There are so many Barcelona tourist attractions that you’ll struggle to visit them all during a short city break. The highlight is the magnificent Sagrada Familia Cathedral but there are plenty more stunning buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí including La Pedrera (also known as Casa Milà), Casa Batlló and Park Güell. In addition, you’ll want to spend a few hours wandering around the Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter and heading over to Port Vell at the end of the Ramblas. The city’s hop-on, hop-off tourist bus services depart from Plaça de Catalunya providing visitors with a good way to see the main sights of Barcelona.
Gaudí Architecture
Sagrada Familia
Antoni Gaudi’s La Sagrada Família is certainly his most famous work and recognised as a symbol of Barcelona worldwide. The architect worked obsessively on the Moderniste cathedral from 1883 until he died in 1926. There are plans to complete the building by 2026 to coincide with the centenary of Gaudí’s death. The Sagrada Familia is extremely busy when cruise ships are in town so it’s worth planning your trip accordingly.
La Pedrera
La Pedrera (Casa Milà) is probably Gaudi’s 2nd most recognisable masterpiece. It was built between 1905 and 1910 as a commission for the wealthy Milà family in the upmarket Gràcia district serving as an apartment and an office block. A visit to the Casa Milà allows you to get a taste of wealthy Catalan society a century ago as you wander through the fascinating rooms of the family home. The roof is particulary interesting with its selection of Modernist sculptures and chimneys from where you can see the Sagrada Familia in the distance. In the evenings during the summer months you can go on the roof of La Pedrera and enjoy ‘La Pedrera de Nit’ when you can enjoy a glass of cava (Catalan champagne) to the accompaniment of classical music.
Casa Batlló
Just down the Passeig de Gràcia on the other side of the road from La Pedrera is another classic Gaudí structure. This building was also commissioned by a wealthy local businessman, Josep Batlló, to serve mainly as a family home. Although Gaudi originally designed Casa Batlló to look like St George’s Dragon your imagination can run away with you as you stare at the structure from outside. Typical observations are of tiles used to portray fish scales, balconies that look like bird’s nests and a roof than resembles a dinosaur’s back!
Park Güell
Park Guell dates back to 1900 when Eusebi Güell commissioned Gaudí to build a garden city intended for the elite of Barcelona society. As a real estate venture the property wasn’t a success with only two homes ever being built on it. Today Park Güell is a Gaudí park which is owned by the city of Barcelona and features a breathtaking selection of Gaudi architecture. Look out for the giant coloured lizard which is one of the city’s most photographed attractions. Casa Museu Gaudí is the house at the entrance with a spire where the architect lived for most of his last 20 years.
Other Gaudí Buildings
As well as the Gaudi buildings described above there are around 25 more spread around the city. Not all of the works are open to the public but they’re still worth looking for. The biggest concentration of these buildings is in the Gràcia district of Barcelona just north of Plaça de Catalunya.
Along the Ramblas
La Rambla
It’s more than likely that you’ll be staying near the Ramblas on your stay in Barcelona. It will be central to your daily activity and nights out. It is a long boulevard which joins the Monument a Colom (Columbus monument) by the port to Plaça de Catalunya. All day long you’ll find all kinds of buskers and mime artists in action as well as stalls selling flowers, newspapers, birds and rabbits. Look out for Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century mansion, which is next to the Boqueria market.
In Plaça de Catalunya at the northern end of the Ramblas there’s a huge El Corte Inglés department store. Take the escalator to the 9th floor café/restaurant and marvel at the amazing view up Passeig de Gracia and over the rooftops of Modernist Barcelona. It’s a good place to take a break and to work out your bearings.
Travel Tip: Be extremely cautious as you walk along the Ramblas by day and night as this is probably the single worst place in all of Spain for pickpocketing and bag snatching. The times you’re likely to be most vulnerable are if you stop to watch the man operating the ball under three cups scam as pickpockets operate amongst observers. At night overly pesistent prostitutes appear on the lower Ramblas, just ignore them and watch your wallet. You should also be aware of the ‘legal fleecing’ of unsuspecting visitors at some of the bars that line the Ramblas and charge astronomical prices often for enormous drinks that you hadn’t expected (be warned that a beer could be served in a litre glass!). Check the price list before ordering.
