My husband and I spent two weeks in Barcelona in a lovely apartment at the Placa de Catalunya end of Las Ramblas. We had been warned that it would be really loud and pick pockets would steal our wallets. People recommended that we eat paella and go see flamenco. This was NOT the Barcelona that we would come to experience. Perhaps it was the time of year – it was the end of spring and it was still rather chilly for the musicians to play their stringed instruments. Perhaps it was too early for tourists such that the pick pockets saw no point of rambling on Las Ramblas. Perhaps it was the lure of the tapas bars and late night clubs that prevented us from eating paella and watching flamenco. Maybe we found a different side of Barcelona because we took many wrong turns (and did not get our pockets picked).

There were a few things that we knew we wanted to do in Barcelona: (1) eat tapas at a bar; (2) see Gaudi architecture; (3) drink Suizo de la Granja Viader; and (4) stay up ALL NIGHT because if we couldn’t stay up all night in Barcelona – then we were real losers (Note – #1 & #2 were my husband’s goals and #3 & #4 – mine)! Those were the non-negotiables. I am proud to say that we successfully achieved our four goals. Of course, goals like that are easy to achieve. In addition, we visited amazing museums and galleries, shopped at the wonderful markets, discovered great local fashion designers, wound our way through endless streets and alleys, had delicious meals and drank LOTS of cava (at least I did – lunch and dinner).

Street outside our window in El Raval

As always, the thing that I like to do most is walk, walk, walk, eat, walk some more, stop at a café, walk some more, go home & rest, have a glass of wine (or cava, in Barcelona) then have dinner. Barcelona is perfect for that. We would spend a day or two in each barrio/neighborhood, exploring the sites, finding small shops, sitting on benches and watching the people walk by (my husband was crazy about the way women in Barcelona wear their hair – great haircuts with baby bangs and cool haircolors). On the last day, we were walking around and realized that we had landed in a barrio that we had not yet discovered. What did this mean? We would just have to return to Barcelona because there is so much more walking, eating, visiting, exploring to be done.

I can remember one day, it was a Sunday, and we had decided to explore the Barri Gotic. As we started out the day, we realized that the stores had changed their window displays to reflect the arrival of spring. Winter browns, blacks and grays were replaced with vibrant, whimsical colors. We turned the corner and came upon a group of singers performing opera in a square. After watching for about 20 minutes, we headed on our way. Just around the corner, there was another square in which the city was holding an environmental awareness festival with games, performances, crafts, and information. Within the span of an hour and a few blocks, we experienced the richness and complexity of Barcelona that continues to beckon me back.

The following are some websites that I find to be really for trip planning. Although there is some overlap, I have found it best to look at a few different sites in order to create a full picture.

General Guides and Information

• Barcelona Turisme is an amazing site that I just discovered after researching for several days!
• Barcelona Yellow
• Barcelona Tourist Guide Basic Facts
• Safety Tips
• Barcelona Card I am not one who purchases these cards but it is always a good option.
• Metro Map and Metro info

Neigborhoods and Maps

• Barcelona Tourist Guide Neighborhood descriptions
• Barcelona Tourist Guide Neighborhood map</em>
• Barcelona Tourist Guide Street map
• Frommer’s neighborhoods – I am a huge fan of Frommer’s, which I find to be very clear and easy to navigate. I also love their walking tours and itineraries, which are always a great starting point and resource.
• Streets & squares by Europe-cities.com

To provide an amazing context for your visit to Barcelona, I highly recommend the following book!

Of course, you can admire this beauty on the way to one of the MANY amazing galleries, museums, or buildings for which Barcelona is famous. Here are just a few:

Gaudi architecture – this is a must. The most famous of the Gaudi buildings are:
Casa Batlló at Passeig de Gràcia 43 (map). Gaudí’s genius transformed a terraced house, characteristic of the district of the Eixample of the 19th century, into one of the most outstanding buildings in Barcelona’s architecture.

Casa Mila, commonly known as La Pedrera, was built between 1906 and 1912. It is located at Carrer de Provença 261, (map). Visitors to the building can see the patios, the Espai Gaudi (attic and roof-terrace) and The Pedrera Apartment.

La Sagrada Familia, located at Plaza de la Sagrada Familia, nearest metro stop L2 & L5 (map). Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia is Barcelona’s most significant symbol, and the most visited building in Barcelona. In 1883, the architect agreed to continue a cathedral project that was already under way. Gaudi redesigned it completely and he worked on it until his death in 1926. La Sagrada Familia presents a wonderful juxtaposition of artistic styles and periods.

Parc Guell is a whimsical and beautiful architectural park situated on the hill of Carmel in the Gràcia district http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Olot%2C+7+Barcelona++08024 (map). The nearest metro is L3 Vallcarca. The Parc is home to many of the iconic Gaudi artistic elements.

