Oh,
how I wish I would have been born in Barcelona! Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in the
world, the second largest city in Spain, the capital of Catalonia
and also a rebel city. It’s a marvel on the Mediterranean Sea! Best beach city in the
world! One of the most energetic and interesting cities in Europe! The city of
summer, warm sea, art, Gaudi, Dali, Picasso, festivals, fiestas and sangria…
There are two official languages
spoken in Barcelona: Catalan and Castillian Spanish, however Catalan is more widely spoken by the citizens of Barcelona.
You’ll never hear a Catalan say that he is Spanish, only that he is Catalan. Barcelona
as a part of Catalonia has been struggling for independence
from Spain for as long as Spain itself has existed.
La Rambla
La
Rambla is one of the
most famous boulevards in the world and the most famous street in Barcelona.
Actually, it’s not only one street, but 5 boulevards (ramblas) joined together, 2 kilometer long promenade. La Rambla always stays on the top of tourists' to-do list. La
Rambla is famous for its restaurants,
bars, cafes, theaters, La Boqueria market, a Joan Miró mosaic, street entertainers, human statues, fortune-tellers, street musicians and dancers. It’s the best start to get acquainted
with Barcelona!
Basílica de la Sagrada Família
Basílica de la Sagrada Família
is one of the brilliant works of Gaudí's fairytale architecture. Gaudí dedicated more than 40
years of his life to the project, its construction began in 1882 and is still underway. It was hoped the masterpiece would be
completed in 2026 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death, now it is expected to be completed in
2041. Basílica de la
Sagrada Família is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by five million tourists each year.
It’s a breathtaking site!
Park Güell
Park Güell was built in the early 1900′s. Like Sagrada Familia it was also
designed by Antoni Gaudí. It’s one of the most impressive
public parks in the world,
it's literally like walking through a fairytale or a
Candyland. The park's
attractions include its mosaic tiled benches, water fountains, dragon statues and the
Hansel-and-Gretel-style houses. Park Güell is one of Gaudi’s masterpieces and one of the
more important sights in Barcelona.
Casa Batlló
The next one of
the most admired Gaudí's creations
is Casa Batlló. Casa
Batlló is the result of a total rebuilding of an old house owned
by Josep Batlló. Changes made by Gaudí were
drastic: Gaudí added two
floors, balconies
that look like human skulls
with eyes and mouth, polychrome ceramics and covered the facade with mosaics. The result is
astonishing!
Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
Casa Milà, also called by the locals La Pedrera (The Quarry) got its name because of its irregular,
curved stone exterior.
At the rooftop of the Casa
Milà stand chimney pots shaped as medieval knights. It’s also a true masterpiece of Gaudí.
The Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso)
While
visiting Barcelona, you cannot deny yourself a visit to
the museum of the famous
20th century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The Picasso
Museum describes the work of Picasso before he left Barcelona to travel to
Paris. This
museum, in addition to
the Picasso Museum in Paris, have the most extensive collection of Picasso’s
works from the blue and cubist period placed in chronological order, beginning with the earliest works of the
artist. The Picasso Museum has more than 3,500 works of Picasso, such as Blanquita Suárez, Harlequin and Woman
with Mantilla. Many of the artworks were donated
by Picasso himself in 1970.
The Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic)
The Gothic Quarter or Barri Gòtic is
Barcelona's greatest attraction, with most of the buildings
and architecture have stayed intact from the Middle Ages. It contains many narrow streets and
impressively haunting
architecture. Among the main attractions of the quarter are the Cathedral, stretches of the Roman walls and
plenty of restaurants. Because the streets in Barcelona look like 18th century
Paris, two key scenes of well-known “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer”
by Tom Tykwer were filmed here. The Plaça de la Mercè was used as the setting for the fish
market on the Rue aux Fers in 18th-century Paris in the
scenes of birth and
death of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw). For decorations were
used 2,5 tons of fish and 1 ton of meat. The
result was so amazing that it’s almost impossible to recognise the square in the film.
