LA PEDRERA

Everything in this building is curved and undulating. Its originality and the techniques used in its construction are surprising throughout.

This is one of the best-known works of the architect Gaudí, and is one of the symbols of Barcelona. Originally named "Casa Milà",  was built between 1906 and 1912, and consists of a succession of stone walls on the outside, while the interior has two painted courtyards, columns and a range of rooms.

There are large windows and iron balconies set into the undulating facade. On the roof, meanwhile, there are chimneys and sculptures which are works of art in themselves, as well as a splendid view of the Passeig de Gràcia avenue. The building has been declared a World Heritage, and is the pinnacle of Modernist techniques and tendencies.

PRICES 2012

General: 16,50€
Reduced: 14,85€
Children 7-12 years old: 8,25€
Children 0-6 years old: free admission

ACCESS

Metro: Diagonal (Green Line, L3 / Blue Line, L5)

Read More

BARCELONA CATHEDRAL

In the center of the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), the heart of Barcelona, is the city's Gothic cathedral, known as La Seu. The first stone of the current church was laid in the 13th century, but it would last until the early 20th century before the cathedral was fully completed.

The church was named after Barcelona's patron saint Eulalia; its official name - Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia - is Catalan for Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. The commonly used name La Seu refers to the status of the church as the seat of the diocese.

In 1298, construction of the current cathedral started under King Jaume II, who was known as 'the Just'. During the construction of the cathedral, the existing Romanesque building was demolished.

Due to civil wars and the black death which hit the city several times, construction only progressed slowly. It took until 1460 before the main building was completed. The Gothic facade was finished much later, in 1889, and the last part, the central spire, was completed in 1913. The design of both the façade and the spire were based on the original design from 1408 by the French architect Charles Galters.

THE BUILDING

Exterior

The church is 93m/305ft long and 40m wide. The octagonal bell towers reach a height of more than 50m. They were built between 1386 and 1393. The spire of the central tower reaches a height of 70m or 230ft.
The main entrance to the church - profusely decorated with statues - is reminiscent of the porches of the great French cathedrals.

Interior

The interior consists of one wide nave illuminated by large, 15th century stained-glass windows. The nave is flanked by aisles with 28 side chapels. Of note here are the tombs of Count Ramón Berenguer I and his wife.
One of the highlights inside the cathedral is the crypt below the Capella Major (chancel) which contains the sarcophagus of Santa Eulalia. The cathedral also has a beautiful choir at the center of the nave with magnificently carved choir stalls. The enclosure around the choir is decorated with reliefs that narrate the life of Santa Eulalia.

Cloister

The cathedral is famous for its 14th century cloister, with a central courtyard surrounded by a marvellous Gothic portico. There are always 13 geese in the courtyard. Each goose represents one year in the life of the martyr Santa Eulalia, a young girl alledgedly tortured to death in the 4th century by the Romans for her religion. The cloister also contains a small museum with precious liturgical artifacts.

Access

Metro: Jaume I (Yellow Line, L4)

Read More

LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

HISTORY

La Sagrada Familia was originally conceived by the Catalan publisher Josep Bocabella as a work of expiation for the city's increasingly revolutionary ideas. Work began in 1882 by public subscription on a design by architect Francesc de Paula Villar, which proposed a simple church in a traditional neo-Gothic style.

After arguments between Bocabella and Villar, Antoni Gaudí took over as lead architect in 1884. Gaudí immediately changed the project completely, seizing the opportunity to express his strong religious and nationalist feelings.

After finishing the Parc Güell in 1911, Gaudí vowed to abandon secular art and devote himself entirely to the Sagrada Familia. He worked on it tirelessly for over 40 years, living as a virtual hermit in a workshop on the site. When questioned about the slow pace, he is said to have replied, "My client is not in a hurry."

