Trip Photos
Direct links to Barcelona photos pages
| Rambla | Park Guell | Sagrada Familia | Montserrat | Barcelona City |
Trip Summary
General Trip Plan:
The Trip: Two days after our wedding we took a flight to Barcelona. A one week (grossly) honeymoon trip. From the material we read and from things we heard about the city, we immediately understood that we will not be able to see all that the city has to offer. A desire for a “calm trip” without too much time wasting on the roads, moving from one location to another, from one hand, along with the desire to see the so many beautiful places of the city and to enjoy the variety of attractions from the other hand, brought us to plan our trip to Barcelona in such a way that it will include places, attractions and activities that reflects the unique nature, culture and architecture of Barcelona.
Barcelona - Weather and Year Season:
In the table bellow you can see the weather and average settlings per year, but if you are planning a trip or vacation and want to know whether to take a sweater, coat, umbrella or swimsuit you better press the link below and update with up to date Barcelona's wheatear forecast for the coming days.
Real Time weather Forecast |
Barcelona
Accommodation:
After landing at Barcelona (Catalonia's capital) international airport at noon, we took a taxi and
reached to our hotel –
Catalonia Aragon Hotel.
A three stars ranking hotel (after a full renovation recently) located in a quiet area,
walking distance from the famous
Sagrada Familia and from a metro station, which we later on used to go
easily everywhere.
Tip: It is not recommended to stay in the Rambla area in
which most of the hotels are old and rooms turn to the noisy (24 hours a day) boulevard.
Food, Restaurants:
Places combine wine and Tapas can be found everywhere. We are not fans of Tapas and still we have no problem to find other kind of food to eat including any western food.
Transportation:
There is a big variety of transportation means at Barcelona: metro, train, bus, taxi and even bicycle.
The center of Barcelona city is relatively small and pretty convenient for walking.
Free maps of Barcelona can be achieved in any reservation desk of any hotel.
To places that can not be reached by metro, there are comfortable bus lines.
We used the friendly metro. We bought the T-10 ticket that allow you 10 rides.
(you can buy also a one day ticket, three days or five days ticket).
Note:
There are a number of airlines, both standard and low cost, which offer flights to Barcelona.
If you need help deciding which to choose, you should read
flight reviews
to find out about other travellers’ experiences.
Shopping:
In one word – expensive!!!
You can find everything in Barcelona but (for our opinion) it is not a place
for people who are looking for bargains and the prices are not cheap.
Tourist Sites:
As already mentioned before, thare is a lot to see and many things to do in Barcelona.
The variety of sights, experiences and activities is big.
We had only one week (grossly).
We visited the following Barcelona tourist sites and attractions:
Sagrada Familia: (Sagrada Familia)
Already in the first evening, after a short organization, little rest and with a map of Barcelona we received from the hotel front desk, we went out to a short walk in the streets near our hotel in order to aspire fresh air and absorb the local atmosphere. After a short look at the map, we discovered that the famous church is just a few minutes walking from our hotel and so we went to see it lighted in the evening. On the next day we came back for an extensive tour. The place was under constructions (it is all the time…) but it didn’t disturb us to be impressed from the special structure which Gaudi devoted to, more than half of his life.
Along the Rambla:
The famous boulevards, connects the Catalonia plaza, located in the middle of the city,
with the Columbus statue, located near the sea.
The left part of the city, when going down towards the sea,
is the Gothic quarter, and the neighborhood extended on the right is Ravell.
Quite a lot hours (and we could more) we spend in those lively boulevards.
Walking through, at the restaurants, at the markets and museums located in them.
Watching the many stands (food, birds, painters…) , street artists and shows, the human status and whatnot.
Following are places that we recommend not to miss:
- Boqueria Market - This is the roofed food market, the popular and noisy one, in the heart of the boulevard. This is the most known and beloved one from all the markets in the long boulevards. This is a real charming market, full of colors and bustle of tourist and locals, in which you can find all the best and everything is in opulence and in order.
- Wax Museum -A very nice and facile museum according to the best tradition of wax museums.
- Columbus Monument - At the end of the boulevard, near the fountain in the entrance to the harbor, the Columbus monument is rising. At the top of the monument, an image of Columbus is pointing to the sea. We watched it, took a photo and moved on.
- Rial Plaza - An impressive architectonic enclave, found very near to the Rambla, in the old town. In the wide square area there are few nice coffee shops and restaurants. Once again… we watch it, took a photo and moved on.
