Author:
Márcia
Gaudí and so much more
Barcelona is much more than its football team that dazzles fans all over the world. Barcelona is an enchanting seaside city with boundless culture, fabled architecture, and a world-class drinking and dining scene
The masters of molecular gastronomy – Ferran Adrià, Carles Abellan et al – are part of the long and celebrated tradition of Catalan cooking. Simple, flavorful ingredients – olive oil, jamón, seafood, market-fresh produce – are transformed into remarkable delicacies and then served up in captivating settings. You can feast on hearty, rich paella at an outdoor table overlooking the sea or step back to the 1920s at an elegant Art Nouveau–filled dining room.
With deep blue mediterranean sea that offers a vast of activities and the Montjuïc hill that offers endless exploring amid botanic and sculpture gardens, an old castle and first-rate museums with panoramic views at every turn, Barcelona is a city that will make you sigh to return. In other parts of town bloom the sculptural masterpieces of Modernisme, a mix of ingenious and whimsical creations by Gaudí and his Catalan architectural contemporaries, for which this city is so well known. Barcelona has also long inspired artists, including the likes of Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, whose works are in bold display in the city's myriad museums.
With so many to do, Barcelona will make you feel you don't want to leave
Tibidabo
It's worth the ride for a perfect snapshot of Barcelona skyline. If amusement park is not your thing, besides taking amazing pictures, there's also a beautiful church and lots of places to walk around.
Castillo de Montjuic
The forbidding Castell (castle or fort) de Montjuïc dominates the southeastern heights of Montjuïc and enjoys commanding views over the Mediterranean. A good place to start the day, overlooking the city and the sea from a completely different view of Tibidabo.
Mercat de la Boqueria
Buy here your lunch. Amazing fresh fruit, juices, sweetsm sandwiches and salads.
Parc Guell
Park Güell is where Gaudí turned his hand to landscape gardening. It’s a strange, enchanting place where his passion for natural forms really took flight – to the point where the artificial almost seems more natural than the natural. Park Güell originated in 1900, when Count Eusebi Güell bought a tree-covered hillside (then outside Barcelona) and hired Gaudí to create a miniature city of houses for the wealthy in landscaped grounds. The project was a commercial flop and was abandoned in 1914 – but not before Gaudí had created 3km of roads and walks, steps, a plaza and two gatehouses in his inimitable manner. In 1922 the city bought the estate for use as a public park.
Parc de la Ciutadella
Come for a stroll, a picnic, a visit to the zoo or to inspect Catalonia’s regional parliament, but don’t miss a visit to this, the most central green lung in the city. Parc de la Ciutadella is perfect for winding down. Take a rest from a busy getaway in Barcelona.
