Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia province, is the country’s second largest city and a prime tourist destination for lovers of art, architecture, and fine food.
Located on the northeast coast of Spain, Barcelona also boasts several sandy beaches on the Mediterranean Sea, which attract thousands of swimmers and sunbathers in spring and summer.
Like the region of Catalonia itself, Barcelona embodies many layers of history, from ancient to modern: the Roman ruins and medieval palaces of the Gothic Quarter, a dark maze of narrow streets, high walls, and stone arches; the flashy facades of the Chinese Quarter near the sea; the sinuous shapes and fluid lines of Antoni Gaudí’s modernist sculptural buildings.
The bustling Plaza de Catalunya is a good place to begin your tour of Barcelona’s many sights. From there you can stroll at leisure along the city’s most famous boulevard, Las Ramblas, a series of shorter, connecting streets that lead downhill from the Plaza de Catalunya to Port Vell at the sea. A long, tree-lined promenade in the heart of the city, Las Ramblas is a continuous kaleidoscope of bird sellers, book vendors, street performers, flower stalls, and sidewalk cafés, where tourists and locals of all ages mingle amiably along the shaded street.
Barcelona by Bus
Once you’ve scoped out Las Ramblas, a great way to get your bearings in Barcelona is to take a bus tour of the city on the comfortable buses operated by the local tourism organization. Barcelona Bus Turístic runs several big double-decker buses, that follow three separate color-coded routes. Each route covers a different part of the city, with brief stops for boarding or leaving the bus at a total of 44 points of interest. When you buy a ticket, you get a route map and a set of ear buds for listening to the recorded audio guide on the bus, available in 10 languages, which provides historical and cultural information about the sights along the way, short musical segments, and current information about local holidays and special events. Although several commercial bus companies also offer tours of Barcelona, the ones operated by the city tourism department are the only buses with official Turisme de Barcelona guides on board, to answer your specific questions.
Starting at the Plaza de Catalunya, the Red Route introduces you to the northern part of the city, with stops at major landmarks such as Antoni Gaudí’s modernist Sagrada Familia basilica and whimsical Park Güell. You can get off at the Park de Lo Tamarita stop and take the little 100-year-old Tramvia Blau (blue streetcar) to the funicular railway station, which carries you all the way up to the top of Mount Tibidabo and Barcelona’s big amusement park, with spectacular views over the city. Return to the Bus Turístic stop below and continue your tour all the way back to Plaza de Catalunya.There you can catch the Blue Route bus that covers the western, southern, and central parts of Barcelona. A popular stop along the way is Poble Espanyol, a mock village built for the 1929 World’s Fair, showcasing the different architectural styles of Spain’s regions and featuring restaurants, souvenir shops, and craft demonstrations. Continue by bus up the Montjuïc hill to the National Museum of Catalan Art, which houses an outstanding collection of Romanesque and Gothic art.
At the Telefèric de Montjuïc stop you can catch an aerial cable car for a dramatic ride (one way or round trip) in an enclosed gondola down to Barcelona’s port. Or continue downhill by bus to the main Port Vell. Hop off at the Colon-Maritím Museu stop and take an elevator to the top of the tall column commemorating Christopher Columbus, for a great view of the city and the port. Then follow the Blue Route out to the Olympic port, before it loops back through the old central part of the city and back to Plaza de Catalunya.
Both the Red Route and the Blue Route operate year round, and the journey on each takes about two hours, if you don’t get off for sightseeing. At Port Olímpic, on the waterfront, you can also board the Green Route buses, which run from April through September. The 40-minute round trip takes you along the beaches and through the old part of Barcelona that was urbanly renewed for the Olympic Games there in 1992.
Barcelona Bites
Barcelona is a city that eats out. The entire region of Catalonia is famous for the quality of its cuisine, and Barcelona offers many good places to dine, from top-class restaurants to humble bars. The city is especially noted for its tapas, those small servings of hot or cold food that range from the simplicity of a bowl of marinated olives to the subtle complexity of saffron-scented seafood simmered in white wine and olive oil.
Foodies also flock to the colorful Mercat de Sant Josep (also known as La Boqueria, just off Las Ramblas), Barcelona’s best known big covered market, with its tantalizing displays of edibles from freshly caught Mediterranean fish to aged mountain cheeses, from exotic tropical fruits to pigs’ private parts. Grazers stroll from one tapas bar to another along the busy boulevards and the casual waterfront, drinking a glass of wine or beer and nibbling on tasty tidbits at each stop. Anyone’s sweet tooth will soon be satisfied at the city’s elegant pastry and confection shops, including Caelum which features pastries made in the many monasteries and convents around Spain. And don’t miss a visit to the Chocolate Museum, followed by a cup of thick hot chocolate at the bar in the museum’s shop.
You could easily spend a couple of weeks eating your way around the city and still barely scratch the surface of its culinary possibilities. But that’s the joy of Barcelona: just when you think you’ve exhausted the sights, sounds, and flavors of this multifaceted metropolis, you find something new and interesting to see, do, or taste. After one visit to Barcelona, you’ll certainly want to return for second helpings—and maybe even thirds!
Where to Sleep:
Hotel Claris: A Five Star Grand Luxe Hotel, rated by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2008 as one the top 500 hotels in the world. Located in a palace dating from 1892, the hotel has 120 totally modern rooms; an interior, glass-enclosed elevator; and a rooftop terrace, with great views over the city, where you can swim in the pool, snooze in a comfortable lounge chair, or dine and dance at La Terraza Restaurant-Bar in the evening. Pau Claris 150, tel. (34-93)-215-7970, claris@derbyhotels.com, www.derbyhotels.com
W Barcelona: One of the city’s newest hotels, this wing-shaped, glass-enclosed, high-rise hotel on the famous La Barceloneta boardwalk looks over the shimmering Mediterranean sea. Its ultra-modern decor will appeal to anyone who likes comfort with sleek lines. Relax in the pool, swim in the sea, or be pampered at the first Bliss Spa in Spain. Placa de la Rose dels Vents 1, tel. (34-93)-295-2800, whateverwhenever.wbarcelona@whotels.com, www.w-barcelona.com
Where to eat:
Mercat de Sant Josep (La Boqueria food market, with places to eat inside), La Rambla 91, www.boqueria.info
Caelum (pastry shop): Calle de la Palla 8, (in Gothic Quarter)
Chocolate Museum (Museu de Xocolata), Carrer del Comerc 36, www.pastisseria.com/en/PortadaMuseu
What to See and Do:
Tour the city on a Barcelona Bus Turístic: Tickets can be purchased at the Barcelona Tourist Information Office, Plaza de Catalunya 17 (underneath the busy square); at bookstores and newsstands; online; and on any bus the first time you board, at any of the designated stops on all the routes. You’ll also receive a book of coupons for discounts (good for the entire year) totaling €180 at selected museums, restaurants, and shops, including a 10% discount on guidebooks and souvenirs bought at the Tourist Information Office. www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/web/guest/home
Spend a day at Poble Espanyol, a mock village built for the 1929 World’s Fair, showcasing the different architectural styles of Spain’s regions and featuring restaurants, souvenir shops, and craft demonstrations. www.poble-espanyol.com
Take a guided tour of Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s architecturally unique Church of the Holy Family, unlike any other church building in the world. www.sagradafamilia.org