There are many more Gaudi sites. Here are 2 links to websites that will provide a comprehensive listing.
Barcelona Yellow: Gaudi
Gaudi Sagrada Familia
Official site of the Gaudí year 2002 in Barcelona

Art Museums
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, or MACBA) is located in El Raval in the Placa des Angel (map). All the art dates from the mid-20th century onward. There are three periods of modern art represented: the first one covers the forties to the sixties; the second spans the sixties and seventies; the third period is contemporary. The collections focus on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art, although some foreign art is also represented. All the art dates from the mid-20th century onward. MACBA is also known as a great skateboard park, which is a show in and of itself.

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), located in El Raval next to MACBA (map), is an amazing cultural platform for artistic and creative experimentation. A multidisciplinary center, with exhibitions, film, courses, debates, lectures, music, dance, etc., this is a don’t miss!

The Francisco Godia Foundation, located at C/ Diputació, 250 (between Rambla Catalunya and Balmes) (map), was set up in 1998 and looks after the legacy of the businessman and collector Francisco Godia Sales. It specialises in medieval art, ceramics, Modernist drawing and painting, and 20th century art. It is a real treat. This museum is a real treat. Don’t be put off by that fact that it doesn’t “look” like a museum!

Fundació Antoni Tàpies is closed for renovations. The Fundació was created in 1984 by the artist Antoni Tàpies to promote the study and knowledge of modern and contemporary art. It combines the organisation of temporary exhibitions, symposia, lectures and film seasons with a range of publications to go with the activities and periodic shows of Antoni Tàpies’ work. If you are in the Eixample neighborhood, talk a walk by (map) because the building has an amazing façade.

City History Museum exposes the roman history of Barcelona. I am a history nut – I love historic houses and architectural ruins. The Monumental Ensemble of the Plaça del Rei is just one part of The Barcelona City History Museum collection (map). This “Monumental Ensemble” is made up of the 11th century Palau Condal (“Count’s Palace”), which later became the Royal Palace. At the beginning of the 20th century the monumental ensemble was completed when the Gothic palace of Padellàs House was moved to the Plaça del Rei. Below the Plaça del Rei square is a MUST-SEE visit to the 4,000 square meter archaeological site displaying the 1st century B.C to 8th century A.D. Roman colony ruins. THIS IS TOTALLY COOL! The official City History Museum website is in Spanish.

Barcelona Connect has a great little article about Roman Barcelona.

The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, MNAC) is a museum of Catalan visual art housed in the Palau Nacional. Situated on the Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina (map), it was rehabilitated by the 1992 Summer Olympics. MNAC’s impressive collections reflect the reuniting of the old Museu d’Art de Catalunya (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art collections) and the Museu d’Art Modern (19th-and 20th-century art collections) under one roof, and declared it a national museum, incorporating the Department of Drawings and Prints, the Gabinet Numismàtic de Catalunya (coinage and medals) and the Biblioteca d’Història de l’Art (General Library of Art History) into the new museum structure. Later in 1996, the Department of Photography was created and this artistic discipline was included in the museum project.

The Joan Miró Foundation (Fundació Joan Miró, Centre d’Estudis d’Art Contemporani) is a museum of modern art honoring Joan Miró also located on Montjuïc (map) and (hours). This is a wonderful collection not to be missed.

Free museums on Sunday

Smaller museums

The Dali Museum is not in Barcelona but it’s only a short train journey away
1.5 hour (by car or train) in a small town called Figueres, Dalí’s home town. The museum houses one of the largest collections of his work and the building, itself, is worth the visit. Directions and route to the Dali Museum from Barcelona.

Galleries
Iquapop is located at c/Comerc 15 (map) in El Born. This contemporary urban gallery features exhibits of pop surrealism, graffiti and a broad-range vision of new pop art. Iguapop provides an interesting insight into modern Barcelona. Iguapop is located very close to the Museu Picasso and Mercat Santa Caterina, which is a great city market.

Shopping
I am not one to look for specific stores. Rather, as I walk, walk, walk and walk, I believe in stopping in any place that catches my eye.

Barcelona Tourist Guide: Shopping provides a good, overall sense of shopping. If you go to the Shopping Directory, you can find the pages with specific shopping items.

Here are a few suggestions for shopping areas and a few specific places:
5 KM Shopping walk stretches from the top of the Ramblas, through Placa de Catalunya along Passeig de Gràcia and up Avenue Diagonal. You will find most of the high end designers and stores along this walk.

El Raval was my favorite area for shopping. You can find great, young designers and interesting items on every little street. I would like to mention Giménez & Zuazo at Elisabets 20 (map), which features these Barcelona creations.

El Corte Inglés is the most famous shop in the city. In Barcelona, the biggest one is located on Plaça de Catalunya. El Corte Inglés is a full-service store, including a great supermarket and is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 am until 10 pm and also every first Sunday of the month.