Sightseeing in BCN

Hi!

This time, as said in my previous post, I will be talking about what are the places to visit in Barcelona and some of the main tourist attractions that are definitely a MUST SEE! Barcelona is famous because of its historical buildings that have been designed by well-known architects such as Antoni Gaudi and Lluís Domenech i Montaner, and there are tourist that visit the city just to see their creations. One of the most popular historical sites is La Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi, who worked on the this church his entire life. The church is still under construction and is expected to be finished in 2026. Mostly so because Gaudi had an unlimited imagination and the construction has taken over 135 years. In my opinion, it is a fascinating most detailed church and it is worth the visit. Easiest way to see Sagrada Familia, is to buy the tickets online, which means that you won't be standing in line that could take up to couple of hours. And also, I strongly suggest to pay extra for the headset because, it will give a great overview and every detail in that building has a meaning to it, nothing is there to just fill up the space.

Another Gaudi's masterpiece is La Pedrera, a one-time residency that again is something you must see when in Barcelona. A great thing is that, you could get a good view on this house by just walking the main street - Passeig de Gracia in Eixample, but if someone is more interested, you could always buy a ticket and visit the inside, which to be honest is worth the ticket price. If already on the street of Gracia, the Casa Batllo, that is just down the street, is another unique house designed by Gaudi. This is definitely one of my favourite houses in the entire city, unfortunately I never visited the inside, but I have heard that standing in a queue is worth the wait and more! I will be travelling to Barcelona this summer and Casa Batllo is in my "to do" list. Obviously there are more architectural gems to see, but if the time is limited and it is not a priority, then these three buildings I suggest you visit. And although Barcelona is a big city, it is walkable and I believe this is how you see the most. If you are in Barcelona only for the weekend, I suggest to visit Park Güell, which is one of the major works of Gaudi and it is composed of gardens and architectonic elements. To get there, it is easier if you use transportation, because it is located on the top of the Carmel Hill and it could take some time to get there - again purchase tickets online because the park could be even more crowded than Sagrada Familia.

If you are interested in art, then there are couple of museums to see. Museu Picasso is one of the most visited museums in the city, because it was Picasso's own wish to open a museum for his work and today it displays his original paintings from his career's early era. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya exhibits local art and is a great tourist attractions, mainly because the museum is located on the hill of Montjuic and offers stunning views of Barcelona. I could say that it is a must see, because it not only looks amazing, but is also a location for Barcelona's Magic Fountain that is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatic. The shows are every weekend from 7-8:30pm and it's free!

Barcelona is beautiful and there is a lot to see, therefore it is always good to do some homework before visiting, and I recommended only some of what I think are the the greatest places to visit. It is crucial to give yourself some time to just walk around the city, enjoy the local Catalan food and of course sangria! My favourite neighbourhoods to walk around is the old city - Barrio Gotico - that has great shopping, restaurants and night life. To truly get to know Gotico, get lost in it and explore all the narrow streets, which is a great way to get away from the tourist. La Rambla is the main street that goes through Gotico and is also one of the main shopping streets. But be careful, there can be some pickpockets out there. Then El Raval, which mixes new with the old and is kind of an extension to the old town, also packed with bars and cafes. If you love sea as much as I do, definitely walk to Barceloneta, which has the city's most popular beach and offers the best seafood in town.

This is it for Barcelona. Next blog post I will talk about my trip Italy, what I did in Venice and Rome.

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