Nevertheless, it remained unfinished at Gaudí's untimely death in 1926, when the artist was run over by a tram on the Gran Via. He died in hospital two days later and was mourned by all of Catalonia. He is buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia.
Work on the project continued after Gaudí's death under the direction of Domènech Sugranyes but was interrupted by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1935. The building remained intact during the war, but in 1936 many of its models and plans were destroyed by Catalan anarchists, who saw the church as a symbol of the old, conservative religion that had no place in the new Barcelona.
Construction began again in the late 1950s and has continued ever since. The current design is based on a combination of reconstructed versions of the lost plans and modern adaptations. Vaults over the side aisles were added in 1995 and the roof over the nave was finished in early 2001.

The current director, Jordi Bonet i Armengol, began using computers for the design and construction process in the 1980s, which has sped up the complicated process considerably. Still, the final stage of the grand Sagrada Familia is not progressing much faster than it did under Gaudi. Estimated completion dates range from 2017 to 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.

DESCRIPTION

The Towers

Eight of the intended 18 towers have been built, which rise to over 100 meters. The towers represent the Twelve Apostles and each one bears the name and statue of its apostle.
Gaudi also intended to add a 180-meter tower in the center, topped with a great cross representing Jesus. This will be surrounded by four shorter towers representing the Four Evangelists, topped with their animal symbols. A still shorter tower will represent the Virgin Mary. The height of the tallest tower is to be one meter less than the nearby hill, Montjuic, as Gaudi believed his work should not surpass that of God.
The pinnacles of the towers are decorated with colorful mosaics and some are embedded with the words "Excelsis" and "Hosanna".

The Facades

The basilica has three facades, which are also filled with precise symbolism: the Passion Facade on the west; the Nativity Facade on the east; and the Glory Facade on the south. Each facade has three portals representing the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love.

The Passion Facade on the west side, dedicated to the suffering and death of Christ, is nearly complete. It is decorated with striking, angular sculptures by Josep Maria Subirach (begun 1952). Not everyone is a fan: art critic Robert Hughes declared it to be "the most blatant mass of half-digested moderniste cliches to be plunked on a notable building within living memory." Its great doors, which serve as the main entrance, are printed with words from the Bible in various languages including Catalan; the word JESUS and select others are painted to stand out.
The Nativity Facade on the east side, dedicated to the birth of Christ, was completed before work was interrupted in 1935 and bears the most direct Gaudi influence. The birth of Christ is depicted in the center, with the Adoration of the Magi on the left and the Adoration of the Shepherds on the right. Above is the Annunciation and Coronation of the Virgin Mary.
High on the Nativity Facade us a spire with a cypress tree, symbolizing the tree of life. At the foot of the tree is a pelican and angels holding chalices, symbols of the Eucharist. At the top of the tree is a red Tau cross with an 'X' representing Christ's name and a dove representing the Holy Spirit.
The bases of the facade contain sculptures of turtles, symbolizing the stability of the cosmos. The one closer to the sea is a sea turtle; the one closer to the mountains is a land tortoise. Gaudi was a true nature lover and spent much time studying it in the countryside.

INTERIOR

Inside the Sagrada Familia, areas will be dedicated to religious concepts such as saints, virtues and sins, and secular concepts such as the regions of Spain.
You can take elevators to the top of the inside of the Nativity Facade and Passion Facade, or climb 400 steps. Once at the top, you can climb around the walls and into other towers and enjoy partial views of Barcelona through a jumble of latticed stonework, ceramic decoration, carved buttresses and a variety of sculpture.
The price of admission includes entrance to the crypt, where Gaudi is buried. The crypt includes a small museum on the career of Gaudi and the history of the Sagrada Familia.

 ACCESS

Metro: Sagrada Familia (Blue Line, L5) and (Purple Line, L2).

PRICES 2012

Individual/General: 13€
Children < 10 years old: Free
Guided / Audioguided Visit: 17€

Read More

STATUE OF COLUMBUS

The Columbus Monument is one of Barcelona's most famous statues. The Statue is at the end of La Rambla, across from the port, and was built for the World Fair of 1888 to honor the discoverer of America.