Boqueria Market
The Mercat de la Boqueria is one of Europe’s great food markets, and is well worth well worth a visit. It’s a good spot to visit at breakfast time for excellent Spanish tortilla at one of the internal bars near the back. Further south is Barcelona’s Opera house (Gran Teatre del Liceu) after which the Ramblas begins to get seedy as you approach the sea with peep shows and the like. La Rambla ends at the Columbus Monument which you can go up in a lift for spectacular views up the Ramblas and across the harbour.
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona Opera House was originally opened in 1847 and is one of the most important opera houses in the world. Most of the building was destroyed by fire in 1994 and had to be rebuilt. You can check upcoming performances on the official Liceu website or simply take a guided tour of the venue.
Barri Gòtic
The Gothic Quarter is just east off the Ramblas and contains medieval Gothic buildings dating from the 14th and 15th century in what was the centre of old Barcelona. It’s a maze of interconnecting dark streets joining together medieval squares. The main tourist attractions are the magnificent Gothic cathedral, the Ajuntament, Plaça del Rei and the Palau de la Generalitat. The city’s history museum on Carrer de Veguer is well worth a look. There’s a good selection of cafés and bars, especially around Plaça de Sant Jaume, so refreshments are never far away.
Port Vell
At the bottom of La Rambla beyond the Columbus Monument is the bustling area of Port Vell. This was formerly the old port of Barcelona but today is an ultra modern leisure zone with bars, restaurants, shopping arcades, the Barcelona Aquarium and an Imax cinema. Another fun thing to do down here is to take a boat excursion on one of the ‘golondrinas’ which takes you around the harbour and along to Port Olímpic where the sailing events at the 1992 Olympic Games took place.
Barceloneta and Port Olímpic
La Barceloneta
Just a short walk north-east of Port Vell is the lively neighbourhood of La Barceloneta which was traditionally the living area of the port’s fishermen. In spite of its seemingly run-down appearance this heavily populated area has become a popular place to visit attracting many locals and tourists to its fine selection of fish restaurants lining Passeig de Joan Borbò. It is also home to Barcelona’s best sandy beaches which were created as part of the city’s pre-Olympics regeneration programme. These are very popular at weekends being only a stone’s throw from the city. There’s an interesting transport option for visitors called the ‘Transbordador Aeri’ which is a cable car linking La Barceloneta with Montjuïc.
Port Olímpic
There’s a walkway along the seafront called the Passeig Marítim which connects La Barceloneta with the stylish marina of Port Olímpic. As well as serving an important role for the city’s yachting community this entertainment and leisure complex is an important venue on the Barcelona nightlife scene thanks to its stylish bars, restaurants and clubs. It was originally built in preparation for the 1992 Olympic Games and is home to the five star Hotel Arts which has become Barcelona’s residence of choice for many celebrities visiting the city.
Parc de Montjuïc
Montjuïc Hill
Montjuïc is the hill which overlooks Barcelona from the southwest and is home to the Olympic Stadium which was used in the 1992 Olympic Games. It also has some excellent art galleries including the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and the Fundació Joan Miró. The best approach is to get to Plaça d’Espanya then climb the steps (or use the escalator) or take the Metro to Paral.lel and then the funicular railway up the Montjuïc hill.
Olympic Stadium
The Catalan capital hosted the 1992 Olympic Games, an event that redefined the face of modern day Barcelona. The main athletics events took place at the Estadi Olimpic in Montjuïc. This impressive stadium with a capacity of 65,000 was originally constructed in 1929 when Barcelona hosted the World Fair. Having fallen into disrepair it was restored for the 1992 Games. The stadium is open to the public at no charge on non-event days. There’s a brilliant swimming pool complex at the Piscines Bernat Picornell right next to the stadium if you fancy a dip during the hot summer months.
La Font Magica
On the terraces below the Palau Nacional de Montjuïc are a number of fountains including the largest one known as the ‘Magic Fountain’. Here you can watch a spectacular water, light and music display several times in the evening. From October to the end of June these take place every 30 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights between 7pm and 8.30pm. Between June and September there are displays every 30 minutes between 9.30pm and 11.30pm from Thursday to Sunday nights.
