Barcelona Things to Do Tips by grayfo

Torre Agbar - Agbar Tower Torre Agbar Review

Finished in July 2005, the new headquarters for Aguas de Barcelona (Agbar) was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel. The tower measures 142 metres in height and consists of 35 floors and 4 subterranean levels. Its design is made up of two non-concentric oval cylinders topped by glass with over 4,400 cut out window openings and a steel dome. Often referred to as a geyser, Torre Agbar was inspired by the architectural legacy of Antoni Gaudí. The tower is the third tallest building in Barcelona.

email premsa@agbar.es

September 2005

Address: Avinguda Diagonal / Carrer de Badajoz

Directions: Nearest Metro: Glories

Phone: +34 (0) 93 342 20 00

Website: http://www.torreagbar.com

Sagrada Familia Temple de la Sagrada Familia Review

The Sagrada Familia is the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona with over 2,000,000 visitors in 2003. Started 125 years ago, Gaudí’s work of art is not expected to be completed for another twenty years at least. The displays in the museum show how the project has developed. Visitors can take the lift up one of the towers to get a great view across the city. Pope Benedict XVI officially consecrated the church in November 2010.

October to March: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
April to September: 9:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Adults: £5.40

email info@sagradafamilia.org

September 2005

Address: Plaça de la Sagrada Família, Barcelona 08013

Directions: Located in the L'Eixample district, Nearest Metro: SagradaFamilia (Purple Line, L2 or Blue Line, L5)

Phone: +34 (0) 93 207 30 31

Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.org

Port Olimpic

Port Olimpic was built for the 1992 Olympics and is a stylish Marina area in between Icaria and Barceloneta Beaches, the team’s accommodation have now been transformed into trendy apartments. The harbour has a good selection of tapas bars and restaurants and has a long wide walkway that connects the two beaches.

email portolimpic@pobasa.es

September 2005

Address: Moll de Gregal, Barcelona 08005

Directions: Located on the seafront between the Icaria and Barceloneta Beaches, Nearest Metro: Ciutadella Vila Olimpica (Yellow Line, L4)

Phone: +34 (0) 932 25 92 20

Port de Barcelona - Customs House

The Port de Barcelona as the old Customs House was where mercantile loot was levied, the old Customs House, built in the late 18th century the building is now used by the government. The building has the words Port de Barcelona across the front although apparently the Spanish-language version was scratched out and replaced with Catalan.

September 2005

Directions: Port Vell (The Old Port) located at the base of Las Ramlas

Plaça d’Espanya - Venetian Towers

The Avinguda de la Reina María Christina is a very wide avenue and is flanked by the two Venetian Towers. The Towers draw their name from the fact that they were built by Ramon Reventés to resemble the Bell Tower of the San Marco Square in Venice and served as an entrance portal to the grounds of the 1929 International Fair. The 47 metre high towers lead to the fountains and light columns that line both sides of the avenue.

September 2005

Address: Avinguda de la Reina María Christina

Directions: L’Eixample, Nearest Metro: Plaça d’Espanya (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1)

Plaça Reial – Royal Square Plaça Reial Review

Place Reial in Barcelona is a popular square just off the Ramblas that was built in 1848 where it was originally the cloister of a convent. The square is a social focal point especially at night and the fountain in the centre is often packed with tourists and locals alike. All around the square are a number of very popular restaurants or bars, be prepared to wait for a table.

September 2005

Address: Plaça Reial

Directions: Located in Barri Gotic east of La Ramblas. Nearest Metro: Liceu (Green Line, L3)

Plaça d’Espanya – Fuente Monumental

The Fountain of the Three Seas is located at the centre of the square and was designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a collaborator of Antoni Gaudí, while Miquel Blay designed the statues. The monument is a tribute to water, and each sculptural group represents the seas and oceans that surround the coasts of Spain

September 2005

Address: Plaça d’Espanya

Directions: Nearest Metro: Plaça d’Espanya (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1)

Parc Güel Parc Guell Review

Antonii Gaudi, the father of Spanish architecture, worked in the Modernist or Art Nouveau period and his park, which he created between 1900 and 1914, is a masterpiece of surrealism. The site became a public park in 1922 and is a weird and wonderful garden full of crazy mosaic tiling, strange buildings with fantastically shaped roofs, lizards, a dragon and a large observation terrace giving great views of the city. Originally planned as a garden city, only two houses were built, one of which is now a museum and contains interesting furniture also designed by Gaudi.

Sunday to Saturday: 10:00 am to Dusk

Admission: Free

September 2005

Address: Carrer d'Olot, Barcelona 08024

Directions: Located at the summit of the el Carmel hill in the Gràcia district. Nearest Metro: Lesseps (Green Line, L3)

Parc de la Ciutadella - Citadel Park Parc de la Ciutadella (PARC CLOSED) Review

The Citadel Park is Barcelona's most central park and was built in the 1860s on the site of a former military fortress. The park includes several museums, the city’s zoo and a small lake surrounded by grass verges. The Catalan Parliament is seated at a building in the center of the park.

October to March.
Sunday to Saturday: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
April to September.
Sunday to Saturday: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm

September 2005

Address: Avingudade del Marquès de l'Argentera

Directions: On the edge of Ribera District. Near Barri Gothic, Cathedral Seu and Port Vell. Nearest Metro: Barceloneta, Ciutadella (Yellow Line, L4)

Palau de la Generalitat – Catalan Government Home Palau de la Generalitat Review

Palau de la Generalitat is located in the Gothic quarter and is the seat of the autonomous government of Catalonia. The building was started in the 15th century but was not finished until the 19th century, over the years it had many additions and is a combination of differing styles. Above the entrance is the Statue of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The Palau is also used for institutional visits, presentations of medals or awards, audiences and receptions.

Tours of the Palau de la Generalitat are open to groups and individual visitors on the second and fourth weekend of every month by appointment.

September 2005

Address: Plaça de Sant Jaume, Ciutat Vella

Directions: Located just off the Ramblas. Metro: (Yellow Line, L4)

Phone: +34 (0) 90 24 00 01 2

Website: http://www.gencat.es