The monument is 60 meters high and shows Columbus with his outstretched arm pointing toward the sea, interestingly in a totally different direction to the location of the Americas. There are several opinions regarding the reason for this . The first says that if Columbus had pointed towards the city, the population would not have understood that America was inland. The second idea is that Columbus is showing with his finger, the proper sea route to America. The third view is that the statue does not point to America, but to Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.




The Columbus Monument is divided into three parts. The first is a circular base, with eight statues of lions, and allegorical statues of Catalonia, Aragon, Castilla y Leon as characters related to the life of Columbus and the discovery of America. The second is an iron column with statues of ships, cranes and winged figures at the base. The last is the statue of Columbus, a 7 meter tall bronze work .

Inside the column there is an elevator that takes visitors to the hemisphere at the foot of Columbus, where you can enjoy a great view of the city.

OPENING TIMES

Every day: 10 am to 8.30 pm

PRICES

General: 3€
Children 4-12 years old and retired people: 2€


ACCESS

Metro: Drassanes (Green Line, L3)

Read More

PALAU REIAL DE PEDRALBES

Across Avinguda Diagonal from the main campus of the Universitat de Barcelona, set in a lush, green park, is the 20th-century Palau Reial de Pedralbes, which belonged to the family of Eusebi Güell (Gaudí’s patron) until they handed it over to the city in 1926. Then it served as a royal residence – King Alfonso XIII, the president of Catalonia and General Franco, among others, have been its guests. Admission is free from 3pm Sundays and on the first Sunday of the month.

Today the palace houses two museums. The Museu de Ceràmica has a fine collection of Spanish ceramics from the 13th to 19th centuries, plus work by Picasso and Miró. The Disseny Hub is itself the fusion of two collections (Museu de les Arts Decoratives and Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària), and also has a space for temporary exhibitions in La Ribera. The Museu de les Arts Decoratives brings together an eclectic assortment of furnishings, ornaments and knick-knacks dating as far back as the Romanesque period, while the Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària contains some 4000 items that range from 4th-century Coptic textiles to 20th-century local embroidery, with an emphasis on fashion from the 16th century to the 1930s.

PRICES

Museum

General: 5€
Reduced: 3€
< 16 years old: free admission

Gardens: free admission

ACCESS

Metro: Palau Reial (Green Line, L3)

Read More

HOSPITAL DE SANT PAU

Often overlooked by visitors to Barcelona, despite its close location to Sagrada Familia, the Hospital de Sant Pau is one of the finest Modernist buildings in the city and the most important civic building ever built in the Modernist style.A hospital had existed on the site since 1401 but by the 20th century it was clearly far too small and antiquated to cope with the city´s rapidly expanding population.The intervention of a successful banker, Pau Gil, ensured the hospital´s rescue when he decided to sponsored its renovation, and happily for fans of the new Modernist style the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner was commissioned for the job.Domènech i Montaner is considered second only to Gaudí in his imagination and creativity, his most famous building being the Palau de la Música in the Born district.

The new hospital was begun in 1901 and was functional by 1930; it is still in use today and whilst being unwell is hardly recommendable it must surely the most beautiful place in which to do so.Fortunately visitors are now allowed to come and admire the architecture without needing a medical complaint as an excuse.The structure consists of 27 pavilions covered by cupolas and adorned with stained glass windows and pinnacles, with further decoration by mosaics, sculptures and murals wherever you should look.The most important part of the building is the administration pavilion; the stunning reception area was decorated by another famous Spanish artist, the sculptor Paul Gargallo.There are extensive gardens in the grounds and it is a lovely place to stroll about after a visit to Sagrada Familia; the hospital is located at the opposite end of Avenida Gaudí just a short walk away from its famous neighbour.

