Barcelona Travel Guide

Barcelona is a stunning city that is full of historic and entertaining sites. If you simply walk down any street in Barcelona you'll stumble upon hidden gems and wonders. Whether you have a guided tour or a self-guided tour, you'll be sure to be amazed.

Las Ramblas

The best way to get a feel for Barcelona is to take a walk along Rambla de Canaletes (La) (Las Ramblas in Spanish). Start from Plaça Catalunya and head down Rambla de Canaletes (La), which gets its name from its 19th-century iron fountain. Carry on into Rambla dels Estudis (La), named after the university that was here until the early 18th century. Locals call it Rambla dels Ocells (Street of the Birds) because the caged birds for sale keep up a noisy chatter all day long. Across the Rambla, on the corner of Calle Portaferrissa, you'll see the late 18th-century Palau Moja. This former palace, now headquarters of the regional government's contemporary history and culture department, has an excellent bookshop. When you come to the third street, Rambla de Sant Josep (La), you'll suddenly be hit by a wave of color. Flower sellers have been a feature of this pedestrian area for over 200 years, hence the popular name for it, Rambla de les Flors (Street of Flowers). Carry on through Plaça de la Boqueria, past Joan Miró's huge mosaic in the middle of the pavement, and into the fourth street, Rambla dels Caputxins (La), where you'll find Gran Teatre del Liceu. At the top of the fifth and final street, Rambla de Santa Mònica (La), you'll come to Teatre Principal. You'll also find the Museu de Cera de Barcelona (Wax Museum) to the left and hordes of pavement artists, performers and musicians in the center of the pedestrian area. Finish your walk by going to the top of Monumento a Colón (Columbus Monument) for aerial views of the city. Or carry on into the harbor area of Port Vell and Maremàgnum, a modern shopping center.

L'Eixample

Start this tour of grid-shaped Barri de L'Eixample, the city's commercial and business district, at Plaça Catalunya. Go up Passeig de Gràcia and look out for Gaudí's hexagonal pavement designs on the way. After crossing Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Consell de Cent, you'll arrive at the so-called "Block of Discord." This name arose because three different architects, with widely differing styles, built the three Modernist buildings grouped here. On the left is Lluís Domènech i Montaner's Casa Lleó-Morera, dating from 1906, with its elaborately decorated entrance hall and staircase. A few doors up, at no. 41, you'll come to the striking facade of Josep Puig i Cadafalch's Casa Ametller, dating from 1900. Next door is Gaudí's spectacular Casa Batlló. Turn left on to the wide Calle Aragó, cross over Rambla de Catalunya and you'll see another of Lluís Domènech i Montaner's works that has been converted into Fundació Antoni Tàpies. Go back to Passeig de Gràcia, continue north one block and on the right you'll find an extraordinary Modernist apartment building, Gaudí's Casa Milà (La Pedrera), whose upper floors and rooftop are open to the public. You can spend all day exploring Eixample and its many other Modernist architectural gems, like Punxes (Les) or the Conservatory.

Olympic Barcelona

If you want to tour the facilities used in the 1992 Olympic Games head to Muntanya de Montjuïc (Montjüic hill). The Montjüic hill, or "hill of the Jews," got its name from the Jewish community that once settled on its steep slopes. One of the best ways to get to the top is by walking from Plaça Espanya, with its luminous fountains, up to the Palau Nacional (National Palace). This building now houses Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), which displays one of the world's finest collections of Romanesque art. Carry on a little further to Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), where Spain's regional styles of architecture have been reproduced. The walk to Castell de Montjuïc (Montjüic castle), on the far eastern corner of the hill, is worthwhile for the panoramic views. This 17th-century castle is home to the Museu Militar (Military Museum). In between the Spanish Village and the castle, you might want to stop at the so-called "Olympic Ring" or Anella Olímpica (Anillo Olímpico). This is where you'll see the famous sports facilities built for the 1992 games. These include the 55,000-seat Olympic stadium, Estadi Olímpic, and Palau Sant Jordi, a sports and concert hall. On the way along Avenida de l'Estadi towards the cable car, you'll pass a large white building, Fundació Joan Miró. This museum is dedicated to well-known Catalan artist, Joan Miró.

The Gothic Quarter

The medieval Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is officially confined to the area between Avenida de la Catedral, Via Laietana, Calle Jaume I, Plaça Sant Jaume and Calle Bisbe. However, there are points of interest in the streets and squares nearby. Start your walk in the cathedral square (Plaça de la Catedral), opposite the Catalan Gothic Catedral. Take a little alleyway, Montjüic del Bisbe, along to the peaceful square, Plaça Sant Felip Neri. Many of the buildings in this area were built on the old Roman wall, including the Palau Episcopal (Episcopal Palace) in Plaça Nova and 16th-century Casa de l'Ardiaca off Calle Santa Llúcia. The 14th century Casa del Degà (La) and Casa de la Canonja (La Pia Almoina) are also located in Plaça de la Seu. From behind the cathedral, go down Baixada de Santa Clara to Plaça del Rei. From here, head for the large Plaça Sant Jaume, one of the most popular squares in the city, where popular demonstrations and gatherings take place. The Catalan regional government headquarters are located here in the 14th-century palace Palau de la Generalitat, alongside the Casa de la Ciutat (Ajuntament) (Town Hall).

Barcelona is a beautiful and breathtaking city and you can easily enjoy the sites on your own; however, professional tours have a lot to offer. These tours can provide you with more historical information and can take you to locations you might not have known about. If you choose to go on a guided tour there are a lot of options.

Bus Tours Barcelona Bus Turístic (http://www.tmb.net/en_US/turistes/busturistic/busturistic.jsp)

Bike Tours Fat Tire Bike Tours (+34 93 301 3612 http://www.fattirebiketoursbarcelona.com/)

Boat Tours Las Golondrinas (+34 93 442 3106 http://www.lasgolondrinas.com/) Sailing day trip along the Costa Dourada from Barcelona to Sitges (+34 93 285 3834 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1128&AF=51)

Wine Tours Barcelona Tour Guides (http://barcelonatourguides.com/eng/winerytour.htm) Cava Winery Tour from Barcelona (+34 93 285 3834 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1082&AF=51) Parés Baltà (+34 93 890 1399 http://www.paresbalta.com/)

Architecture Tours Barcelona Tour Guides (http://barcelonatourguides.com/eng/allbarcelonaguidedtour.htm) Contrasts of Barcelona's Gothic & Modernist (+34 986 22 1399 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1165&AF=51) Gaudi's Barcelona and Panoramic City Tour (+34 93 285 3834 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1081)2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 18