Barcelona sightseeing
Barcelona is so full of places worth seeing it is often difficult to decide what to see this time and what to leave until the next visit.There are some sights you definitely should not miss, such as Barcelona's famously unfinished Sagrada Família, and one of the best ways to get an overview of the city is on one of the Barcelona tours that are available.
Starting at Plaça Catalunya in the centre of the city, you buy a day ticket that allows you to hop on and off where you want, while seeing Barcelona's top sightseeing highlights - you definitely should see Gaudí's Casa Batllo and La Pedrera, but you can chose whether you see them from the bus or go inside, and the same applies to all the other sites.
Although the commentaries at times lack detail, they serve as a good overview of the city without the common mistake of getting over tired through walking.
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Visit Viator's guided tours in Barcelona for a list of recommended tours in Barcelona, Girona, Montserrat and other towns |
Las Ramblas is a must for everyone who visits Barcelona, although it can get overcrowded at times. Take a stroll down the centre and stop for a drink in Plaça Reial or visit the food market of la Boqueria, before getting to the Port. Another recommendation is to disappear into the narrow maze of streets of the Barri Gòtic, the old town. You should be aware that Las Ramblas and Plaça Reial are rife with pickpockets, and tourists can make easy prey.
| As with any other city, decent guidebook is essential. For an excellent overview of the city, maps, sightseeing and history, we recommend the Lonely Planet Guide to Barcelona, available from Amazon. |
Once you have done some walking and got a feel for the city you may like to do some further serious sightseeing in Barcelona, either on your own with a guide book or on an organised tour. Below we have listed the pick of Barcelona's museums, or you may like to head out of Barcelona and explore the cities of Girona and Figueres or the rugged charm of the Costa Brava.
Museo d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona
MACBA is Barcelona's
foremost collection of art from the last 50 years with both a permanent
collection and temporary exhibitions.
MACBA
Plaça dels Àngels, 1
Closed Tuesdays
Museu Picasso
The museum has the most important works by the young
Pablo Picasso, focusing on the years that he lived in Barcelona.
Museu Picasso
Montcada, 15-23
Closed Mondays
Fundació Joan Miró
Founded in 1971 by the artist himself, this is the largest single
collection of Miró's work, comprising of 300 paintings, 150 sculptures
and more than 7,000 drawings.
Fundació Joan Miró
Parc de Montjuïc
Closed Mondays
Museu d'Historía de la Ciutat
The bulk of this museum is subterranean, consisting of excavated
Roman ruins at the edge of the old Barcelona. The area is large and
navigation can be difficult at times, but the site boasts mosaics and
original constructions including houses, shops, a fish preserving factory,
a wine maker and a laundry. The museum also features a "multi-media"
presentation of the history of Barcelona to the present day. The audio
is in Catalan, although individual radio receivers will broadcast the
information in Spanish, English and French.
Another slightly unusual way to get around Barcelona is via "Trixi" - what amounts to a pedal powered taxi that allows you to do some slow, ecologically friendly sightseeing in Barcelona.
Assisted by an electric motor for coping with inclines, you'll see Trixis at various points in the city centre.
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