CHURCHES AND TOWERS
Barri Gòtic
This is Barcelona’s main cathedral and is impressive with it’s Gothic
façade. It is open daily from 8.30am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 7.30pm. At midday
on Sundays people come to dance the Catalan national dance called the Sardana.
It’s probably one of the more sedate dances you will see but entertaining
in such a dramatic set. The church is free to enter.
La Sagrada Família
This is Gaudi’s principal work which he spent 18 years on but was unfortunately
never finished when he died prematurely. It was started in 1882 and is not yet
half built. There are 8 towers which are all over 100m high, but there are still
10 more to come. You can climb inside some of the towers. Or visit the museum
inside which show photos, drawings and history of the building.
Admission: €5, students €4.50. Open daily 9am-6pm (later in summer).
Plaça Sagrada Família & Carrer de Mallorca 401.
Metro: Sagrada Família
Bus: 19, 33, 34, ,43, 44, 48, 50, 51.
PLAZA’S
Placa Reial
This square runs off La Rambla further south down the pedestrian strip. It is
well known now for it’s cafes, bars and nightlife including some music
clubs.
Placa de Sant Josep Oriol
This plaza is a hangout for busking musicians. It’s not far from the Barri
Gotic. There are cafes around the plaza and an outdoor art and craft market is
held at the end of the week.
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (www.macba.es)
Contemporary art from the 1940s to the present. The building is quite spectacular.
Admission: €5, students €3.50. Open Mon & Wed-Fri noon-8pm, Sat
10am-8pm, Sun 10am-3pm. Plaça dels Àngels 1.
Metro: Rodalies & FGC train: Catalunya.
Museu del FC Barcelona (www.fcbarcelona.com)
The museum of Barcelona's soccer team at the Nou Camp stadium.
Admission: €3.15. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-2pm.
Nou Camp, Avinguda Aristides Maillol, access 9.
Metro: Collblanc
Bus: 15, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 75.
Museu Marítim
This Maritime museum is also just off La Rambla. The shipyards are 14th century
and there are models, maps, submarines, boats and other shipping memorabilia
to see. The museum is closed on Monday.
Admission: €5. Open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-2pm.
Avinguda de les Drassanes.
Metro: Jaume I
Bus:14, 18, 38, 59, 64, 91.
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) www.mnac.es
On Montjuic hill this contains a collection of Romanesque frescoes, woodcarvings
and sculpture from Medieval Catalonia.
Admission: €4.80, students €3.40. Closed Mondays. Open Tue-Wed 10am-7pm,
Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-2.30pm.
Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc. Metro & FGC train: Espanya
Museu Nacional d'Art Modern de Catalunya
Part of the above MNAC complex, but concentrates on the 19th century through
to the 1930s. Admission: €2. Open Tue-Sun 10am-7pm.
Parc de la Cuitadella.
Metro: Arc de Triomf, Barceloneta. Rodalies train: Arc de Triomf.
Museu Picasso
This houses over 3000 pieces of Picasso’s work and is considered the most
important collection of his work in Spain, particularly his earlier years.
Admission: €5, students €2.50, free 1st Sun of month. Open Tue-Sat
10am-8pm, Sun 10am-3pm.
Carrer de Montcada 15-19.
Metro: Jaume I, bus 17, 40, 45.
Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat (City History Museum)
This museum takes a subterranean walk through excavated portions of Roman and
Visigothic Barcelona. It was the palace courtyard of the medieval monarchs of
Aragon. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-2pm and 4-8pm, Sunday 10am-2pm. Small cost.
Museu Textil I d’Indumentaria (Textile and Costume Museum)
Opposite the Museu Picasso. Includes tapestries, clothing and other textiles
from times past and present. Closed Monday, small cost.
Museu Barbier-Mueller d’Art Precolombi
You can buy a combined ticket for the Museu Textil I d’Indumentaria. This
museum includes a collection of pre-Colombian art. It is closed on Mondays.
Fundacio Joan Miro
Also on the Montjuic hill this is a modern art museum with works by Miro. It
is closed on Monday. Admission: €7, students €4. Open Tue-Wed 10am-7pm,
Thu 10am-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-2.30pm.
Plaça Neptú, Parc de Montjuïc.
Metro: Paralel then funicular de Montjuïc
bus: 14, 18, 38, 59, 64, 91.
Fondació Antoni Tàpies
Full of contemporary Catalan art with an emphasis on Antoni Tàpies.
Open Tue-Sun 11am-8pm.
Carrer d'Aragó 255.
Metro: Passeig de Gracia,
Bus: 7, 16, 17, 22, 24, 28.
FOUNTAINS AND GARDENS
Parc de la Ciutadella
This park also includes a waterfall created in the 1870s with Gaudi’s assistance,
the Museu Nacional d’Art Modern de Catalunya (see above) and the zoo with
albino gorilla’s.
Parc Guell
In this park in northern Barcelona Gaudi tried some landscape gardening techniques.
