Barcelona.

Gaudí, beach and Catalan cooking: Barcelona mixes a big city with a Mediterranean feel.

From Park Güell to the Barri Gòtic the city is easy to explore by public transport and on foot.

Background

History.

The Roman Colonia Iulia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino grew under Augustus; in the Middle Ages Barcelona was capital of the County of Barcelona in the Crown of Aragon.

After the union of Aragon and Castile, Catalonia stayed economically strong; in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714 the city fell after a siege to Bourbon troops (national day, the Diada).

19th-century industry funded Modernisme (Gaudí and others); the 1992 Olympics drove coastal and infrastructure projects.

Must-sees

Top 10.

1. Sagrada Família (online ticket required).
2. Park Güell (visited zone needs a ticket).
3. Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera) on Passeig de Gràcia.
4. Barri Gòtic: cathedral, Plaça del Rei with medieval palaces.
5. Museu Picasso in El Born.
6. Palau de la Música Catalana (Modernisme, guided tours).
7. Montjuïc: Fundació Joan Miró, Olympic Stadium, Magic Fountain (check times).
8. Barceloneta beach and the harbour promenade.
9. Camp Nou / Spotify Camp Nou (stadium tour depending on rebuilding).
10. Mercat de la Boqueria or Santa Caterina for a market breakfast.

Gallery

Impressions.

Stay

Hotels in Barcelona.

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