Tourist Attractions Further Afield
FC Barcelona Stadium Tour
FC Barcelona is one of the world’s greatest football teams and everywhere you go in the city you’ll see support for them. Their magnificent 98,000 seater Camp Nou stadium is on the northern route of the hop-on hop-off bus tour. The FC Barcelona Museum (Carrer d’Aristides Maillol) is located within the grounds of the stadium. You can choose to simply visit the museum area where there’s a selection of memorabilia including trophies on display or buy a combined ticket for the Nou Camp Experience which also provides access to the changing rooms and allows visitors onto the pitch. Not surprisingly this is one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist attractions.
Tibidabo
At 512 metres Tibidabo is the highest point you can see from Barcelona as you look to the north. It provides great views over the city and has an amusement park which attracts many locals. Spain’s first funicular railway (tramvia blau), built in 1901, gets you to the top from Avinguda de Tibidabo
Poble Espanyol
This model Spanish Village was constructed for the 1929 exhibition consisiting of replicas of some of Spain’s most characteriestic buildings. In the evening it also attracts many visitors to the typical Andalucia flamenco show at the Tablao de Carmen.
Barcelona Art Museums
Barcelona is one of Europe’s great cultural capitals which is home to an impressive selection of world-class museums and art galleries. Combined with the city’s stunning Modernist architecture the Catalan capital is without doubt an art lovers paradise where short-break visitors will need to be selective when planning their trip. Some of the main venues that you should consider visiting include the following:
Picasso Museum
The Picasso Museum Barcelona is home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of the artist’s works. It is housed in five interconnected medieval palaces in the Gothic Quarter of the city. Pablo Picasso came to Barcelona in 1894 and many of his early paintings were inspired by the city. He would later divide his time between Barcelona and Paris. The Museu Picasso was established here in response to the artist’s wish that his work remain a permanent part of the city long after his death.
The Picasso Museum opened its doors to the public on March 9, 1963 (ten years before his death) and was called the Sabartés Collection. This first portion of the sprawling museum occupied the Palau Aquilar, the first of the five palaces that would eventually end up sheltering the large collection. In 1970 a total of 920 works were donated to the museum by Picasso himself, works that had been until that time, safeguarded by Picasso’s parents, his sister and his sister’s children. This influx of material forced the museum to enlarge and take over the palace of the Baron of Castellet.
What to See at the Picasso Museum
Viewing this collection is akin to watching a young man’s relationship with his city. The Picasso Museum describes the work of Picasso before he left Barcelona to travel to Paris and in the paintings in the permanent collection you can see his relationship with the city. In his paintings of the urban landscape and of the street scenes that he became famous for one can see Picasso’s Barcelona, a place that left its indelible mark on him.
Picasso’s Art Periods: Pablo Picasso, as the co-founder of cubism, was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. With his breaks from slavish realism and with his deep insight into the psychology and feeling invested in a painting Picasso opened up an era of modern art. His work is largely divided up into periods, all distinct, all equally important to the understanding of the artist’s vision as a whole.
Though the later periods are often contested, Picasso’s work can usually be divided into five different periods:
- the Blue Period
- the Rose Period
- the African-influenced Period
- Analytic Cubism
- Synthetic Cubism
Works representative of each period can be seen at the Picasso Museum, but where this museum really shines is in its devotion to Picasso’s early works. Particularly there is a fascinating representation of Picasso’s work from 1917 when he met his first wife, the ballerina Olga Kokhlova, and journeyed to Rome. The Picasso Museum’s collection shows a clear transition from Cubism to Picasso’s return to classicism after his journey to Italy and in terms of his famous Blue Period, there is no other collection in the world that can compare.
Palaces of the Museu Picasso: A visit to the Picasso Museum also allows you to take in some of the most beautiful architecture that Barcelona’s Barri Gothic has to offer. Located on the historic Carrer de Montcada its buildings are rich in a history that goes back hundreds of years. The Aquilar, Baro de Castellet and Meca palaces hold the permanent collections of the Picasso Museum and renovations are currently underway to modernize the structures as well as maintain its presence and charm. The renovations started in 1999 and since then Casa Mauri and the Palau Finestres have housed the museum’s temporary exhibits. All five of the buildings have roots going back to the thirteenth century when the area was among the newest to be enclosed by city walls. These historic buildings give you a real idea of what Barcelona was like 600 hundred years ago, a feeling that cannot be duplicated in many other cities.