ACCESS

Metro: Sant Pau-Dos de Maig (Blue Line, L5)

Read More

GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU

The Gran Teatre del Liceu is undoubtedly the heart of cultural life in Barcelona. Established on La Rambla in 1847, the Liceu was the biggest opera house in Europe when it opened, but grand buildings often have grand set backs to contend with, and this theatre has had more than it's fair share. Fires in 1881 and 1994, bankruptcy in the 1930s and even an anarchist bomb attack in 1893 have all threatened its existence throughout the years. Thankfully all failed to quash the Liceu's spirit or its huge popularity, and today you'll still find plenty of highbrow Catalans thronging around the theatre at weekends in their best evening wear. The Liceu's facade is famous for being rather dull (indeed you might easily pass by without noticing it), however the theatre's horseshoe-shaped Italian-style five-tiered auditorium, boasting 2,292 seats, is a suitably spectacular arena in which to enjoy a rich programme of opera, ballet and classical music.

PRICES

Guided tour (1h): 10€
Unguided tour (20 min): 5€

ACCESS

Metro: Liceu (Green Line, L3)

Read More

SANTA MARIA DEL PI CHURCH

Sister church to Santa Maria del Mar, this early Catalan Gothic structure is perhaps the most fortresslike of all three: hulking, dark, and massive, and perforated only by the main entryway and the mammoth rose window, said to be the world's largest. Try to see the window from inside in the late afternoon to get the best view of the colors. The church was named for the lone pi (pine tree) that stood in what was a marshy lowland outside the 4th-century Roman walls. An early church dating back to the 10th century preceded the present Santa Maria del Pi, begun in 1322 and was finally consecrated in 1453. Like Santa Maria del Mar, the church of Santa Maria del Pi is one of Barcelona's many examples of Mediterranean Gothic architecture, though the aesthetic distance between the two is substantial.

The church's interior is disappointingly cluttered compared with the clean and lofty lightness of Santa Maria del Mar, but there are two interesting things to view: the creaky choir loft and the Ramón Amadeu painting La Mare de Deu dels Desamparats (Our Lady of the Helpless), for which the artist reportedly used his wife and children as models for the Virgin and children. The lateral facade of the church, around to the left in Plaça Sant Josep Oriol, bears a plaque dedicated to the April 6, 1806, fall of the portly parish priest José Mestres, who slipped off the narrow catwalk circling the outside of the apse. He survived the fall unhurt, and the event was considered a minor miracle commemorated with the plaque.
The adjoining squares, Plaça del Pi and Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, are two of the liveliest and most appealing spaces in the Old Quarter, filled with much-frequented outdoor cafés and used as a venue for markets selling natural products or paintings or as an impromptu concert hall for musicians. The handsome entryway and courtyard at No. 4 Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol across from the lateral facade of Santa Maria del Pi is the Palau Fivaller, now seat of the Agricultural Institute, an interesting patio to have a look through. From Placeta del Pi, tucked in behind the church, you can see the bell tower and the sunny facades of the apartment buildings on the north side of Plaça Sant Josep Oriol. Placeta del Pi was once the cemetery for the blind, hence the name of the little street leading in: Carrer Cecs de la Boqueria (Blind of the Boqueria). This little space with its outdoor tables is a quiet and cozy place for a coffee or tapas at El Taller de Tapas.

ACCESS

Metro: Liceu (Green Line, L3)

OPENING TIMES

Daily 9:00-13:30 and 16:30-20:00

Read More

PALAU DE LA MÚSICA CATALANA

The Palau de la Musica Catalana (Palace of Music), opened in 1908, is one of the most important works of Barcelona art nouveau. The architect commissioned for the job was Lluis Domenech i Montaner, one of the greatest exponents of Catalan Modernisme. The construction, decorated with scultures, mosaics and stained glass by the finest artists and artisans of the time, is perhaps the best example of the synthesis between architecture and decorative arts that characterised this artistic movement.

Since the concert hall was designed for a site between other buildings, it was dificult to provide it with a truly exceptional exterior, so the architect chose to dazzle the visitor inside,
immersing all who enter in a world of colour and fantasy.

Opened in 1908, the Palau de la Musica (Palace of Music) is one of the most important works of Barcelona art nouveau. The architect commissioned for the job was Lluis Domenech i Montaner, one of the greatest exponents of Catalan Modernismo.

