Let’s go to Barcelona

I’ve been to several Spanish cities but Barcelona was definitely the stand out for me. Let’s not waste any time, loads to see. Let’s go!

Sagrada Familia Cathedral

Probably one of the most amazing sturctures in the world and its not even finished. In a town brimming with Gaudi masterpieces this has to be the icing on the cake . Gaudi was quoted as saying “my client is not in a hurry”. which was perhaps just as well as by the time of his death in 1926 only about 20% of the cathedral had been completed. By 2010 it had reached the half way mark and the estimated completion date is between 1926-1928. Do climb to the top of one of the towers for the spectacular view. Visit Gaudi’s burial site inside the cathedral and whatever you do buy your ticket in advance the lines are horrendous. CLICK HERE

Park Guell

Park Guell located on Carmel hill  in the La Salut district of Barcelona is another Gaudi masterpiece. The park is named after Count Eusebi Guell, whose original plan was to build luxury housing In the end only two  houses were ever built one of which was a show house, but no potential buyers ever came forward. In the end Gaudi who had not designed the house pooled his savings and lived in it from 1906 to 1926. The house which has many original works by Gaudi eventually became the Gaudi House museum. Today the park is a relaxing garden, with plenty of Gaudis’ work on display.

Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló is another magnificent work by Gaudi. The building you see today is actually a redesign of the original building which was constructed in 1877. The building is known locally as Casa dels ossos (House of Bones). Everything about the interior of this building has a wow factor from its mosaics to the fabulous central well, to the beautiful stain glassed windows and columns on the noble floor, which leads out to the Gardens. For more information on this fabulous building and to purchase tickets click here

The Olympic Stadium

The Barcelona stadium as built in 1929 for the International Exposition. However it was also constructed to host The People’s Olympiad in 1936 which was planned as a multi sport event against the 1936 Olympics which was being staged that year in Nazi Germany.Barcelona had lost the official Olympic bid to Berlin by 43 votes to 16.  Barcelona’s alternative games were a protest against Nazi Germany. They would have been held between July 19-26 and finished 6 days before the start of the Berlin games. Initially it attracted participants from many countries, but with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War the games were hastily cancelled.   It was not until 1992 when the stadium finally got its chance to shine when it hosted the games that year.

The Magic Fountain

For fear of sounding completely corny the magical fountain really is magical, especially on a warm summer evening. Situated in Montjuic the fountain, like the National Palace which stands directly behind it was built for the 1929 International Exposition. Today no trip to Barcelona is complete without seeing this stunning show. These take place between October to April on Fridays and Saturdays every half-hour between 7:00 and 8:30pm, and from May to September Thursday through Sunday every half-hour between 9:00 and 11:00pm. The closest Metro station is Espanya. Don’t miss it!

MNAC National Museum of Catalan Art

I had never heard of Catalan art but the museum was a beautiful eye opener. The museum is housed in the National Palace on Montjuic Hill. If you are facing the palace you will find the entrance to the museum on the right hand side.It was opened in 1934. The museum houses a significant collection of art from Catalan artists including Gothic, Renaissance as well as some modern art. Some of the works by well many known painters include El Greco, Rubens, Titian, Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán. For more information click here

Montjuïc hill

The original settlers of this 213 meter hill were the Iberic Celts. Later it was used by the Romans as a ceremonial place. Today the hill is a popular tourist attraction and just a nice place to hang out and admire the views. You will find the Magic fountain, The National Palace and the Museum of Catalan Art. The Olympic stadium is also close by.

Salvadore Dali Museum

It’s out of the question to go to Barcelona, even for a short visit and not check out the Salvador Dali museum. It’s not actually in Barcelona but in the town of Figueres, (you can reach the town easily from Barcelona by train) where Dali was born on May 11^th, 1904. He is best known as a surrealist painter. The Salvador Dali museum is housed in what was during Dali’s childhood the town’s theater. Dali had even exhibited some of his art here when he was a child. The theater was burned down during the Spanish Civil War and lay in ruins until 1960 when Dali and the mayor decided to rebuild it in honour of its most famous resident. The museum opened its doors to the public on September 28, 1974.

Casa Milo

Casa Mila, is another wonderful building designed by Gaudi. The building was commissioned by Pere Mila and Roser Segimon as there new home. The couple would occupy the main floor and rent out the rest of the apartments. It was actually Gaudi’s final project. It was also called La Pedera due to its resemblance to a stone quarry. Probably the most amazing feature is the buildings roof with its extraordinary sculptures, however I absolutely loved the elegant interior from a time gone by.

Barcelona Cathedral

This huge Gothic cathedral is almost as impressive as the Sagrada Familia (although maybe not quite). The cathedral dates back as far as the 13th century. Today it is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. For more information including opening times click here

Mercat de la Boqueria

You can’t really say much about a market but if you enjoy them then this is the largest and most famous in Barcelona. Located in El Raval with an entrance to the market from La Rambla. As you would expect there is a huge variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and dairy products. Check out some of the refreshing fresh fruit bars.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Absolutely loved this quirky museum. Situated in the Plaça dels Àngels. The museum opened in 1995 and has a collection of about 5000 works dating from the middle of the 20th Century. The modern art covers the 40’s through to the 70’s .The pieces focus on post 1940’s pieces of mostly Catalan and Spanish artists with a smattering of international artists. The best part is the entrance fee of which there is none. You can easily reach the museum from the metro stations Catalunya and Universitat. .

Pablo Picasso Museum

Picasso doesn’t need much of an introduction. During his long life he produced a prolific amount of art which included 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, about 12,000 drawings, thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs. A rough estimate has it at about 50,000 works. The Pablo Picasso Museum has 4,251 works in their permanent exhibition. To house this large collection the museum is housed in five town houses on Carrer de Montcada Street.