Barcelona Travel Guide

As Spain’s Catalan capital, Barcelona grapples with Madrid for the position of the country’s most happening city. The 2,000-year-old Mediterranean port city boasts an impressive array of architecture bridging Iberian, Visigoth and Roman influences. The beaches attract hordes of tourists while the museums, fine dining and booming dance clubs keep them up and entertained well into the night.

One of Barcelona’s most outstanding qualities is its architectural prowess, epitomized in the unparalleled work of Antonio Gaudi. Salvadore Dali and Pablo Picasso also called Barcelona their home and have left a considerable amount of work on display in the local museums. The city’s reputation in international circles was solidified in 1992 after Barcelona hosted the Olympics.

When touring the city, you’ll find the best accommodation, bars and restaurants near the old Barri Gotìc quarter of town. Enjoy the wealth of museums, traditional cuisine and medieval architecture of the area. Las Ramblas, near the city center, is the famous pedestrian avenue lined with cafés, artists and boutiques targeting tourists of every mode and fashion.

Highlights

Las Ramblas promenade: in the Barri Gotìc quarter, this pedestrian avenue is home to cobblestone side-streets, medieval churches and a constant flux of tourists and merchants.

Placa de Catalunya: situated at the city’s center, this area offers modern shops and boutiques within easy walking distance of Las Ramblas.

Mont Juic: rewards visitors with panoramic views of Barcelona along with access to the facilities used for the 1992 Olympics.

Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila: drafted and built by Antonio Gaudi, these iconic landmarks typify their creator’s genius.

Montserrat Monastery: sits among the boulder-ridden mountains to Barcelona’s west and is reached by thousands of tourists and photographers via cable car.

Parc Guëll: another of Antonio Gaudi’s creations exemplifying his bizarre, unorthodox style and set against the backdrop hills beyond Barcelona.