The construction, decorated with scultures, mosaics and stained glass by the finest artists and artisans of the time, is perhaps the best example of the synthesis between architecture and decorative arts that characterised this artistic movement. Since the concert hall was designed for a site between other buildings, it was dificult to provide it with a truly exceptional exterior, so the architect chose to dazzle the visitor inside, immersing all who enter in a world of colour and fantasy.
The Palau, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was recently given an extension and a thorough facelift, in which some blocks of flats blocking the view of the Palace were demolished.

PRICES

General: 10€
< 16 years old: free admission
> 65 years old: free admission

ACCESS

Metro: Urquinaona (Red Line, L1 / Yellow Line, L4)

Read More

THE NACIONAL PALACE OF MONTJUIC

The National Palace of Montjuic receives thousands of visitors each year. It is probably the most emblematic building of Montjuic.

It was built for the international Expo in 1929. In the year 1934 it became the home of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), in which you can mostly find Romanesque art.

Under the supervision of the Italian architect Gae Aulenti they began restoring the palace in 1987. The works were completed in 2004.

People are visiting the palace during the day but also at night when you can watch an amazing show of lights and colors next to the Magic Fountain.

 ACCESS

Metro: Espanya (Red Line, L1 / Green Line, L3)

PRICES

General: 10€
< 16 years old: free admission
> 65 years old: free admission

Read More

ARC DE TRIOMF

The red brick and in neo-Moorish-style built Arc de Triomf is located about 300 metres from the Parc de la Ciutadella, the site of the World Fair of 1888.
From the Arc you reach the Parc de la Ciutadella on the car free Passeig de Lluis Companys. The sculpture Homage to Picasso, the world-famous sculptor Tàpies and an artificial build moat evaluates the road.

The road separates the Old Town district El Ribera of the district Eixample.

On the triumphal arch, you will find attached some stone bats. It was the emblem of King Jaume I. (1213-1276) (James of Aragon). Under Jaume I., Barcelona flourished economically and he liberated Valencia, Menorca and Mallorca from the Moors. On 31 December 1229 his troops concered the city of Medina Mayurka. The bat was his lucky charm. Th city of Medina was later called Ciudad de Mallorca and in 1717 it was renamed again in Palma de Mallorca, as the city was called in Roman times.

The bat is still the emblem of Valencia and was for example also part of the first crest of FC Barcelona.

You will find the bat again and again in structures of Modernism, the Catalan Art Nouveau. In Modernism were repeatedly used animal symbols, which symbolizes the independence of Catalonia. The dragon, which symbolizes the patron saint of Catalonia Sant Jordi , is a good example.

ACCESS

Metro: Arc de Triomf (Red Line, L1)

Read More

TEMPLE EXPIATORI DEL SAGRAT COR, TIBIDABO

The complete name of the church is the National Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In Catalan it is called the Sagrat Cor del Tibidabo. It is a church that sits on top of Tibidabo Mountain. St. John Bosco was the founder of the Salesian Order and he was offered a plot of land for the erection of a church in 1886 when he visited Barcelona. The church was to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The architects were Enric Sagnier and his son Josep Maria Sagnier. The construction started in 1902 and was finished in 1961.


The church has a Neo-Gothic design and an Art Noveau crypt. There is a huge bronze statue of the Sacred Heart (Christ) on top of the dome of the church. It is seven meters high and was made by the artist Josep Miret. It is not a major architechural triumph, but nice to visit for the fabulous views of Barcelona and to see the statue of Jesus at the very top at 512 metres above sea level.There is an elevator that takes visitors to the top of the temple. There are many decorations in the church that are Byzantine in design, and these are quite beautiful. There is an impressive view of the city from the top of the temple and the church surroundings.
To go up the Tibidabo Mountain, you can take the Blue Tram or the Funicular.

Read More

SANTA MARIA DEL MAR

It is the most emblematic and purest example of the Catalonian Gothic style. Since the XIII Century, the relevance of the district of La Rivera as meeting point of merchants and shipowners made necessary the construction of a great church replacing the former parish church of Las Arenas.

