BARCELONA SPAIN
By Nadia Ali
Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia and over the
years has become synonymous with football, following
the growth of Real Madrid. It is home to about 1.6 million
people and is the second largest city of Spain. Listed
below are our picks for the best Barcelona attractions
and activities.
Sagrada Família
Designed by architect Antonio Gaudi, this Gothic
Cathedral has been under construction since 1882 and
work is still in progress. Since it is one of Barcelona’s
most famous attractions, there are always crowds and
long lines to get a glimpse of a building revered by the
World of Architecture for it’s intricate carvings, stone work
and overall design.
http://www.sagradafamilia.org/eng/principal.htm
La Pedrera
Completed in 1910, La Pedrera (Casa Mila) is at the
intersection with Carrer de Provença. It is primarily an
apartment block, but it’s like no other you have seen. It is
simply an unconventional building, supported on columns
of stone and brick, incorporating curved walls and
intricate wrought iron balconies. The roof is one that
needs to be seen to be appreciated. Restored in 1996 it
hosts a variety of exhibitions, cultural events, and has
opened up the building to tourists where a museum
dedicated to the life and work of Gaudi is housed.
http://www.caixacatalunya.es/
Barcelona Cathedral
Dominating the centre of the old town, Barcelona
Cathedral is visually stunning with its Gothic look and
remaining elements of Romanesque. It is also known as
Plaça de la Seu, it was dedicated to a Christian martyr
whose tomb is located in the crypt beneath the high altar.
Once inside, you are greeted by a burbling fountain. You
can either go to the elevator first, that takes you to the
terrace (for a small fee) to see the view or you can take
the steps down towards the crypt where you can see the
impressive resting place of St. Eulalia. Be sure to check
out the choir stalls as they are intricately carved..
Las Ramblas
This was once the only place where flowers were sold in
Barcelona. It is now home to a variety of goods along
the tree-lined pedestrian area which runs from Plaza
Catalunya to Barcelona’s port district. There are five
different boulevards which comes alive with pavement
performers, artists, and even the odd flamenco dancers.
There are lots to see and do here during the daytime or
night.
The Prado Museum
Locally known as the Museu Nacional del Prado, it
features art collections of Fernando VII and other Royals,
including renowned works by Diego Velázquez. El Greco,
Fra Angelico, Raphael, Bosch and Rubens can be found
on exhibit here. There are about 19,000 pieces in total to
peruse by yourself or with a guided tour. Other activities
are provided to keep kids occupied. Open Tuesday to
Saturday 9am-7pm.
http://museoprado.mcu.es/prado/html/ihome.html
L’Aquairum de Barcelona
The Barcelona Aquarium is a very popular Barcelona
attraction to visit. The aquarium offers over 11,000 living
species to see with the tanks holding life forms attributed
to the various Mediterranean islands. A popular attraction
is the 80m walk-through transparent tunnel with sea life
swimming above you. It is located at Port Vell (
Barcelona Port Area).
http://www.aquariumbcn.com/ing/index.htm
Barcelona FC Museum
The ultimate football fans paradise with wall-to-wall
trophies, pictures and statues of football heroes. There
are various sections such as the history, art gallery,
Col·lecció Futbolart - Pablo Ornaque where you can view
a private collection of football memorabilia and the
temporary section. Tickets for the museum are separate
to the stadium, so make sure you buy dual tickets if you
want to go behind the scenes to the changing rooms and
VIP section.
Barcelona Zoo
Based in the Parc de la Ciutadella, the zoo offers a wide
variety of animals along with a restaurant, picnic area,
shop, electric cars, ponies and a mini-train. There is an
additional fee to see the section that houses dangerous
animals. The zoo is fairly large, but you can pay extra for
mini jeeps to get around to all the exhibits.
http://www.zoobarcelona.com/
The Picasso Museum
Located in Montcado, the Picasso Museum first opened
its doors in 1963 in the former Aguilar Palace. It is home
to the most important and exhaustive collections of
Picasso’s works, with exhibits between 1895 and 1904
that covers his childhood. The paintings are exhibited in
chronological order from his early work to his final piece.
It offers art enthusiasts a fascinating insight into the
development of Picasso as you see his work evolve from
a child painter to the adult genius that he is regarded as
today.
http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/
Parc Guell
Unlike other parks where fauna is generally the reason to
visit, this park has mosaics, stonework, a museum and an
interesting terrace area. The entrance has a welcoming,
colorful iguana fountain covered in exquisite tiles and
glass mosaic work, which reflects the want of creator
Eusebi Güell to make a park for the aristocracy.
