1. The Monastery at Montserrat:

Santa Maria de Montserrat  is a Benedictine abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat. This is often the highlight of a visit to Barcelona. The most spectacular views of Catalunya are to be had from here and on a clear day you can see the island of Majorca. The history of Montserrat is fascinating and the story goes that in the year 880 a group of shepherd children saw a light descend from the heavens and heard angels singing. Their parents also witnessed the phenomenon and called a vicar who experienced the same thing. Inside a cave on the mountain they found an image of the Virgin Mary and from then on Montserrat became a place of pilgrimage for Catholics from around the world. There are also many walks along the paths in the mountain and lots of little stalls where you can buy mementos. Getting here is easy, you can arrange a tour through your hotel or you can simply take the train from Espanya station. Once at the station look for Line R5 toward Manresa.
The train will take you to the foot of the Montserrat mountain and from there you can either take the cable car (Aeri) or catch a funicular to the top (Cremallera). Be sure to decide before you buy your tickets as they are not interchangeable.

    

 

2. The Gaudi Legacy:

Anton Gaudi was a brilliant architect whose love for religion, nature and his native Catalunya is evident in all his works. He was also skilled in many crafts, stained glass, ceramics, wrought iron forging and carpentry. Gaudi died in June 1926, dressed in shabby clothing he was knocked over by a tram while taking his daily walk for his habitual prayer and confession. He was assumed to be a beggar because of his lack of identity documents and shabby clothing and did not receive immediate aid. By the time he was recognized the following day his condition had rapidly deteriorated and he could not benefit from any medical treatment. He died at the age of 73.Many buildings in Barcelona were designed by him eg. Mataro building and the lampposts of  Placa Reial, but his most recognized works have got to be:

 

La Sagrada Familia:

Construction began in 1882 but Gaudi only became involved in 1883. He combined Gothic and Art Nouveau forms. He devoted all of his time to this project until his death in 1926 but only a quarter of the building was by then complete.
Construction moved slowly as it was privately funded and of course the Spanish civil war also interrupted progress. As yet the project is still incomplete and the year 2026 is when we are likely to see the full expanse of the vision of Gaudi.. An art critic once said “ it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art” It truly is a sight to behold and can be seen as a beacon from most parts of the city.

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La Pedrera or Casa Milo

Originally built for a married couple, Roser Segimon, a wealthy widow and Pere Mila, Pere was ridiculed for his opulent lifestyle and many residents joked as to whether Mila was interested in Roser or her wealth. Gaudi, planned for the building to be a spiritual symbol with the use of many religious statues and sculptures, but the local government intervened and fined the owners for many infractions, exceeding the height standard of the city. The design was certainly controversial at the time, with its stone façade and wrought iron decoration of the balconies and windows, which were designed by Josep Maria Jujol. At the time it certainly was innovative with its underground parking and separate elevators for servants and owners. The odd shaped rooms certainly made furnishing a bit of a task. A visit to the roof is a must as the architecture here is a sight to behold. “Pedrera”  means quarry…and the building was so called because of its stone like appearance.
It is now a museum. It is located at 92 Passeig de Gracia and you can get here by using the Metro, Green Line L3.. It is situated in the Eixample district.

Casa Botillo

Within walking distance from La Pedrera also on Passeig de Gracia, no 42. This beautiful example of Modernism or Art Nouveau is a spectacular sight and at night looks even more beautiful. Restored by Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol in 1904. The local name for it is “The House of Bones”. A truly astonishing sight as the designer made use of NO straight lines, irregular windows and flowing sculpted stonework. The exterior is covered in broken mosaic tiles (trencadis)  in golden orange, green and blue. A true sight to behold. This building was also originally built for a middle class family in an upma​rket neighbourhood of Barcelona. All of these buildings have an entry fee to walk around them and explore but even just looking at them from the street makes one gasp in awe.

 

 

3. Picasso and Dali

Now it is well known that Picasso and Dali loved the city of Barcelona and spent many days and nights visiting the many clubs and cafes in the area. There are many museums where you can see the works of both these fine artists. The Museo Picasso is open to visitors daily, it was set up as his personal wish. But for the visitor and art lover alike it is quite an experience to visit the places these two icons of art visited.

Els Quarte Gats – The Four Cats was a favourite of Picasso, he even designed their menu.

Situated at 3 Carrer de Montsio it is a bit tucked away but once you get there you feel transported back to a different time. Not much has changed since he drank his favourite drink of absinthe here.
Or 28 Carrer de Cormerc where he had his last studio until he left for Paris in 1904.

And though Dali was born and died in the Catalan town of Figueres, Barcelona played a huge role in feeding his desire for culture and creativity. He was inspired by the work of Gaudi especially by the Casa Botillo. His favourite place to have a drink was Bar Marsella on  El Raval. This bar was also used in a scene in the movie Vicky, Christina Barcelona. Both these places are renowned for their absinthe so sip on some and allow yourself to be transported to a time not so long forgotten.
     
4. The Camp Nou Experience – Home of Barcelona Football Club

Whether  you’re a football lover or not a visit to this spectacular place is a MUST!
Take the tour and walk down memory lane with these giants of Football. A ticket can set you back about 22Euros but well worth every cent.. Learn about the origins of the club, its founding member Joan Gamper, see the trophies won, walk around the “visiting teams” change room, walk into the press room.

A truly impressive stadium and an experience you wont quite forget. Use the metro to get here, there are 3 stations serving the stadium Line 3 to Les Corts or Maria Christina or Line 5 to Coll Blanc but the best option would be the Maria Cristina Station.Take the Avenida Diagonal exit and go down the road that has the two big towers to your left. Turn left onto Avinguda de Joan XXIII at the big intersection, and the stadium will be down that road right in front of you. A single metro ticket is just over €1.

 

5. Palau de la Musica Catalana

The Palau is located on a cramped street, the Carrer de Sant Francesc de Paula, in the section of old Barcelona known as La Ribera. The building stands out further not only because of its exuberance but also because the other buildings around it are very dull and drab.

The concert hall which seats 2200 is the only one in Europe that is illuminated during the day by natural light. This is a building to be seen if only to admire the architecture and the design, but if you’re a true lover of  classical music then you would do yourself a favour by buying a ticket to enjoy the splendour of the building whilst experiencing the magic of the music.

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6. La Ramblas

A busy street in central Barcelona popular with both locals and tourists. It stretches for about 1.2km and is filled with kiosks, street performers, cafes, restaurants and shops. Always busy. One of the side streets lead to the Royal Square, (Placa Reial) a plaza with palm trees and even more pubs and restaurants. Of recent though, La Ramblas has become more popular with tourists rather than locals and hence a haven for pick pockets. However, a visit to Barcelona would not be complete without a visit to La Ramblas.

 

7. Best Beaches in Barcelona

​1.  Ocata Beach
A half an hour train ride out of the city it is quiet, pristine and very flat. Not very touristy and has beautiful, white undulating plains of sand.

2. St Pol de Mar Beach
An hour's train ride out of the city. The beach is gorgeous lapped by clear water and backed by pretty hills. It also has a pretty cove which has now become a nudist zone.

3. Nova Icária Beach
Situated beside the Olympic marina and close to the Icária shopping centre. This beach is very popular with the younger crowd.

4. Barceloneta Beach
The most accessible from the city this beach is very popular with tourist and you can tell by the  drums being played  to the sand-artists and singing and dancing donut salesmen. It certainly is the dirtiest and most crowded beach but also the most entertaining. And it's got some great seafood eateries along the shore.

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