Sightseeing In Barcelona
Barcelona is the first city of Catalunya, one of the richest and most intensely self-regulating regions in Spain. Catalan inhabitants speak their own language and many do not deem themselves to be Spanish. The golden age of Catalunya was in the region of the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, when Barcelona was the center of the grand seafaring empire of Aragon. In addition to Barcelona, Catalunya is made up of the cities of Lleida, Girona and Tarragona, and the long Costa Brava, stretching from the French border to Valencia.
Barcelona has become a valid tourist trap for the fantastic combination of activities on offer there. Its coastal spot attracts sun worshipers who enjoy the beach front resorts all along the coast, as well as the vibrant nightlife of the city centre. The cultural and historical delights of the town attract the sightseer, visiting for a long weekend, and the more lively will love mountaineering in the close by mountains, where skiing can be found in winter.
As far as European cities go, Barcelona is a moderately simple city to navigate. Its natural mountains and seafront means that it has a gradual incline, and also is very compact. This does however mean that some of the city’s sights are missed, as it’s sometimes tiring walking uphill for half of the day, and downhill for the other half. The city’s metro system is a wonderful means to get around without delay, however you miss out on really seeing the city, and frequently are confused when you get back up to street level (everyone does the same in rotating the map around a few times to double-check wherever you are!).
The Barcelona Tourist Bus has 3 routes, but I would say only 2 are worthwhile – the red and the blue route (North and South routes). The 3rd green route only takes you to the forum building. So if you focus on the red and blue routes, you can go to all of the city’s sights, and have the added advantage of being above-ground as you do it, so you actually go to see the whole of Barcelona, too. Noticeably during the spring and summer months it’s good to be on the top with no roof and a nice breeze running through your hair whilst you absorb the beautiful architecture of Gaudi, the wonderful Camp Nou football stadium, the magic dancing fountains at Placa España, and many, many more attractions.
The most famous representation of Barcelona and one sight that all holidaymakers want to visit is Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Even those that have not visited the city will be customary with the dripping wax impression of the main façade. The famed architect begun work on this church in 1882, however the task took a long time as the building work relied on donations, and it had not been completed in 1926 when Gaudi was hit by a train and died. Work has since recommenced on the church and much has been added since Gaudi’s passing away, but there is speculation as to whether or not the building will ever be totally finished, or in truth whether or not it really should be.
You may pay to go up inside one of the towers, of which there are now eight, each one over one hundred meters high. The initial proposal was destined to incorporate eighteen towers, one for each of the twelve apostles, four for the Evangelists, and one each for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Further example of Gaudi’s work can be seen all over the town. You will want to pull the Park Guell, La Pedrera and the Mila dwelling into your schedule if you possibly can.
If you´re still stuck for idea the Poble Espanyol has become the 4th most popular tourist destination in the city. The design was copied from Modernist architect Puig i Cadafalch, and the creators visited 1600 villages in and around Spain and its islands to re-create 117 scale models of buildings and characteristic sites from all all over Spain.
Culture lovers will be enthralled by the Fran Daurel foundation, boasting artwork from Picasso, Dali, Miró, Tapies and several others, in addition there is a fantastic Sculpture Garden offering photo opportunities in abundance of sprawling Barcelona below. The village also has some great bars and restaurants, as well as some great nightclubs in Barcelona on an evening.
Heres 5 inexpensive things to do in Barcelona
1. Walking in Barcelona – is free, relaxed and entertaining and what easier means to really get to grasp a city. I absolutely love walking around side streets and alleyways in districts such as Barri Gotic in Barcelona. You encounter a number of cafes, old and curious shops.
2. Relaxing on the beach in Barcelona is certainly very inexpensive and on a lovely sunny day where else would you want to stay. If you do not care spending a tiny bit of cash then there are tons of restaurants and eateries alongside the boardwalk and if you enjoy sea-food, you can devour anything from mussels to cod.
3. Museums in Barcelona has a huge number of museums and many of these are fully worth visiting in Barcelona. Although many of them habitually charge for access, they are fairly priced and you can definitely waste away a few days of your holiday or vacation by visiting a a small number of of the scores of Barcelona museums.
4.Spending time about Las Ramblas and enjoying the street entertainers, shops, general environment and the warm weather is a wonderful means to loosen up. Get yourself a chair and a tipple just off of Las Ramblas (to avoid tourist prices on the major street) and enjoy all that Barcelona has to offer.
5.Remain in your hotel room. If you are paying enough already for your hotel room or vacation apartment in that case you might like to get your money’s worth so why not spend a lot of time in the hotel room. If you have a terrace which comes with the room then lounging out on the balcony with a bottle of Spanish wine from the supermarket and people watching can be a wonderful way to really experience a part of Barcelona living.
You can get complete information concerning the sights of Barcelona before you go from your travel agent, the internet, or the tourist information office in Barcelona’s major square after you get there. Be certain you pick up a map showing all the major sights as well as the most important stores, restaurants and hotels. Also think about going on a bus trip of the city. It is a excellent way to get your bearings in a very occupied and crowded city, and give you an impression of the distance between places of interest. Talk to your guide, they could be able to give you local information about excellent eating places and short-term exhibitions that will not be marked on your map. You will by no means get bored in Barcelona; your only worry will be how to fit in all you want to visit.