It has three facades: the main one in the square of Santa María, the second one in Santa María Street, and the last one in the Paseo del Born. All of them show the essence of the Catalonian Gothic style: octagonal towers, the presence of naked surfaces and solid buttresses.

The main facade is decorated with sculptures of St Pedro and St Pablo, with an unsurpassable rose window in a flamboyant Gothic style from the XV Century. In the façade of Santa María Street, the gargoyles of the buttresses, the stained glass windows back and, especially, its monumental dimensions should be highlighted.

Inside, it continues being an example of the Catalonian Gothic style due to its wide range of elements and its sober decoration. It has three high naves that are separated by high columns. In order to harmonize the complex, the side naves are half higher than the central nave and the total width of the complex fits in with the height of the side naves. Its rich decoration was destroyed after the riots of 1936, although several headstones related to the sea world have arrived to our days.

OPENING TIMES

Monday to Sunday: From 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sundays and Public Holidays: From 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

ACCESS

Metro: Jaume I (Yellow Line, L4)

Read More

CASA BATLLÓ

The Casa Batlló is located in a section of the boulevard, Passeig de Gràcia referred to as the “block of discord” because of the drastically different modernism architectural styles by Gaudi as well as architects, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluís Domènech i Montaner. However, Gaudi’s Casa Batlló stands out and gets all the attention, with its bone shaped pillars and skull-like balconies, which led the locals to dub it the “house of bones".

The wealthy owner of the original building, Josep Battló hired Gaudi to renovate the ordinary house in a block of similar buildings in 1904. Gaudi completely made over the building by adding another floor and redesigned the entire exterior, roof and interior in his distinctive Gaudi way of using, organic curves, columns, nonlinear forms, color and light.
The wavy facade of the Casa Batlló is constructed in sandstone with an exterior of broken pieces of ceramic tiles in bright shades of blue and green, reminiscent of the ocean. The tile-covered roof with its colorful chimneys is arched and is said to represent the scales of a dragon. A three-dimensional cross on a roof turret is said to represent the sword of Saint George defeating the dragon. The bone shaped columns and skull shaped balconies on the front of the building are said to represent the dragon’s victims.

The interior of the Casa Batlló is a continuation of the waves and ocean theme of the exterior. Colorful mosaics and blown glass in shades of blue and green predominate throughout the rounded rooms with porthole windows, rounded columns and curved archways. Visitors can tour the first floor, the former Batlló family quarters, with its massive stairway, patio, skylight and ocean themed courtyard.

Tours are also offered of the attic and fantastic roof terrace with its imposing, sculpted tiled chimneys and magnificent view of the Eixample district. Appropriately, the rooftop tour ends in an attic room aptly named, Dragon’s Belly Room that features a whimsical illuminated fountain.

PRICES 2012

General: 18,15€
Children 0-7 years old: free admission
Resident in Catalonia: 14,55€


ACCESS

Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (Purple Line, L2 / Green Line, L3 / Yellow Line, L4)

Read More

CANALETES FOUNTAIN

The Fountain of Canaletas (Font de Canaletes in Catalan), located in the initial stretch of La Rambla, is one of the emblematic monuments the city.

Legend has it that anyone who drinks water from The Canaletas Fountain will return to Barcelona. In fact there is an inscription on the fountain saying: "If you drink water from the Fountain of Canaletas you will always be in love with Barcelona, and however far you go, you will always return".

The name 'Canaletas' comes from an old fountain that existed in the sixteenth century. The current fountain dates back to the nineteenth century.

The Canaletas Fountain is also the place where the Culers(fans of FC Barcelona) celebrate their team's victories. The reason why this is the place of celebration is because in the 1930's, the daily newspaper 'La Rambla' gave the results of the Catalan teams on a blackboard in front of the Canaletas fountain.

ACCESS

Metro: Catalunya (Red Line, L1 / Green Line, L3)

Read More