Montjuïic
Montjuïic is a mountain located near the port of Barcelona
and offers a great view overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea. Cable
cars available there are one of the best ways to gain a unique perspective on
Barcelona. Here you can see the National Palace or constructions in the Olympic Ring which are a
legacy of the 1992 Olympics, visit Miró Foundation or stroll through gardens with different appearances and styles. In the evening
you can take a walk to see the Magic Fountain. The fountain was designed in 1929 by Carles Buigas. At night, between nine to eleven o’clock,
the water of
the fountain is illuminated
by different colors and is dancing to the mix of 70's, 80's and classical music.
Fundació Joan Miró
Fundació Joan Miró is a modern art
museum located on Montjuïic. Fundació Joan Miró is the first contemporary art
museum in Spain and is
included on the list of Artistic Heritage of Catalonia. The museum
has a high-ceiling rooms
for tall paintings or hangings and large spaces for objects that need to be viewed from
a distance. It would be interesting to see something so unusual!
Tibidabo
Tibidabo is the highest mountain of Barcelona. From here, one has a phantastic
all-round panorama view down to Barcelona. There is a
chirch called Templo
Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón (the Sacred Heart) at the peak
of Mount Tibidabo
with the statue of Jesus
Christ with out-stretched arms. The chirch has an observation deck at a height of more
than 540 m and is wonderfully illuminated at night. I think it feels like in
Rio de Janeiro
there.
Chocolate Museum (Museu De La Xocolata)
There
is a place in the world for a chocaholiks like me!!! Where?? In Barcelona! The Chocolate Museum
is a paradise made of chocolate. There are impressive sculptures made entirely out of chocolate
in Museu de la Xocolata.
You can see here chocolate
windmills, a giant chariot complete with chocolate horses or a chocolate Sagrada Familia.
Even the entry ticket is
a chocolate bar! Also you can make your sculpture out of chocolate in
the workshop. Here
you can also learn the history
of chocolate in Europe or see the manufacturing process of chocolate.
Barcelona Aquarium (L'Aquàrium de Barcelona)
Barcelona
Aquarium is the biggest in Europe leisure and education center with 11,000 marine animals from 450
different species, showing marine habitats from Caribbean tropical seas to the Mediterranean.
There is an underwater
tunnel 80 meters long inside the Oceanarium where you
can see sharks, ocean
sunfish or rays. You can also dive with sharks or spend the night in
L'Aquàrium of Barcelona.
Barcelona's Museum of Rock (Museu del Rock)
Barcelona Rock Musuem (Museu del Rock)
is a place where you can learn more about such rock legends as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson
and Bruce Springsteen. Highlights of the museum include a Rolling Stones jukebox, letters by
Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, guitars once owned by Kurt Cobain,
Eric Clapton and Lennon, Elton John's golden bathtub and a signed Ringo Starr bank
cheque. There are themed rooms for The Beatles and
The Rolling Stones, section dedicated to Spanish and
Catalan music and also an area called On Stage, where you can sing well-known
rock songs on
the stage.
Great place for a rock fan!
Gràcia Festival
There
are lots of festivals in Barcelona during the year, but the most colourful of
them is Gràcia Festival. Gràcia is an area of up-town
Barcelona that is famed for its laid-back bohemian atmosphere. Throughout the year, residents of
Gràcia work together to create decorations for the festival, that’s why
every street is
completely different from the other. The concept of Gràcia festival is that each street in the
neighbourhood competes to win the prize of being the best decorated street. Also there are various concerts and shows taking place
during festival time. Make sure that you don't miss
it out!
Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres
The
last one attraction is in fact number one attraction for me in Barcelona.
Actually it’s not in Barcelona, but more than two hours away from it. But it is worth it!
As Salvador Dali, a genius of Surrealism,
is my favorite painter,
I admire all his works, I think The Dali Museum will be a pilgrimage place for me. The Dali Museum in Figueres is a work
of art, the largest surrealistic object in the world and hosts a
great collection of the
artist’s paintings, sculptures and jewels from Dali’s earliest artistic experiences down to the works of the last years of his
life. Everything in this building reflects the unique
world view of Salvador
Dali. So enter the
surreal world and let imagination run wild!
Barcelona, yo me voy!
