Domènech i Photo: Brian Kinney/Shutterstock.com Address: Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167, Barcelona Montaner a hundred Phone: +34 935 53 78 01 years ago is not quite as Internet: www.santpaubarcelona.org wacky as some of Gaudi’s architecture. It is actually Camp Nou more representative of Modernism. The Palace of FC Barcelona is much Catalan Music not only pays tribute to the more than just a football musical heritage of the Catalans but to all club. Sometimes it feels music—as well as beauty, colour and joy. as if it carries the whole nation’s pride on its Photo: jiawangkun/Shutterstock.com shoulders. Even those not Address: Palau de la Música 4-6, Barcelona interested in football will enjoy a visit to this Phone: +34 932 95 72 00 Internet: www.palaumusica.org grandiose stadium. One reason is the large Email: [email protected] number of well-dressed spectators, another the masterful architecture of the arena. Santa Maria del Mar Barcelona’s most Photo: Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com beautiful church is Address: Carrer d'Aristides Maillol 12, Barcelona Phone: +34 902 18 99 00 probably the best existing Internet: example of the Catalonian www.bcn.travel/tours/camp-nou-museum-stadium-tour Gothic, with a cleaner style than normally MACBA associated with Gothic architecture.