- Picasso Museum - Near the Rambla, inside the Gothic quarter, reside the Picasso museum in which you can see the beginning of Picasso road as an artist, lots of sketch from the days he was a young artist and also pictures from his blue era. We are not a big art fans but we got inside for a short tour and were not disappointed.
- Catalonia Plaza - The central plaza in Barcelona, full of fountains, statues and hundreds of birds. A beautiful plaza surrounded with known brand stores and in the plaza itself a pleasant nightlife for tourists.
Montjuic:
Montjuic (translated as Hill of the Jews in the medieval Catalan language) is
a low hill watching the city harbour, south-west to the center of Barcelona.
The hill has a long history (among others it served as a jewish cemetery).
Today the hill is one of the beauty places in the city.
On our way to the top of the hill we passed the impressive magic fountain (Font Magica) and we climb
the stairs to the top of the hill. At the top of the hill we saw the big national palace
(Palau Nacional), the olimpic stadium (Estadi Olimpic) and more sports facilities that were part
of the Olympic village (Vila Olimpica) that was established for the 1992 Olympic games.
And also, you can not miss the shaped communication tower and the mature transportation infrastructure.
We also so at the hill the PuabloEspaniol (Poble Espanyol) – The "Spanish Village" in which copies
of different structures from all over Spain were build in it.
Shortening, the entire hill is full with beautiful gardens, interesting buildings and impressive plazas.
It is worth climbing the hill in order to enjoy the city view that is spread till the see,
and to walk in the gardens lanes and breathe nature smells.
Park Guell:
The most famous park in Barcelona, designed by the architect Antonio Gaudi.
The park is a green lung with one of the most beautiful lookout points on the city.
There are many ways to reach the park. We got off on Vallcarca metro station and climb
the Baixada de la Gloria.
This is a narrow and especially steep street that in order to relieve the climbing,
escalators were build in parts of it.
This is a real nice way to go to the park.
The street brings you to the “servant’s entrance” in the back part of the park, so the tour is actually done towards the main entrance.
In the park there is an impressive wide entrance space, a fountain in a dragon shape,
the special “bench” area and more special decorated buildings, and of course Gaudi’s house.
And… the entrance is free.
Port Olimpic:
When we asked the locals what are the options for a night recreation in Barcelona,
we were advice to go to the new marina area – the Port Olimpic.
We were told that this is the new “youngsters zone” of the city.
In the marina there are many restaurants, coffee shops and clubs, and also stylish night bars
and discotheques and not so far we discovered a casino…
Shortening, nice area with good atmosphere (and not just at night).
Flamenco Show:
Flamenco show is a must in Spain.
We went to such a show in one of the evenings at the Santa Suzanna farm.
The recreation includes a meal and enjoyable show of professional flamenco dancers,
dressed with the best traditional cloths.
Recommended!!!
Football:
How can we talk about Barcelona without mentioning the word – Football or if to be more
acurate, the words
FC Barcelona?
The football in Barcelona is an outstanding recreation option and also the ones
who are not fans of the game, must see the exemplary order and the atmosphere at
the famous Camp Nou stadium. The home statium of FC Barcelona. And so we went to see
FC Barcelona with all the stars players playing in the Champion League game in front of 62,000 (!!!) people.
We bought tickets at the stadium but for a league game it is recommended to
buy tickets ahead. It is possible also at
WorldTicketShop.
Barcelona Aquarium:
More than ten thousands of fish spices including sharks in a huge
aquarium simulating their natural environment.
In the place there Is also a 80 meters long transparent tunnel.
Impressive!
Outside the city of Barcelona
Outside the city of Barcelona there are many interesting and tempting places to visit.For instance:
- Montserrat - The religious most important place in Catalonia. Know for its beauty.
- Gerona - The old and beautiful catalane city which its colorful houses build in Italic style.
- Andorra - The magic tiny emirate that lays in a fascinating landscape in the piraniim.
- Costa Brava - Relax in the beautiful beaches lengthwise the city.
- Figaras - The city of the painter Salvador Dali. A museum with his best work of art inside located in the city.
We decided to dedicate two days (almost full days but not loaded) for trips outside the city.
1) Montserrat – We dedicated one day for a tour in the Montserrat.
This monastery is placed 50 km from Barcelona (about an hour by train)
and indeed its beauty and location in the heart of a granite mountainside justifies the visit there.
2) Another day we dedicated to go to Costa Brava (a little more than an hour by train).
There we walked in the little streets of the town, rested in one of the beaches, had a nice lunch,
than another short walk along the beach and finally took a train back to our hotel.
