Barcelona is a city with a wide range of wonderful options for you to visit there time and time again, with always something new to explore. The City is overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and is widely considered one of the top cruise ports for cruises around Europe as well as transatlantic cruises for departures heading towards the Americas, due to its central location in the Mediterranean, easy access to major cruise lines, and the city’s vibrant tourist appeal. It is also famous for Gaudi and other Art Nouveau architecture and is one of Europe’s trendiest cities with a rich history to go along with it’s modern vibrancy. There are also many beach towns near Barcelona, including Sitges, Tossa de Mar and Garraf.
Sitges is a stylish, friendly beach destination with a nudist beach, coves, and a variety of beaches for different activities. The small city of Sitges parties big where the nightlife is thumping, the people are friendly and the annual Carnival festival is utterly epic. A countercultural touchstone, Sitges is lively and very LGBT friendly. The food and beverage is sublime you simply must sample the Malvasia wine, made from grapes descending from Ancient Greece. You don’t want to miss the world’s renowned Sitges Film Festival, a cinematic extravaganza of horror, sci-fi and fantasy every October.
The Gothic Quarter and the Rambla offer a glimpse into the past, while the Born district and the Diagonal Avenue showcase the city’s contemporary edge. Barcelona’s unique charm lies in its ability to effortlessly transition from the laid back Mediterranean lifestyle to the fast paced energy of a global metropolis. Take a stroll down Las Ramblas or a more traditional market such as La Boqueria, or relax in a cafe in old town with a glass of wine and watch the tourists go by. While Barcelona is a beautiful and vibrant city, it’s well known for its pickpocketing problem. Tourists, especially, are often targeted due to their distraction and unawareness of local customs. It’s very important to be cautious and take preventive measures to protect your valuables here. Buy a secure anti thief bag to keep your passport, wallet and phone safe.
For me the highlight of my trip to Barcelona was seeing the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. The Sagrada Família is an iconic Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí, it’s known for its unique architectural style and intricate details. Construction began in 1882 and continues to this day, making it one of the most famous unfinished buildings in the world with no date for completion in sight. The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia is the final construction in Gaudí’s career, a unique place in Barcelona that will become the highest Basilica in the world once work has been completed, meaning Gaudí’s masterpiece has been under construction for over one century!!
Among many other wonders of this work is the spectacular play of light and colours that can be appreciated inside the temple when rays of sunlight enter through the stained glass, a world of sensations that changes depending on the time of day. It’s truly a masterpiece of architecture and engineering. Gaudí’s innovative design and details make it a truly awe inspiring church which brought tears to my eyes unlike any other structure ever has, religious or not. You can explore the different facades and towers as each one offers a unique perspective.
It is also possible to visit the towers of the Sagrada Familia to enjoy unique views of the city. Many people ask which is the best tower to visit. In actual fact, one is not any better than the other, but there are differences. In the case of the Tower of the Nativity façade, dating back to Gaudí’s time, there is no lift to the very top, but it is possible to climb a narrow spiral staircase, which is not suitable for all visitors. For visitors who are not in a good physical condition or for those who have a phobia related to small spaces, it is better to visit the Passion Tower.
There are four chapels inside the Sagrada Familia, each with its own unique dedicatee: The Virgin of Carmel, where Gaudí is buried; Jesus Christ; the Virgin of Montserrat; and Crucified Christ, which houses Josep María Bocabella’s tomb. No visit to the Sagrada Familia is complete without visiting the towers, a hugely important element in Gaudí’s work, as it was the closest you could get to heaven.
Other Gaudí sights in Barcelona not to miss besides the Sagrada Familia are Park Guell, a large park with stunning gardens, sculptures, and colorful mosaics, considered one of Gaudí’s most iconic works, Casa Batllo, a vibrantly remodeled building with a wave-like facade, nicknamed “The House of Bones” due to its bone-like structure, Casa Mila, known for its undulating facade, rooftop chimneys resembling soldiers, and unique interior design, Casa Vicens, Gaudí’s first major project, showcasing his early style with Moorish influences. Also Palau Guell, a grand mansion with intricate details and a unique interior design, considered a prime example of Catalan Modernism, all showcasing his unique architectural style with colorful tiles, organic shapes, and intricate details.
The cathedral dates back to the 4th century, but it’s been renovated many times over the years, including for the Universal Expositions in 1888 and in 1929.
The Gothic Quarter is located in the historic center of Barcelona. You’ll find it between two streets, the famous La Rambla (sometimes called Las Ramblas) and Via Laietana. Despite its old age, it was named the Gothic Quarter, or Barrio Gótico in Spanish, only a century ago, to attract more tourists, particularly with a little help from its beautiful neo Gothic cathedral. Before that, back in the Middle Ages, the true heart of this quarter was the Jewish neighborhood El Call named like this after the Jewish word for community.
The Royal Artistic Circle was founded in 1881 by several Catalan artists as an institution to promote artistic creations. Due to the historical period, this has been the place where many ideas about modernism began. The museum is now a place dedicated to temporary exhibitions. Be sure to check them out during your visit to the Gothic Quarter.
This mosaic was created in 2014 to commemorate the 300 years of the siege of Barcelona that put an end to the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714.
The story of Casa Batlló called the “House of Bones” because of its organic, skeletal quality was built in 1877 and redesigned by Gaudi between 1906 and 1912. Casa Mila, popularly known as La Pedrera, is a most unusual building and declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1984. Today it is the headquarters of Fundacio Catalunya La Pedrera and houses a cultural centre that is a reference point in Barcelona for the range of activities it organises and the different spaces for exhibitions and other public uses it contains. A visit to La Pedrera, landmark building and container, gives us a better understanding and appreciation of architecture and transports us to the period when Antoni Gaudi lived.
The legend of Saint George, Some say the building’s design symbolizes the legend of Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The roof’s design is said to represent a sword embedded in a dragon, with the bone-shaped columns commemorating the dragon’s victims. The tower with a cross on top is said to represent the hilt of Saint George’s sword. Others say the building’s design represents an aquatic landscape, inspired by Monet’s The Water Lilies. The building’s colorful ceramic glaze and broken glass fragments are said to evoke the shapes and colors of the sea. Gaudí worked on the building’s facade without a specific plan, and he left the ultimate interpretation of the building’s symbolic imagery up to the individual.
