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.

Rue Bernard in Outremont compliments of spacingmontreal.com

Everyday is an adventure in Montreal. Whether you are into museums, shopping, gardening, films, music, food, sports, there is something for you in Montreal. I have cousins who visit Montreal for 3 months to participate in the Montreal World Film Festival. They may see as many as 3 movies in a day!

As I mentioned in Montreal Eating, I have only visited the city in summer when people are biking, hiking, walking, running, swimming – you name it. However, what I have heard is that Montreal transforms itself in Winter into a sportsperson paradise. At lunchtime, people snap on their skies and head for the slopes. The following are my tried & true Summer activities in Montreal:

Neighborhood/streets that I like to explore:
Discover Montreal’s list of neighborhoods.

Le Plateau including Mont Royal, St. Denis, St. Laurent and Rue Prince Arthur (walking tour map): This hip neighborhood has lots of shops, restaurants, and cafes. The best métro stop is the Mont-Royal station. I would recommend just walking up and down St. Denis and St. Laurent and the streets in-between the two. Rue Prince-Arthur is a fun pedestrian street is filled with bars and restaurants. Five short blocks later, rue Prince-Arthur ends at Square St-Louis. This public garden plaza is framed by attractive row houses erected for well-to-do Francophones in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Thanks to TurnhereTravel.com for producing this great video.

Mile End/St. Viateur Street is contained by rue St-Laurent on the east, avenue Du Parc on the west, rue Bernard in the north, and boulevard St-Joseph on the south. St. Viateur Street was once a Polish ghetto. Today, the Mile End is a funky, artsy neighborhood with cafes, restaurants, indie shops and is the home of the famous St. Viateur bagel shop. Welcome to Mile End on urbanphoto.net is a thorough post on the neighborhoods with fantastic photos.

Another great TurnhereTravel.com video. “>

Outremont, located on the western ends of rues Laurier and Bernard, is a tree-lined, elegant neighborhood with great restaurants, galleries, shops and 20 parks dotting the landscape. It is home to Le Bilbouquet, the delicious glacier that I write about in Montreal Eating.

Plaza St. Hubert, close to the Jean Talon Market, is one of the craziest, diverse, interesting shopping malls that you will find (map). It has everything from fancy ball gowns and wedding dresses, hip-hop urban clothes and fetish stockings to candy stores, cafes, and toy stores. The streets are heated in the winter so you can shop all year ’round. I love this place!

Museums:
Montreal has a plethora of museums, from fine art to Montreal history. Musees Montreal presents a complete list of museums. Here are a few of my favorites:

Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts) – The modern annex on the left side of Rue Sherbrooke was added in 1991 and is connected to the original stately Beaux Arts building (1912) across the street by an underground tunnel that doubles as a gallery.

Centre Canadien d’Architecture (CCA) is an international research centre and museum on the conviction that architecture is a public concern. Based on its extensive Collection, exhibitions, programs, and research opportunities, the CCA is a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding, and widening thought and debate on architecture, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today. This museum ALWAYS has interesting exhibits that are really well curated!

Musée McCord has an eclectic and often eccentric collection of over a million objects, images, and manuscripts. Folk art, beaded costumes, photographs, fine-china place settings, and more reveal elements of city and rural life from the 18th to the 20th century, and Amerindians are well represented.

Map of Downtown Montreal Museum District Don’t forget to stop by Nocochi for some cookies and coffee to rest your weary feet.

I am an historic house museum junkie and I not ashamed to admit it.

Château Ramezay Museum, located in Old Montreal, offers provides a glimpse of 500 years of Montréal and Québec history through its exhibitions and the Governor’s Garden. The small exhibits are always interesting.

Maison Saint-Gabriel’s 300-year-old house is one of the finest examples of the traditional architecture of New France. Maison Saint-Gabriel portrays the various aspects of rural life in the 17th century and the extraordinary adventure of the King’s Wards. This museum is rather difficult to reach (metro and bus and walking) but well worth the effort. The docents are excellent.

Outdoor Activities:
Jardin Botanique/Montréal Botanical Garden is a wonderful place. What can I say besides – dahlias bigger than your face and cypress bonsai smaller than the dahlias. A must for gardeners and non-gardeners alike!

The Olympic Park complex, a crazy architectural feat, was built to accommodate the 1976 Summer Games. Since then, people visit the facilities, either to admire the magnificent views from the Observatory, located at the top of the world’s tallest inclined tower, to attend a sporting event or trade show at the Stadium or work out at our new Sports Centre. Swimming in the olympic-sized pool is wild.

The Lachine Outdoor Sculpture Museum is a permanent exhibit that includes close to fifty monumental sculptures created by renowned artists, both local and foreign. A visit to this outdoor museum (as well as the historical Lachine Museum) is a great outing. A bit out of the way, here is a link for directions.

Parc la Fontaine is Plateau Mont-Royal’s biggest park. It has ponds, the Théâtre de Verdure open-air venue, sports fields, a dog park, picnic areas and playgrounds, wading pools, several pieces of memorial statuary and many trees including numerous imposingly huge poplars. Bike paths run along the park’s western and northern edges. In wintertime a large section of the pond is cleared for skating with the park chalet functioning as changing room and snack bar; there’s also a hockey rink. If you are going to picnic, stop by La Vieille Europe at 3855, Rue St. Laurent, a gourmet store where you can buy cheese, chocolate, meats, sausages, soups, coffees, breads from all over Europe.