Barcelona travel guide: city break best things to do, hotels, restaurants, attractions

Gaudí’s structure

The Sagrada Família church within the Eixample quarter is Barcelona’s “most iconic image” and probably the most visited landmark in the entire of Spain, mentioned IntroducingBarcelona.com. Development began in 1882 and a yr later it was commissioned to Antoni Gaudí, Catalonia’s most well-known architect. Nonetheless unfinished, it’s Gaudí’s best-known shrine to eccentric structure.

In Barcelona, artwork is in every single place – even within the structure. For instance, take the Casa Milà, situated on Passeig de Gràcia, certainly one of Barcelona’s grandest avenues. Accomplished in 1912, Casa Milà, or La Pedrera (stone quarry) as additionally it is recognized, was designed by Gaudí. In 1984 it was designated a Unesco World Heritage Web site. 

Known as “God’s Architect”, you may’t go to Barcelona with out seeing Gaudi’s affect in every single place you go, mentioned the Nomadic Matt journey weblog. Different Gaudi points of interest embrace Park Güell, one of many largest inexperienced areas in Barcelona, and Casa Vicens, thought of to be his first main challenge.

Museums and tradition 

Barclona has lengthy had the status of being the “avant-garde capital of Spain”, mentioned Rough Guides. The artwork museums listed below are “world-class”, together with the “celebrated” Museu Picasso and Museu Nacional d’Artwork de Catalunya. Most museums are closed on Mondays, mentioned Sally Davies in The Telegraph. The one “notable exception” is the MACBA modern artwork museum. 

Town’s opera home, La Gran Teatre del Liceu, was first inbuilt 1847 and has seen all of it: fires, wars, and recessions. But it nonetheless stands, magnificent and opulent. Adorned with gold leaf, wealthy purple seats, and ornate carvings embellishing each floor, the setting may simply be as grand because the efficiency. It is likely one of the world’s most spectacular classical opera homes and through the years has continued to fulfil its function as a centre for tradition and the humanities staging a world-class programme of operas, live shows and dance with its personal orchestra and choir.

Procuring

Situated half an hour away from Barcelona is La Roca Shopping Village, a spot to which all severe buyers flock. You’ll discover all the perfect modern manufacturers from Calvin Klein, G Star Uncooked and Diesel, to Barcelona labels Desigual and Custo Barcelona. 

In case you’re not trying to journey far, Passeig de Gràcia, one of many metropolis’s predominant avenues, boasts spectacular Modernist buildings and an abundance of worldwide designers (suppose Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada). In case you take a left on the high of Passeig de Gràcia, you’ll discover many extra high quality retailers alongside the Diagonal and the highest part of Rambla Catalunya, the place you may store for bridal clothes designed to really feel like “princess clothes” and varied inside design shops.

Sport 

The 1992 Summer season Olympic Video games “completely reworked” Barcelona, mentioned Xavier Trias, the previous mayor. Town hosts world-class sporting events all year long, together with crusing, marathons, triathlons, MotoGP, showjumping and the annual System 1 Spanish Grand Prix on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It’s additionally dwelling to 2 soccer groups that play in Spain’s La Liga – FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol de Barcelona. Hundreds of soccer followers go to Barça’s Camp Nou stadium for matches and excursions yearly.