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/park-guell.html
By Nadia Ali
Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia and over the
years has become synonymous with football, following
the growth of Real Madrid. It is home to about 1.6 million
people and is the second largest city of Spain. Listed
below are our picks for the best Barcelona attractions
and activities.
Sagrada Família
Designed by architect Antonio Gaudi, this Gothic
Cathedral has been under construction since 1882 and
work is still in progress. Since it is one of Barcelona’s
most famous attractions, there are always crowds and
long lines to get a glimpse of a building revered by the
World of Architecture for it’s intricate carvings, stone work
and overall design.
http://www.sagradafamilia.org/eng/principal.htm
La Pedrera
Completed in 1910, La Pedrera (Casa Mila) is at the
intersection with Carrer de Provença. It is primarily an
apartment block, but it’s like no other you have seen. It is
simply an unconventional building, supported on columns
of stone and brick, incorporating curved walls and
intricate wrought iron balconies. The roof is one that
needs to be seen to be appreciated. Restored in 1996 it
hosts a variety of exhibitions, cultural events, and has
opened up the building to tourists where a museum
dedicated to the life and work of Gaudi is housed.
http://www.caixacatalunya.es/
Barcelona Cathedral
Dominating the centre of the old town, Barcelona
Cathedral is visually stunning with its Gothic look and
remaining elements of Romanesque. It is also known as
Plaça de la Seu, it was dedicated to a Christian martyr
whose tomb is located in the crypt beneath the high altar.
Once inside, you are greeted by a burbling fountain. You
can either go to the elevator first, that takes you to the
terrace (for a small fee) to see the view or you can take
the steps down towards the crypt where you can see the
impressive resting place of St. Eulalia. Be sure to check
out the choir stalls as they are intricately carved..
Las Ramblas
This was once the only place where flowers were sold in
Barcelona. It is now home to a variety of goods along
the tree-lined pedestrian area which runs from Plaza
Catalunya to Barcelona’s port district. There are five
different boulevards which comes alive with pavement
performers, artists, and even the odd flamenco dancers.
There are lots to see and do here during the daytime or
night.
The Prado Museum
Locally known as the Museu Nacional del Prado, it
features art collections of Fernando VII and other Royals,
including renowned works by Diego Velázquez. El Greco,
Fra Angelico, Raphael, Bosch and Rubens can be found
on exhibit here. There are about 19,000 pieces in total to
peruse by yourself or with a guided tour. Other activities
are provided to keep kids occupied. Open Tuesday to
Saturday 9am-7pm.
http://museoprado.mcu.es/prado/html/ihome.html
L’Aquairum de Barcelona
The Barcelona Aquarium is a very popular Barcelona
attraction to visit. The aquarium offers over 11,000 living
species to see with the tanks holding life forms attributed
to the various Mediterranean islands. A popular attraction
is the 80m walk-through transparent tunnel with sea life
swimming above you. It is located at Port Vell (
Barcelona Port Area).
http://www.aquariumbcn.com/ing/index.htm
Barcelona FC Museum
The ultimate football fans paradise with wall-to-wall
trophies, pictures and statues of football heroes. There
are various sections such as the history, art gallery,
Col·lecció Futbolart - Pablo Ornaque where you can view
a private collection of football memorabilia and the
temporary section. Tickets for the museum are separate
to the stadium, so make sure you buy dual tickets if you
want to go behind the scenes to the changing rooms and
VIP section.
Barcelona Zoo
Based in the Parc de la Ciutadella, the zoo offers a wide
variety of animals along with a restaurant, picnic area,
shop, electric cars, ponies and a mini-train. There is an
additional fee to see the section that houses dangerous
animals. The zoo is fairly large, but you can pay extra for
mini jeeps to get around to all the exhibits.
http://www.zoobarcelona.com/
The Picasso Museum
Located in Montcado, the Picasso Museum first opened
its doors in 1963 in the former Aguilar Palace. It is home
to the most important and exhaustive collections of
Picasso’s works, with exhibits between 1895 and 1904
that covers his childhood. The paintings are exhibited in
chronological order from his early work to his final piece.
It offers art enthusiasts a fascinating insight into the
development of Picasso as you see his work evolve from
a child painter to the adult genius that he is regarded as
today.
http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/
Parc Guell
Unlike other parks where fauna is generally the reason to
visit, this park has mosaics, stonework, a museum and an
interesting terrace area. The entrance has a welcoming,
colorful iguana fountain covered in exquisite tiles and
glass mosaic work, which reflects the want of creator
Eusebi Güell to make a park for the aristocracy.
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/park-guell.html
 | |  | |  | |  |
FAMILY TRAVEL FUN
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |