Gaudi, Gaudi, Gaudi (Barcelona)

I’ve heard people say Barcelona is nothing without Gaudi and the beach. I have to admit, the works of modernist architect Antoni Gaudi are such an integral part of this city  and really bring it a character unlike anything else in the world. Without Gaudi, Barcelona would still be a lovely metropolitan city, but Gaudi did what he set out to do, making Barcelona a top destination globally with his dream-like architectural contributions to his beloved city.

To Do in Barcelona

The heart of the city revolves around a street called La Rambla or Las Ramblas. It starts at the Marina or Port Olimpic, and ends at Placa de Catalunya (a huge plaza which, unlike other plazas in Spain, is more akin to a small garden with a pretty water fountain). You can reach many of the interesting sights and places in the city by simply walking this bustling street, which has varying crowds and momentum depending on the day and time you walk it.

• Off of Las Rambas in the direction away from Plaza Catalunya and closer to the water is a Plaza called Placa Reial, which has Gaudi’s first known works (two lamp posts) and tons of outdoor dining, bars and clubs. Behind the Plaza is the Gothic Quarter (see below).

• Placa de Catalunya has the big department store of Spain, El Corte Ingles. The Plaza is also connected to a street which is parallel to La Rambla called Ave. Portal de Angl and that street has all of the affordable stores. If you continue on that street on the other side of the Plaza, it becomes Passeig de Gracia, which is the high end area of Barcelona with many of the expensive stores and restaurants.

 

 

Markets: There are a few markets in Barcelona. Two of the most popular are Mercado de la Bouqeria, which is right across Las Ramblas from Placa Reial, and the Santa Caterina Market with its eye-catching colorful roof (and right near the Cathedral de Barcelona, see below).

Gaudi (Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo and Park Guell): Gaudi has tons of works on display all over Barcelona, but if I had to pick just one to visit, I would visit Sagrada Familia, which is beautiful inside and out. The Sagrada Familia became the focus of Gaudi’s life, especially as he grew older, and the craziest part is that it’s still not complete. He died in 1926, and due to financing issues amongst others, the breathtaking church is still undergoing construction. A visit inside of the church helps fund the completion of the project.
  

The other two most popular Gaudi works are the following:

• Park Guell: Park Guell is on a hill, and offers amazing views of Barcelona. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, and was originally planned as a housing development by Gaudi and his patron Count Eusebi Guell. It eventually became a garden, but contains a house that Gaudi lived in for a number of years, with many of his works still in the house.

       Outfit details: see here

• Casa Batllo: On Passeig de Gracia, this house was built by Gaudi for a patron. He used marine life as inspiration for the building, including the colors and shapes of the exterior.

 

Tip: If you visit any of Guadi’s works, definitely make reservations in advance if you can, otherwise you will have to wait for 1-1.5 hours to get in after you buy your ticket.

Gothic Quarter and Cathedral de Barcelona: The Gothic Quarter is a result of Roman influence on Barcelona, and contains the famed Barcelona Cathedral. I loved wandering the streets of the Gothic Quarter, there are always musicians and street performers singing opera, playing the spanish guitar, etc. in this area.

FC Barcelona: Barca (as they are affectionately called) fans are world-famous for their passion and intensity for the team. The Barca stadium holds almost 100,000 people, and it’s so much fun to see the crowd go wild and sing their team’s song throughout the game. Even if you aren’t a big sports fan, I would still go for the experience of it.? note that the stadium is dry, so if you are used to typical tailgate sporting events, hit up a bar nearby beforehand.

Port Olimpic: Port Olimpic is a marina full of restaurants and bars and is very close to the main beaches of Barcelona (naturally!). It was built in preparation for the Olympics held in Barcelona in 1992. Also check out Frank Gehry’s Fish sculpture while in the area, which sits at the bottom of the Hotel Arts, and was also commissioned for the Olympics. While I was in Barcelona there was a special pop-up event going on at Port Olimpic hosted by Martini.

Tibidabo Mountain: This mountain contains possibly the most expansive and definitely one of the best views of Barcelona. To get here, you must take a tram to the base of a railway, which will take you up the mountain.

Beaches: Barcelona beaches are packed during the warmer months. If you won’t have the opportunity to visit other beaches in Spain, you should definitely have a beach day here. If you do have time to go elsewhere, I would recommend going instead to the beaches of Mallorca, San Sebastián or Costa Brava.

Dining
Moments: A 2-star Michelin restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, located on Passeig de Gracia. Creative twist on traditional food and great wine.

Quimet y Quimet: ranked by many sources as one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona, Quimet contains many seafood-based local specialities.  The place is lined with many wines and other alcohol from around the world.

La Plassohla: This restaurant is in the ground floor of La Ohla Hotel (great boutique hotel near Las Ramblas and Placa Catalunya) and is a modern tapas restaurant. On Sunday nights it also has live jazz music while dining. After dinner head to the Boutique Bar for cocktails (well regarded) or the roof top bar/lounge.