Barcelona
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Barcelona - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Sort by:
2 Recommendations
{{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }}
0 Recommendations
Loading...
-
1. Ciutadella Park
Once a fortress designed to consolidate Madrid's military occupation of Barcelona, the Ciutadella is now the city's main downtown park. The clearing dates from shortly after the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century, when Felipe V demolished some 1,000 houses in what was then the Barri de la Ribera to build a fortress and barracks for his soldiers and a glacis (open space) between rebellious Barcelona and his artillery positions. The fortress walls were pulled down in 1868 and replaced by gardens laid out by Josep Fontseré. In 1888 the park was the site of the Universal Exposition that put Barcelona on the map as a truly European city; today it is home to the Castell dels Tres Dragons, built by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the café and restaurant for the exposition (the only building to survive that project, now a botanical research center), the Catalan parliament, and the city zoo.
View Tours and ActivitiesPasseig de Picasso 21, 08003, Spain -
2. Park Güell
Built between 1900 and 1914, this park is one of Gaudí's, and Barcelona's, most visited attractions. Named for and commissioned by Gaudí's steadfast patron, Count Eusebi Güell, it was originally intended as a gated residential community based on the English Garden City model. The centerpiece of the project was a public square, with a pillared marketplace beneath it. Only two of the houses were ever built, one of which was designed by Gaudí's assistant Francesc Berenguer and became Gaudí's home from 1906 to 1925. It now houses the Casa-Museu Gaudí museum of memorabilia. Ultimately, the Güell family turned the area over to the city as a public park for local residents, and it remains so today. Tickets are required to access most of Park Güell, including the "monumental area," where the main attractions are located. You can purchase timed tickets online and at the park. An Art Nouveau extravaganza with gingerbread gatehouses, Park Güell is a perfect place to visit on a sunny morning before the temperature heats up. The gatehouse on the right, topped with a rendition in ceramic tile of the hallucinogenic red-and-white fly amanita wild mushroom (rumored to have been a Gaudí favorite), is now part of the Barcelona History Museum. The exhibition inside has plans, scale models, photos, and suggested routes analyzing the park in detail. Atop the gatehouse on the left sits the phallus impudicus (no translation necessary). Other Gaudí highlights include the Room of a Hundred Columns—a covered market supported by tilted Doric-style columns and mosaic medallions—the double set of stairs, and the iconic lizard guarding the fountain between them. There's also the fabulous serpentine, polychrome bench enclosing the square. The bench is one of Gaudí assistant Josep Maria Jujol's most memorable creations, and one of Barcelona's best examples of the trencadís technique (mosaics of broken tile fragments: recycling as high art). From the Lesseps metro station, take Bus No. 24 or V19 to the park entrance. From the Bus Turístic stop on Travessera de Dalt, make the steep 10-minute climb up Carrer de Lallard or Avinguda del Santuari de Sant Josep de la Muntanya.
View Tours and ActivitiesCarretera del Carmel, 23, 08024, Spain93-409–1830Sight Details
Rate Includes: €17, Tickets have set entry times. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
{{ (numCurrentPage-1)*numPageLimit+index+1 }}.
{{ item.neighborhood }} | {{ item.first_keyword }}{{ item.review }}
{{ item.address }}{{ item.phone[0] }}{{ item.details.title }} Details
{{ item.details.content.toString() }}View Tours and Activities -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
No sights Results
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName }} Sights in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
