During a little more than 2.000 years of its history, Barcelona has accumulated an unparalleled architectural heritage. Its Roman vestiges, an urban layout that can be seen in the subsoil at Plaza del Rei, the columns of the temple of Augustus or the necropolis at Vila de Madrid Square, and other magnificent medieval buildings. Among others, it is possible to visit Sant Pau del Camp in Romanesque style, or three Gothic buildings of undeniable beauty: the cathedral, the church of Santa Maria del Pi and, above all, the imposing Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, one of the masterpieces of Catalan Gothic style and the principal location in the successful novel The Cathedral of the Sea (La catedral del mar).
However, it is its modernist style that is a must see in Barcelona and makes the city unique. Some of its streets still expose the talents of the famous architects such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the architect of the old hospital of Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música Catalana; Josep Puig y Cadafalch and, above all, the unforgettable Antoni Gaudí, who brought to life such masterpieces as Sagrada Família, Casa Vicens, Park Güell, Palau Güell, each of them declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Likewise, he constructed two more showpieces in Passeig de Gràcia which are permanently open to the public: Casa Batlló, located next to Casa Amatller de Puig y Cadafalch, and Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera.
Other places that you can’t miss in Barcelona are attractions as the old Jewish quarter (Call), where the evocative Sant Felip Neri Square is located; the El Born neighbourhood, one of the most fashionable areas with ruins of the eighteenth-century city and a wide range of bars and restaurants; the streets of L'Eixample, the picturesque Ramblas, the seaside neighbourhood La Barceloneta, the top of Tibidabo hosting an amusement park, and the mountain area of Montjuïc with its impressive Magic Fountains, the fairgrounds, the Olympic ring and the castle that offers extraordinary views over the city.
As for the numerous museums in Barcelona, it is worth mentioning the Joan Miró Foundation, the Picasso Museum, with juvenile oil paintings of the famous artist from Malaga and the Las Meninas series, or the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), which brings together the most important collection of Romanesque paintings in the world.
Finally, we should mention the busy calendar of festivities and events in Barcelona, which includes music festivals such as Primavera Sound or Sònar, the Fiestas de Gràcia and Sants, the Fiestas de la Mercè dedicated to the patron saint of the city, or the Mobile World Congress, the world's leading mobile telephony event.
Are you looking for more ideas? In that case all you should do is to ask the staff of our hotel in Barcelona. We will be more than happy to help you organize your trip to Barcelona.