Spain: Barcelona

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Barcelona – the capital of Catalonia, is the second largest city in Spain, currently has more than 1.6 million inhabitants. This is one of the most popular tourist city in the country.  I’ve traveled to Barcelona twice, maybe three times, but to tell the truth – aside from the cathedral Sagrada Familia and Park Güell – it didn’t enchant me. However, as the ancient Romans used to say: "De gustibus non disputandum ..."

Good to know

*Official website of the city: www.barcelona.cat

*Barcelona is served by three airports. The main is called El Prat (some cheap airlines operate from here, including part of the flights by Wizzair and Ryanair from Poland), the second in terms of number of flights is Girona Airport (Ryanair flights from some Polish cities), and the third – Reus. It must be remembered that besides the main one, the other two are located far from the city, even a half hour-drive away.

*Tourist information – the main center is located at the Plaça de Catalunya, the information can also be sought, inter alia, in the points near the cathedral, the Column of Columbus and at the airport

*Transportation – the city has an extensive public transport network, which consists of the metro, buses, trams and taxis of course. The main operator is Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona. The are also suburban trains called Cercanías.

*Barcelona Card – entitles you to free public transport and discounts to about one hundred places

*Signs are usually bilingual – Spanish (Castilian actually) and Catalan.

*Accommodation and meals – as befits a great tourist city everyone will find here something for themselves

*Nightlife – as above.

*Beaches of the Costa Brava – washed by the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea the region is one of the main holiday regions in Europe

One of the buildings by Gaudi

Sightseeing

*Rambla (La Rambla) – the most famous avenue of the city connects Plaça de Catalunya with the port; wide promenade, with shops, bars and restaurants in the open air

*City Market La Boqueria (Mercat de la Boqueria) – a great market hall, built in the nineteenth century, at La Rambla, website: www.boqueria.info

In the harbor

*Güell Palace (Palau Güell / Palacio Güell) – designed by Antoni Gaudi, built in 1885, situated in a narrow street Carrer Nou de la Rambla

Sagrada Familia

*Cathedral of the Holy Family (Basilica Sagrada Família) – the most famous monument in the city; penitential temple of the Holy Family, designed by Antoni Gaudi, construction started in 1882, but to date it has not been completed, partly because of the uniqueness of the architectural details (none of them are identical and must be carved separately), and besides the projects of the temple left by the architect were destroyed during the civil war; inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List; website: www.sagradafamilia.cat

*Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic / Barrio Gotico) – full of narrow alleyways and historic buildings that surround the cathedral, among others: Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat / Museo de Historia de Barcelona – a historical museum that showcases the history of city

*Maritime Museum (Museu Marítim / Museo Marítimo) – presents the 700-year history of Barcelona navigation; website: www.mmb.cat

*Picasso Museum (Museo Picasso) – one of the most popular museums in the city, with a rich collection of early works of the artist; entrance through the fifteenth-century palace Aguilar

*Cathedral St. Eulalia (Catedral de la Santa Creu and Santa Eulalia, La Seu) – comes from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century; one of the most important monuments of Gothic architecture in Spain, aside from the temple itself you can visit the cloisters (paid separately) as well as take a lift to the roof

*Church of Our Lady of the Sea (Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar) – in the district of La Ribera, dates from the fourteenth century, built in the Catalan Gothic style

Park Güell

*Park Güell / Parque Güell – a large park-garden in the north-central part of the city, attracts both children and adults; the most interesting are the entrance stairs to the main pavilion with the three islands in a cave, a snake against the Catalan flag and salamander, the Column Hall – the main pavilion with 86 columns of ancient design, and a terrace upon the Column Hall, called the Greek theater, girt by a long bench; the park is on the UNESCO List

*Park Ciutadella (Parc de la Ciutadella / Parque de la Ciudadela) – in the eastern part of the city, surrounded by a park, which is named after a former prison that no longer exists; perfect place to relax, with numerous paths, gardens, ponds and a large fountain

*Monjuïc Hill – in the south-western part of the city; from its summit (173 m above sea level) there is a beautiful view of the harbor. The hill was the site of all kinds of fortifications, the latest of which is the Castle Monjuïc  (Castell de Monjuïc) – fortress from the seventeenth century. The National Palace (Palau Nacional) located on the hill is the seat of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) , which houses a rich collection of paintings and sculptures. You can get to the hill by cable car

*Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de la Música Catalana) – a building with a concert hall at Carrer Sant Pere Més Alt; one of the most important monuments of Catalan Art Nouveau, a UNESCO heritage site; website: www.palaumusica.cat

*Monastery of Monserrat (Abadia de Montserrat) – Benedictine monastery on the hill of the same name, the shrine of the Black Madonna of Montserrat; website: www.abadiamontserrat.net

In the Aquarium

*L'Aquarium – 450 species from around the world; 80-meter long underwater tunnel, which allows the impression that the fish swim all around you; website: www.aquariumbcn.com

*Camp Nou – one of the largest sports facilities in Europe, owned by the football club FC Barcelona

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