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BP Spanish Cities Guide Spanish Cities Guide Main Spanish Cities Guide Barcelona City Guide - 2 - Things to See
BP Spanish Cities Guide Spanish Cities Guide Main Spanish Cities Guide Barcelona City Guide - 2 - Things to See
Barcelona City Guide - 2 - Things to See |
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Barcelona is one of Spain’s most interesting cities with museums, theatres, art galleries and nightlife on offer. Plus it’s a very interest art and design centre with fabulous architecture from gothic to the modern, great parks and beaches.
Consider getting the Barcelona Card when you come here for free unlimited transport and discounts on entry to attractions. The Barcelona Tourism association sells the cards. You get free use of the metro, city buses, trams and trains from the city to the airport. If you go via Aerobus to the airport you receive a 20 % discount. You also save on museum entry, shopping, restaurants, cultural shows. You can purchase 2 to 5 day passes online or at any tourist office in the city. Remember siesta takes effect in Barcelona too when shops close for a few hours and everybody takes a long break. Business are usually open from 9am or 10am until about 1.30pm and then close until 4.30pm or 5pm. Most then close again around 8.30pm. Aside from restaurants, cafes and bars, most places are closed on Sundays. Opening hours and ticket prices do change so please check these on your arrival in Barcelona. CHURCHES AND TOWERS
Barri Gòtic or La Catedral 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. The area around the cathedral is also interesting, a medieval Gothic quarter brimming with tapas bars and cafes. Even Picasso liked the area and you can see his old hangout, Els Qutre Gats. Plaça de la Seu, La Ribera Underground rail: Jaume I 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: € 11.00 Open: October-March from 9.00 to 18.00. April-September from 9.00 to 20.00. 25 and 26 December, 1 and 6 January from 9.00 to 14.00 Plaça Sagrada Família & Carrer de Mallorca 401. www.sagradafamilia.org Underground rail: Sagrada Família Bus: 19, 33, 34, ,43, 44, 48, 50, 51. PLAZA’S Placa Real 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 You can purchase an Airticket (http://www.articketbcn.org/ca) for 20 € to gain access to six art centres in Barcelona: Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), Fundació Joan Miró, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), Centre Cultural Caixa Catalunya La Pedrera. The single ticket is valid for six months. Here is a list of some of Barcelona’s best galleries and museums: Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona Contemporary art from the 1940s to the present. The building is quite spectacular. Admission: €7,50 Open: (Winter) September 25 – June 23: Mon–Fri: 11am – 7.30pm, Sat: 10am – 8pm, Sun & holidays: 10am – 3pm. Closed Tues, Dec 25th and Jan 1 (Summer) June 24 – September 24: Mon-Fri: 11am - 8pm, Thurs & Fri 11am – midnight, Sat 10am – 8pm, Sun & holidays 10am – 3pm. Closed Tues. Plaça dels Angels, 1
www.macba.es
Metro: Rodalies & FGC train: Catalunya. Museu del FC Barcelona The museum of Barcelona's soccer team at the Nou Camp stadium for memorabilia and other soccer details. Perfect for the avid fan. Admission: €8,50. Open: see the website for details Nou Camp, Avinguda Aristides Maillol, access 9. www.fcbarcelona.com 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. Admission: €6,50 Open: Mon-Sun 10am-8pm. Avinguda de les Drassanes, Port Vell www.museumaritimbarcelona.org Metro: Jaume I Bus:14, 18, 38, 59, 64, 91. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) On Montjuic hill this contains a collection of Romanesque frescoes, woodcarvings and sculpture from Medieval Catalonia. Admission: €8,50. Free entrance first Sunday of each month. Open: Tues-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun & public holidays 10am-2.30pm. Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc www.mnac.es Metro & FGC train: Espanya 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: €9,00 Open: Tues-Sun: 10am-8pm. Carrer de Montcada 15-19. www.museupicasso.bcn.es 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. Admission: €4,00. Free admission on the first Sunday of the month. Open: Tues-Sat 10am-7pm, Wed 10am-8pm, Sun and holidays 10am-2.30pm.
