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Barcelona by Night Panoramic City Tour and Live Flamenco Show with Dinner
On this private chauffeur driven evening half day tour you will get an overview of the Cosmopolitan City of Barcelona by night and then dinner or drink only with a live Flamenco show... Read more...Tours in Cataluña

Cataluña, Spain Travel & Accommodation Guide

Travelling to Barcelona   by Meredith Jones

Barcelona Hotels  /  Barcelona Self-Catering Apartments
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Barcelona is a beautiful, cultural European city. It attracts tourists from all over Spain and the rest of the world wanting to experience its unusual Gaudi architecture and ambience. I travelled on the open topped tourist bus and bought my two day travel ticket from my hotel. It meant that I could just hop on and off at the sights that I wanted to see and look from outside the bus window at those that I preferred to pass by, such as Barcelona football ground. There is so much to see and do in this city that the bus ticket is an economical and less tiring way to travel on a budget. 

Highlights for me were the Sagrada cathedral. It has been under construction for years, since 1882 and although the current builders continue on with Gaudi's work they are now using more modern building materials so there is some controversy around this building. It is something that you absolutely must see if you visit Barcelona and the tourist bus has this as one of its drop off points. 

The Casa Batllo is another amazing building designed by Gaudi for a wealthy man and his family. From the outside the balconies look as though they are made of skulls and bones. What an amazing house it must have been to live in and seeing the photographs of the children and parents that owned this building gave me goosebumps. 

Gaudi Church Architecture, La Sagrada Familia Cathedral at Night, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
La Sagrada Familia Cathedral at Night
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Casa Batllo, Exterior, Barcelona, Spain
Casa Batllo, Exterior, Barcelona, Spain
Buy at AllPosters.com
The Park Guell is up a steep hill so if you have problems walking then get a taxi. It has a beautiful park inside with all of Gaudi's charm and colour on display and also a house that he lived in for a short time that you can visit. To enjoy this park I suggest half a day is given up to it, as it is quite large. I'm not a big fan of art but I didn't get bored of seeing Gaudi architecture once in Barcelona, it is so different. He takes gothic architecture and gives it a unique twist. 

I enjoyed seeing the port and visiting the sea life centre there, especially good if you are travelling to Barcelona with children. You can get quite close to sharks as they swim above you. Eating out was cheap. I found a fantastic Italian restaurant in the gothic quarter where we were staying near to the church there. It drew me in with its candles flickering on each of the tables welcoming tired and hungry passers by. Wine on the menu is so much cheaper than anything you would find in the UK. Even the ones at five euros a bottle were perfectly palatable. 

If you are in the gothic quarter of Barcelona try to find Salvador Dali's art museum, tucked away down a side street. It is small and you feel as though you are walking around someone's house but it is full of his sculpture and art. It was a great way to pick out the artists style as I wasn't that familiar with his work before. After an hour or so I felt quite the expert!

I visited the Ramblas a street that stretches 1.2 km through the city centre. Here you will find market stalls, boutiques and street performers and it is busy throughout the day and night. I had been warned to hold on tightly to my handbag here which I did everywhere in Barcelona, but considering it is a city, I felt safe. I spent four days in Barcelona and had a super time. I would recommend it to anyone who is considering a city break, as there is so much to see and do. The Gaudi architecture and the memories of your stay, will remain with you forever. 

Enjoy!

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Barcelona Hotels  /  Barcelona Self-Catering Apartments

 
About the Author - Meredith Jones is a mother of three children and lives in Spain. Meredith regularly writes for the Spanish Property Experts http://www.inSpain.tv She has lived in Spain for a number of years and her articles provide an insight into expatriate life in Spain.

Latest update: May 26, 2011