Living Statues on the Ramblas and other Barcelona, Spain Things to Do Tips

Here is a photo of a couple of ‘living statues’ that you can find amongst many street performers and buskers on the busy Ramblas street. Nice to stop and watch for a while to see what they will do next!

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Address: Anywhere along the Ramblas

This impressive Modernista building was designed by Gaudi and completed in 1907. It is said to illustrate the triumph of Saint George over the dragon, as it is covered in blue, green and ochre ceramics, representing the scales of the dragon. The roof knobbly roof represents the dragon's back, the tower, the saint's cross and the balconies resemble animal bones. You can visit inside the rooms and the the roof for 16 euros. A trip just to the roof is 10 euros (which we did). You also get an audio programme to carry around and listen to. Please look at my travelogue for other photos of this amazing building.

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Address: Metro: Passeig De Gracia
Directions: 43 Passeig de Gracia, to the North East of Plaça Catalunya.

This photo represents the roof of Casa Batllo, showing the scales representing the dragon, and the cross representing St George. Entrance to the roof only costs 10 euros and is well worth a visit. Please look at my travelogues for further photos of this impressive modernista building.

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Address: Metro: Passeig De Gracia
Directions: 43 Passeig de Gracia

Look out for interesting architecture on the Ramblas. This dragon is found on a building opposite Carrer de l’hospital.

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The Ramblas is Spain’s most famous street, a boulevard lined with trees, which is almost 2km long and is dotted with hotels, cafes, restaurants, news stands. It stretches from the harbour, down to Plaça Catalunya. The word Rambla, derived from the Arabic word ‘ramla’, serves as a reminder that in earlier times, the street was a gully that ran parallel to the medieval wall, and carried rainwater down to the sea. The Ramblas is split into sections as you walk down it, one section where you find street artists doing drawings and caricatures, known as the Rambla de Santa Monica, Rambla del Centre comes next, followed by Rambla de les Flors, where there are many colourful flower seller stands, next is La Rambla dels Ocells, where you can find sellers of birds and baby animals in cages and lastly La Rambla de Canaletes. All along you can find street performers and living statues. This street never has a dull moment and is crowded at all times of the day, but you can’t visit Barcelona without experiencing it.

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Directions: Metro: Catalunya, Liceu, Drasssanes

Casa Mila, or La Pedrera (the quarry) is Spain’s most controversial apartment block with seven stories built entirely on arches and columns without a single straight line or right-angled corner. It was built between 1906 and 1910 and was Gaudi’s last building before he dedicated all of his time to the Sagrada Familia. In 1984, Casa Mila was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The building has wavy walls made of rough chipped stone and doors and windows look like they are dug out of sand. The roof has all sorts of weird shaped chimneys, looking like knights – please look at my travelogues for many photos of the roof. What an amazing place!

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Phone: 93 484 5900
Address: Passeig de Gracia 92, Carrer Provenca 261
Directions: Eixample district Metro 'FGC Diagonal/Provenca'
Website: www.casamila.com

A visit to the roof is a must (I believe it cost 7 euros), not only for the magnificent architecture but also for the views. I took a photo of La Sagrada Familia from up here.

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Phone: 93 484 5900
Address: Passeig de Gràcia 92, Carrer Provenca 261
Directions: Eixample district Metro 'FGC Diagonal/Provenca'
Other Contact: www.casamila.com

Antoni Gaudi started work on La Sagrada Familia in 1882 and died in 1926, leaving it uncomplete. It is far from being completed even now and has an estimated 80 years of work left. His dream was to build three fa?ades, representing the birth, death and the resurrection of Christ and eighteen towers symbolising the 12 apostles, the 4 evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Christ.
A lift takes you high up where you can climb a small bridge interlinking the towers, however from here you can climb further up the towers via narrow spiral staircases. It is quite a scary experience if you are afraid of heights and can be hard on the legs! There are several places that protrude from the stairs like a watch post where you can look out over Barcelona and is frighteningly near the top! It is worth the climb for the spectacular views though.
There is also a very good museum underneath the Sagrada Familia, including an audio show of the history.
If you have next to no time in Barcelona, the one thing you must do is visit the Sagrada Familia. I was wondering where it would be in relation to exiting the metro station ? I just turned around and wow there it was, towering above!! Words cannot describe it. Please look in my travelogue for further photographs.
Cost is 8 euros to enter, and 2 euros for the lift.

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Phone: 93 207 30 31
Address: Carrer de Mallorca 401
Directions: Metro: Line 2 or 5 Station: Sagrada Familia
Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.org

Gaudi has used many sculptures of people and animals on the Sagrada Familia in the Nativity facade and apparantly used real people and animals as models. A friend of Picasso's fainted with cramp when covered with plaster in an angel pose.

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Phone: 93 207 30 31
Address: Carrer de Mallorca 401
Directions: Metro: Line 2 or 5 Station: SagradaFamilia
Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.org

All sorts of animals can be seen on the Sagrada Familia, carved high up or even low, such as this turtle used for a pillar on the Nativity facade of the cathedral, on the left hand side.

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Phone: 93 207 30 31
Address: Carrer de Mallorca 401
Directions: Metro: Line 2 or 5 Station: SagradaFamilia
Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.org