National Art Gallery of Catalunya
Art enthusiasts visiting Barcelona must pay a visit to the magnificent National Art Gallery of Catalunya (MNAC) which exhibits works of Catalan art from the Romanesque period to the mid-twentieth century. In terms of collection size and quality of exhibits this is one of the best art museums in Spain and no tour of Europe’s art galleries will be complete without at least a day’s visit. The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is a combination of three museums and the wide variety in its collection reflects this. In 1990 the collections of the old Museu d’Art de Catalunya and the Museu d’art Modern were united and declared a national museum. The collection is large and due to the spacious halls of the museum most of it is on display.
Getting There: To get to the National Art Gallery of Catalunya the nearest metro stop is at Placa Espanya using the Green Line L3 and the Red Line L1 or you can take advantage of the useful Bus Turistic. The National Art Gallery of Catalunya is the seventh most visited building in Barcelona and not just for the art! From the steps of the museum be sure take in the breathtaking view of Barcelona that lies below before you enter.
What to See at MNAC
The galleries are laid out according to era and types of art. It’s a good idea to get one of the free audioguides from the reception desk to guide you through the exhibits. In the Romanesque wing be sure to take a look at the exceptional Apse of Santa Maria de Taull with its intense blues that come from precious lapis lazuli.
When visiting the Gothic art keep an eye out for the small oil paintings of Jaume Huguet the primary artist of the Catalan school. You can also see important works by El Greco, Goya, Velazquez and other famous Spanish artists. Make sure you take a look at El Greco’s famous Saint Peter and Saint Paul painting as well as Velazquez’s evocative Saint Paul.
The modern art collection of the National Art Gallery of Catalunya is the best collection of Catalan modern art in the world both in terms of quantity and quality. Of especial note are Ricard Canals’ Cafe Concert and Ramon Casas’ Interior but don’t deny yourself the opportunity to wander.
Of all the wings the modern art galleries are the most accessible and provide a delightful stroll though some truly memorable works of art.
Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) has been the catalyst in the urban regeneration of the El Raval district of central Barcelona located just off the Ramblas. If you’re staying in this area it’s well worth a visit even though you might find some of the exhibits rather weird. Whether you’re a student of art, a fan of exceptional architecture or just looking to enjoy walking around a beautiful building that has something to offer at every turn, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona can show you some of the best of the last half-century of art and expose you to some of the most extraordinary architecture to be seen in Barcelona.
The first thing that you are sure to notice about the MACBA is the contrast it makes to the surrounding city. Designed in the early 1990s by famed architect Richard Meier, this gleaming white building rises above the charmingly old-fashioned Barcelona neighbourhood of the Raval Quarter in Old Barcelona. With its enormous glass windows and strongly geometric architecture the museum is in itself a work of modern art. The entirely white interior and exterior combined with a system of windows and skylights that flood the building with natural light gives the impression of being a place thoroughly dedicated to the modern.
What to See at MACBA
When you visit the MACBA you’ll find work in the permanent collections from nationally recognized artists like Paul Klee but the collection’s real strengths come from its collection of Catalan artists like Antoni Tàpies, one of Barcelona’s most famous artists.
Look for his sculptures in the specifically set aside permanent galleries but do be aware that the museum will rotate out its pieces from time to time. You can find his famous “Pintura Ocre” and “Rinzen” in a gallery devoted to his work. Similarly you’ll find Miguel Barcelo’s famous painting “Season of Rain no. 2” hanging on the second floor amidst work by some of Barcelo’s contemporaries, the finest modern artists of Spain.
The best way to see the MACBA is simply to wander around it. In the past visiting exhibits have featured the work of Jo Spence and Peter Friedl and when you wander the halls, starting from the cylindrical atrium and heading up the walkways, you’ll be surprised and delighted by the exhibits you didn’t expect to see. Pick up a map on the front desk and lose yourself for hours enjoying the best that contemporary Catalan art has to offer.
Joan Miró Foundation
The Fundació de Joan Miró is a modern art museum located in Montjuïc which is dedicated to the works of Joan Miró, Catalonia’s greatest 20th century artist. Only a selection of his many paintings, sculptures and drawings are on display at any one time with a tendency to focus mainly on the last 20 years of Miró’s life.
Travel Tip: Get The Barcelona Museum Pass This was launched by some of Barcelona’s most important art centres including:
- National Art Museum of Catalonia
- Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art
- Fundacio Joan Miro
- Fundacio Antoni Tapies
- Picasso Museum
- Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre
- La Pedrera
You can Order the Barcelona Museum Pass for immediate delivery to your mobile phone.
