Short Break to Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region and is the second largest city in the country. With a wealth of unique historic architecture and a modern flair, it has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.

Barcelona has many quarters, but the most important and interesting for visitors are: Ciutat Vella, Barcelona’s old town, with the medieval Barri Gotic; Eixample, the modernist quarter noted for its art nouveau buildings; Gràcia, a lively, gentrified working class neighborhood; and Barceloneta, historically a fisherman's quarter.

The most famous boulevard in Barcelona is La Rambla, where visitors can see street performers jump out at unsuspecting passers-by, enjoy the flower and pet stalls or just sit back and watch all of Barcelona walk by. La Plaça Reial is located next to La Rambla in the Ciutat Vella, and is considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in the world.

Barcelona is a mecca for fans of world-famous architect Antonio Gaudí. La Pedrera (or Casa Milà) is a Gaudí creation which hosts a large exposition of his works. Park Güell is a large park with a sculpture portion, full of walkways and distinct and colorful Gaudí sculptures. Finally, there’s Gaudí’s life project and grandest undertaking, the still-unfinished La Sagrada Família. This massive cathedral has been under construction for over 125 years!

If you’re a soccer freak, you can’t miss a visit to Camp Nou, the home ground for Barcelona’s biggest and most popular team (FC Barcelona), and one of Europe’s greatest soccer ‘cathedrals.’ 

The Neri Hotel is located approximately six miles from the Barcelona Airport. Local attractions include La Rambla, Montjuic, Columbus Monument, and Olympic Village. Hotel amenities include elevators, bar, private meeting room, and restaurant. All rooms include bathrobe, mini bar, direct dial telephone, in room safe, pay for view movies, and remote control color cable TV.

A series of streets, joined together one after the other, that lead from Plaça Catalunya to the sea. The word rambla comes from the Arabic term, ramla, which means a riverbed, and these streets actually used to be a riverbed that channelled the water coming down from Collserola hill. In the 13th century, convents and churches were built on both sides of the Ramblas and the streets were named after these religious buildings. During the course of the 18th century the medieval walls that separated the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) from Raval district were pulled down, and in 1830 the convents and monasteries were closed.

Although every district in Barcelona has its own market, the most popular and cosmopolitan is undoubtedly the Boquería. The city's restaurateurs make a daily visit to stock up from its wide and plentiful range of high quality fresh food. The stalls are colorful works of art and their minders tend to be talkative and friendly. Don't miss it on your way along Les Rambles. It's worth stopping in at one of the little bars, like Pinotxo, for breakfast or lunch.

Antoni Gaudí began this utterly surreal temple in 1882 and it is still being constructed. It was originally intended to be a modest, neo-Gothic church, but it has become the most famous building in Barcelona. Gaudí broke away from the reigning neo-Gothic style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and imbued every element of the Sagrada Família with symbolic meaning. Turtles form the base of columns: the Chinese symbol of order within chaos, and the pillars are palm trees. The most outstanding feature of this building is its baroque style, and the mixture of colors and the diversity of materials used: plaster, ceramics, mosaic, iron and many types of stone.

Built between 1910 and 1914 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Gaudí's original aim in this 20-hectare (50-acre) park was to create a harmonious combination of urban and natural landscapes by building houses, gardens and public institutions, but the project was never completed. However, you do get to see a great mixture of architectural styles. For instance, the columns of the Sala de las Cien Columnas (Hall of the Hundred Columns) are purely classical, while the balcony they support is an example of romantic style; plus it's covered in colored mosaic tiles.

Created by Joan Miró as an institute for the study of contemporary art, it was built by his close friend and architect Josep Lluís Sert. Its outstanding octagonal tower houses a concert hall that's used as an auditorium for classical music performances. The permanent collection includes Miró's art in all formats: large canvases, tapestries, everyday objects, engravings, photographs and more. The Fundació also organizes temporary exhibitions and has a café-restaurant and souvenir shop. The hours of operations may vary according to the months, kindly visit the website for further details of the same.

Designed by Pere Domich i Roura and built for the 1929 Universal Expo, it was totally renovated in order to host events during the 1992 Olympic Games. Only the impressive Marathon Gate remain from the original building. This is where the 1992 games' opening ceremony took place. Nowadays, you can come here to watch soccer matches, American football and pop concerts. RCD Espanyol soccer team and the city's American football team, the Dragons, use it. To get here, take the metro to Paral?lel, then the funicular to the moving staircase at Placa Espanya, which will drop you off at the stadium.

Located in the quiet and bright Plaça Reial area, this elegant café and restaurant was once a natural science museum and a taxidermy shop! Excepting both its name and its edifice, Taxidermista bears no resemblance to its past life. Designer Beth Galí has transformed this place into an elegant restaurant: bright beams and steel columns adorn the interiors, and the aromas of fine Spanish cuisine tease your senses. Don't hesitate to try the steamed cod, sardine tartlet, King Prawn Lukewarm Salad, or the steak tartare. The outdoor terrace provides a laid-back tapas-filled oasis from which you can enjoy the scenic Plaça Reial. Check website for exact timings.

Barcelona's tribute to one of its adopted sons, this fabulous collection is displayed in three adjoining medieval palaces. Picasso was born in Malaga but really started his long artistic career here. You can see all of his most important early works, including engravings, lithographs and pottery at the Museu Picasso. The most famous pieces on show are his Harlequin, a potrait of one of his wives, Jacqueline, and the Las Meninas series. Regular temporary exhibitions focus on different aspects of the artist's activities, for example, his research on landscapes or his foray into theater design. In addition, there are some examples of work by artists from the avant-garde movement.