 Barcelona
is positioned on the northeastern coast of the Iberian peninsula
and the shores of the Mediterranean and is the second largest
city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital
of Catalonia. There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona:
Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castillian
Spanish. Barcelona is a modern and enterprising city that has
preserved its historic Gothic centre almost intact, with its
maze of narrow streets, the Barri Gotic and the grid-like layout
of the Eixample, the urban planning "Enlargement" project
of the end of the 19th century. |
Sagrada Familia
by Antonio Gaudi ( www.sagradafamilia.org) is a giant temple
designed by the master architect Antonio Gaudi and one of the
most popular tourist sites in Barcelona. The life's work of Barcelona's
favourite son, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral
imprint themselves against the sky with swelling outlines inspired
by the holy mountain Montserrat. They are encrusted with a tangle
of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudí
died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed.
La Pedrera - Casa
Mila by Antonio Gaudi is another one of Antonio Gaudi's creations.
It was built between 1905 and 1910 as a combined apartment and
office block. Formerly called the Casa Milà, it is better
known now as La Pedrera (the quarry) because of its uneven grey
stone facade that ripples around a street corner - it creates
a wave effect that's further emphasized by elaborate wrought-iron
balconies. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof,
where giant multicoloured chimney pots jut up like medieval knights.
On summer weekend nights, the roof is eerily lit and open for
spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a
modest museum dedicated to Gaudí's work.
Las Ramblas is
famous tree-lined pedestrian boulevard around 1.2 kilometres
long with Port Vell (near the cruise port terminal) at the southern-most
end and Placa Catalunya at the northern-most end. It consists
of five separate streets strung end to end and is the central-most
Boulevard cutting through the heart of the city centre, a vibrant
and lively promenade.
The Miró Museum
is an art gallery with a wide range of Miró's work dating
back to1914. The artwork collection not only includes his paintings
but also a good selection of sculptures, tapestries and early
sketches and is a wonderful collection of Miró's work.
This is the largest single collection of his work.
Picasso Museum
has arranged Picasso's paintings in chronological order from
his early days to his final works. Arranging the paintings in
this way gives a fascinating insight into the development of
Picasso's thinking over time, showing how he developed the distinctive
designs that he is famous for today.
Barcelona Zoo is based in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The zoo
has a wide variety of animals on show and also has a restaurant,
picnic area, a shop, electric cars, ponies and a mini-train.
 Barcelona FC Museum (www.fcbarcelona.es)
is a must see for all football fans. It has wall to wall trophies,
pictures and statues of the greats. When you buy your ticket
you have 2 options. You can buy a ticket for the museum and to
see the stadium, or you can buy a dual ticket where you get to
see the museum and behind the scenes at the club e.g. changing
rooms, VIP lounge, press conference areas etc.
Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from
the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions,
soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites.
|