Plaça de Pau Vila 3, Port Vell
www.mhcat.net Metro: Barceloneta Museu Textil I d’Indumentaria (Textile and Costume Museum) Opposite the Museu Picasso. Includes tapestries, clothing and other textiles from times past and present. Admission: €4,20 Open: Tues-Sun 10am-6pm Carrer de Montcada 12-14, La Ribera www.museutextil.bcn.es Metro: Jaume I Museu Barbier-Mueller d’Art Precolombi An assortment of art from the pre-Columbian civilisations of Central and South America. You can buy a combined ticket for the Museu Textil I d’Indumentaria. Admission: €3,00. First Sunday of the month free 10 am - 7pm Open: Tues-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun & public holidays 10am-3pm. Carrer de Montcada 12-14, La Ribera www.barbier-mueller.ch Metro: Jaume I Fundacio Joan Miro Also on the Montjuic hill this is a modern art museum with works by Miro. Admission: €8,00 Open: Tues-Sat 10am-7pm (October - June), Tues-Sat 10am-8pm (July - September), Thurs 10am-9.30pm, Sun & public holidays 10am-2.30pm Plaça Neptú, Parc de Montjuïc. www.bcn.fjmiro.es Metro: Paralel then funicular de Montjuïc bus: 50, 55, 61 & PM Fondació Antoni Tàpies Full of contemporary Catalan art with an emphasis on Antoni Tàpies. Admission: Open: Carrer d'Aragó 255. www.fundaciotapies.org 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. Metro: Arc de Triomf, Barceloneta. Rodalies train: Arc de Triomf. Parc Guell This park was built by the architect Antoni Gaudi and in it he tried some landscape gardening techniques using art-nouveau style. 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. Carrer d'Olot 7, North Gràcia Metro: Lesseps and walk 10-15 minutes following signs. Bus: 24, 25. MARKETS Mercat de la Boqueria This indoor market runs off La Rambla and has fresh fruit, vegetables, pastries, and bread among other things. Open: Mon-Sat 8am-8.30pm La Rambla de Sant Josep www.boqueria.info Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3) Mercadillo de la Plaça de Sant Josep A small market of Catalan artists near the church.
Open: Every weekend Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3) Sant Antoni Market A food market like the Boqueria but less touristy. Delis, tapas bars and lots of food.
Ronda Sant Pau/Carrer Comte d’Urgell Open: Mon-Sat 7am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-8.30pm, Fri 7am-8.30pm
Metro: Sant Antoni (Purple Line, L2) Fira Artesana
This is a honey market where producers from the Catalan area come to sell organic wares. It’s known for homemade cakes and honey infused cheeses.
Open: First Friday and Saturday of every month Placa del Pi Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3)
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. L'Aquàrium This is one of Europe’s largest aquariums with some 11,000 fish such as sharks, rays and sunfish. Tanks are devoted to the Red Sea, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Australia and the South Seas. The 80m-long shark tunnel is a high point.
Admission: 16,00 Open: Jan-Mar 15 10am-5pm. Mar 16-31 10am-5pm, April-June 10am-6pm, July-Sept 10am-7pm, Oct 1-25 10am-6pm, Oct 26-Dec 10am-5pm Parc de la Ciutadella, Pg de Circumval.lació, La Ribera
www.zoobarcelona.com Metro: Barceloneta 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 ss 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 of the Montjuic hill and has a military museum and good views. It was here that Catalan radicals were executed by the military. Admission: Free. Open: Tue-Sun 10am-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. Admission: 8,50 Open: Mon 9am-8pm, Tues-Thurs 9am-2pm, Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-12pm bus: 13, 50, 61, 100 & PM
Palau Guell This is one of Gaudi’s creations that is just off La Rambla. This mansion combines Gothic, Islamic and Art Nouveau styles and materials. There is a compulsory guided tour through the floors of the building. It was built in the late 1880s. Open: Tues-Sat 10am-2.30pm Admission: Free Carrer Nou de la Rambla 3-5. www.palauguell.cat Metro: Drassanes or Liceu. 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 and Harbour Old Barceloneta down by the waterfront was once a bit rundown but is now filled with paella restaurants and a good place for an evening meal. The new beach area from Barceloneta to the Olympic village is quite clean although the waves are rough. 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. Teatre-Museu Dalí www.salvador-dali.org/museus/figueres/en_index.html Gala-Salvador Dalí Square, 5 Admission: €11,00
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