Barcelona is a big city with gazillions sights to see and things to do. One day gets you to see a fraction of it unless you buy one of those bus tours that take you to all major sites in half a day. With two days, you’ll be hungry for more. Three days more, you can say that you see Barcelona.
Being the city’s transportation hub, Placa de Catalunya, a large, busy plaza dividing Barcelona’s Old Town (Ciutat Vella in Catalan) and the New District, is likely to be the first spot where you find yourself wandering around upon your arrival or departure from/to other parts of Barcelona. If you are not hurried, find a bench and sit down like the Barcelonians and start watching people.
From this plaza, your feet get you down to Las Ramblas (The streams), the most famous street in Barcelona. This 1-km long stretch takes you past souvenir kiosks, street mimes, stalls selling pets (chicken, birds, turtles to name a few) all the way to the waterfront.
On the way, you won’t be able to resist to stop at La Boqueria market, a huge indoor market offering colossal legs of smoked ham, dead rabbits, bagged snails, dead birds hanging above your head trying to take your attention away from big fresh, fat, handsome fish and seafood of various kinds. The scene here either scare the heck out of any vegetarian or make him regret the vouch never to eat meat again. You don’t need to be hungry to feel your stomach churning by the sights of many food stands serving the famous delicacy of Spanish cuisine, the tapas. Sit down and order a small portion of olives or potato omelets.
Further down the La Ramblas, a few blocks away from the main street is Placa de Reial (Plaza Real), a modern 19th-century plaza adorned with palm trees and elegant street lamps. Continue to the end of Las Ramblas; you’ll arrive at Port Vell harbor housing a mega shopping complex Maremagnum, a cinema, and an aquarium.
Can be seen from far away, Christopher Columbus Monument stands in the exact location where he returned to Spain in 1943 after having discovered the New World. The iconic man points to a direction which at first you would think the New World, but in reality, he points to Italy, his home country.
Backtracking on Las Ramblas or wandering northward to Barcelona’s web of small alleys, you will walk into Barri Gotic (Gothic district), the center of the Old Town and the city Cathedral. Walk on the side street Carrer del Bisbe Irurita, a small street under a beautiful archway.
Other relaxing spots to hang out are the lovely Plaça Sant Felip Neri and Plaça del Pi.
The charming and bike-friendly La Ribera is popular with the tourists because of the Picasso museum located here. He is the world most famous artist of the 20th century, and his real name is Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso. Yup, you read that right. Picasso spent his teenage and early adult years (14-21) here in Barcelona and painted a lot during this period. The museum has the largest collection of Picasso artworks including his earlier paintings to serve as a transition to his later masterpieces. Picasso started out painting typical dull, depressing portraits and countryside landscape. Later, his artistic style dramatically changed which you can see in many of his abstract paintings and his pioneered cubist art.
You must see the fairytale-like buildings designed by Antonin Gaudi, the greatest Catalan architect. Even if art is not your cup of tea, you can not help but be amazed by his magnificence work of arts sprinkling in various parts of the city. Gaudi broke away from the symmetric design convention of his time and developed his own styles. Thanks to Gaudi Barcelona has a unique architect in the entire Europe; you will not see anything like this elsewhere. Top Gaudi’s masterpieces are the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, Casa Batllo, and Parc Guell. The Sagrada Familia started in 1883, is still a work in progress and won’t be finished in another 50 years. La Pedrera, Casa Mila, a building designed without a single straight line, was originally planned to provide housings and offices. The project, however, failed because potential renters were afraid of the difficulty of maintaining the irregular space. The beautiful facade provokes images of ocean waves, ice-cream cone, caves carved into rock cliff or even holes for giant pigeons. The colorful Casa Batllo is a head-turner with its skull-like balcony support pillars resembling human bones. Parc Guel, a huge park, looks like a Walt Disney film set. You will be surprised to know that this park was intended to be a housing complex which turned out to be a complete commercial failure. Perhaps the artist’s bold vision is still light years ahead of his time.
Visit this link to find and book cheap hotels in Barcelona.
Being a popular tourist destination, Barcelona is not overly expensive. Even if you do spend money, you feel that it’s worth it in this city (and other cities Spain). With so many beautiful sights to see and things to do, good food, warm weather and the pleasant Spanish personality, travelers get a good value for every euro that they spend.
Accommodation
Transportation
Food
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My name is Cindy, also rhymes with travel junkie. A friend said I was probably a gipsy in my previous life. One of my many secret missions in life is to convert you to run off every once in awhile.
