Top Ten Attractions
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La Rambla
The city’s colourful main boulevard, with a magic fountain, flower and bird markets and a motley crew of street entertainers.
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Sagrada Família
Gaudí’s enormous, unfinished cathedral. Construction continues today. http://www.sagradafamilia.org
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La Pedrera
Another Gaudí masterwork – and a World Heritage Site. An architectural one-off. http://www.lapedreraeducacio.org
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Casa Batlló
Sitting on the same block as La Pedrera, an apartment in this famous building was opened to the public in 2003. http://www.casabatllo.es
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Parc Güell
A spellbinding unfinished housing estate, now a leafy public park spilling colourfully down a hillside. http://www.gaudiallgaudi.com
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The Cathedral
The focal point of the city’s mediaeval district. http://www.website.es/catedralbcn
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Palau de la Música Catalana
Afternoon concerts inn a surrounding of mosaics, tiles, stained glass, enamel and sculpture. http://www.palaumusica.org
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The Beaches
swim, sunbathe, chill out, picnic, take sailing lessons, listen to DJs, tuck into seafood, hire a bike or rollerblades …
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Tibidabo
Take the funicular and cable car to this peak and enjoy the fabulous views and amusement park. http://www.tibidabo.es/default_eng.asp
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The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
A spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics. http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/albums-e...
Eating and Drinking
The Catalans are renowned for their cuisine. The dishes are often simple and rely on the freshness of the local ingredients. Lunch is taken seriously and eaten late, usually around 1400. Many restaurants offer a special fixed-price menu with at least two courses plus a drink. Dinner is rarely eaten before 2100 and tends to be lighter than the midday meal. Since the introduction of the Euro, prices in Barcelona have climbed steeply. For serious evening dining, plan on paying 30 to 50 Euros per person, and, at the most stylish places up to 75. Cal Pep is a popular haunt and has made the list of Top 50 restaurants in the world. Nearly all of Barcelona’s best restaurants require reservations – your hotel will be able to do the necessary. Beware of taxi drivers and hotel receptionists who try to send you to restaurants they say are better. Though anti-smoking regulations and non-smoking sections in restaurants have vastly improved over the past decade, don’t be surprised if you find yourself dining next to a table of smokers.
Shopping
Barcelona offers a variety of options for the determined shopper. – from tiny old-fashioned shops that haven’t changed in decades to glitzy shopping malls where you can get everything under one roof. Best buys are leather goods, designer fashions, local wines and deli items. The Barri Gótic area has most of the unusual one-off shops as well as branches of most of the fashion chains along Carrer Portaferrissa, while the Eixample area (particularly the Passeig de Gràcia and the Diagonal) has big international fashion names and smart boutiques. The Raval has the fashionable vintage clothes stores and hip music outlets and the Ribera has lots of unusual fashion and interior design shops. The January sales begin after January 8 and last for about six weeks. There are also summer sales in July and August. The main department store is the huge El Corte Inglés at Plaça de Catalunya 14. Barcelona’s best-loved food market is La Boqueria on La Rambla. Els Encants Vells (‘The Old Charms’) on Plaça de las Glories Catalanas is the city’s biggest and most authentic flea market. Get there early … and watch your belongings.
Night Life
This style-obsessed city has a staggering number of ultra-hip bars and clubs playing the latest dance music. The sound of live jazz, rock, flamenco and salsa is never far away. But you can also tango till dawn at an old-fashioned music hall or sip a cocktail in a lounge bar untouched by time. DJ culture dominates the music scene and Barcelona is a popular stop on the international circuit. One of the smallest, but trendiest, clubs around is Dot Light (C Nou de Sant Francesc 7). On the tiny dance floor, the DJs change the musical theme from deep funk to house and beyond. It’s always packed after midnight. To find out what’s on and who’s playing where, check out the listings guide Guía del Ocio or the magazine Be Guided, which is available free in some bars or at news stands.