It also includes the Casa-Museum where Gaudi lived for the last 20 years of his
life. Admission is free and is open all year mainly from 9am-6pm and later in
Summer.
Carretera del Carmel.
Metro: Lesseps and walk 10-15 minutes following signs.
Bus: 24, 25.
OTHER
La Rambla
This famous pedestrian strip runs from Placa de Catalunya to the port. It is
lined with trees, newsstands, bird and flower stalls, markets, cafes and street
performers. Some of the highlights along the way include the Mercat de la Boqueria,
the Placa Reial, Palau Guell, Monument a Colom and Museum Maritime all mentioned
elsewhere on this page.
Metro: Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes. Rodalies & FGC train: Catalunya.
Bus: 14, 18, 38, 59, 64, 91, N4, N6, N9.
Casa Batllo and La Pedrera
These are two of Gaudi’s constuctions. Casa Batllo is brightly coloured,
La Pedrera is a grey apartment block with ripples. Passeig de Gracia 43 and 92.
Casa Amatller
This building is next to Casa Battlo at number 41 but is designed by another
modernist architect Josep Puig I Cadafalch.
Montjuic
This hill overlooks the city centre and has some fine parks and attractions.
It was also the site of many of the 1992 Olympic events. Included here is the
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (read about this above in the museums
section), the Poble Espanyol (below), the Estadi Olimpic (former 92 Olympic stadium)
and Castell de Montjuic (below).
To reach this area walk or take bus 61 from Placa d’Espanya (meto: Espanya).
The bus goes to most of the sites and stops at a chair lift to the castle. A
funicular railway also runs from Paral.lel metro to the chair lift. The chair
lift and funicular are closed weekdays from November to mid June.
Castell de Montjuic
This castle is at the top of the Montjuic hill and has a military museum and
good views. It was here that Catalan radicals were executed by the military.
Admission: €2.50. Open Tue-Sun 9.30am-8pm.
Funicular de Montjuïc from metro Para.lel, then Telefèric de Montjuïc
to the castle.
Poble Espanyol
This is on the Montjuic hill and is a Spanish village with souvenir shops and
nightlife and restaurants. Open every day until 2am or 4am but Monday it closes
at 8pm. Sunday-Thursday after 9pm entry is free.
Palau Guell
This is one of Gaudi’s creations that is just off La Rambla at Carrer Nou
de la Rambla 3-5. There is a small cost to enter and it’s closed on Sundays.
Monument a Colom
This statue of Colombos is at the end of La Rambla. If you want to get a closer
look at the statue you can take a lift for a small cost.
Beaches
The city’s beaches start north-east of Port Vell.
Palau de la Musica Catalana
This is a concert hall at Carrer de Sant Pere mes alt 11. It’s in the La
Ribera area east of the Barri Gotic.
AROUND BARCELONA
There are some great things to see near Bacelona by day trips including beach
towns along the Costa Brava (north of the city towards France), the Roman city
of Tarragona and the rock formations at Montserrat.
Figueres (Figueras)
This was Salvador Dalí's hometown and the principal attaction, the Teatre-Museu
Dalí, was a 19th century theatre that Dali himself converted to house
his works. It also contains other surrealist art. Figueres is on the train line
between Barcelona and Girona and the French border.
There is a tourist office at Plaça del Sol, tel. 972 50 31 55, American
Exchange offices and a HI youth hostel for budget travellers.
Girona (Gerona)
This town is located north of Barcelona, enroute to Figueres and the French border.
It dates back to Roman towns and has an impressive old town with narrow streets,
a medieval quarter with a Gothic cathedral and baroque architecture. There is
a tourist office at Rambla de la Llibertat 1, tel. 972 22 65 75 and a youth hostel
for budget travellers.
Montserrat
This mountain is 50km north-west of Barcelona and can be reached on the Rodalies
suburban rail network from Barcelona. There are walking trails and great scenery
but people come here predominantly for the Monestir de Montserrat. This Benedictine
monastery was founded in 1065 to commemorate an apparation of the Virgin Mary
and has a museum and a 16th century basilica where the Montserrat Boys' Choir
performs daily at 1pm and 7pm (except in July).
Sitges
This beach resort has an active nightlife and a gay scene but draws a mostly
local crowd. In winter it is sleepy and quiet. To reach Stiges take the Rodalies
suburban rail network from Bacelona. There is a tourist office at Carrer de Sínia
Morera 1, tel. (93) 811 7630. There are no youth hostels but some budget Hostal’s.
Tarragona
This town dates from Roman times and was for a long time the capital of much
of Roman Spain. There are numerous things to see including a lovely cathedral
that dates back to 12 AD, a beautiful old town, an old Roman amphitheatre and
some excellent museums. It’s other big attraction is the theme park Port
Aventura. It is operated by Universal Studios and has Europe's largest roller
coaster. There is a tourist office at Carrer Major 39, tel. 977 24 50 64
