General Sightseeing and Orientation in Barcelona

Barcelona enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate of hot summers, mild winters and balmy spring and autumn seasons. The latter are the most conducive to wandering round the city, which is ideally suited to exploring on foot.
Winter, however, has its advantages in that there are no queues to wait in. Some attractions will be closed in the winter months. This includes the Montjuïc cable cars and the amusement parks. Outdoor venues such as the Poble Espanyol and the Olympic Marina are also rather deserted and the coastal resorts are very quiet. High summer is usually too hot to pound the streets, although the evenings are pleasantly warm. Some restaurants shut down in August, when Spaniards take their annual holiday, and the coastal resorts, not surprisingly are packed at this time.

back to top

Places to Visit in Barcelona

la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family)
Carrer de Mallorca 401
Tel: (93) 207 3031
Fax: (93) 476 1010
Metro Sagrada Familia
Daily 0900-1800 (Oct-Mar)
Daily 0900-2000 (Apr-Sep)

The Sagrada Familia is Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece and towers over the city's skyline. Despite being very much a building site, the extraordinary structure has elicited cries of astonishment and awe from visitors and residents alike.
It remains one of the city's most visited attractions.

Museu Picasso
Carrer Montcada 15-23
Tel: (93) 319 6310
Fax: (93) 315 0102
Metro Jaume I.

The Picasso Museum is the one of the city's main tourist attractions, housed in two 15th-century palaces close to the Parc de la Ciutadella. The impressive collection is devoted to the artist's early work, including a large number of sketches, paintings from the Blue Period (1901-1904) and the Pink Period (1907-1920), ceramics and cubist works.

Parc Güell
Carrer d'Olot
Tel: (93) 424 3809.
Metro Vallcarca/Lesseps.

Parc Güell is the fantasy created by Gaudí offering amazing views of the city. The park was originally conceived as a garden city, covers a hill to the north of the city centre. The gardens are home to fantastic pavilions and an organic plaza decorated with stunning broken-mosaic work (trencadís) by Gaudí's assistant, Josep Maria Jujol. At the base of the hill is a house designed by Francesc Berenguer, which is now home to a collection of Gaudí's furnishings and other memorabilia. This is a definite must-see when visiting Barcelona.

Casa Milá
Passeig de Gràcia 92/Carrer Provenca 261-265
Tel: (93) 484 5979
Fax: (93) 484 5889
Metro FGC Diagonal/Provenca.

Casa Milá, also known as La Pedrera, is a spectacular apartment block on the corner of Passeig de Gràcia. The building, inspired by the ocean, is an incredible testament to Gaudí's ability to make stone malleable. Apartments are arranged around elliptical patios with no square corners in sight. The roof terrace is watched over by sentry-like chimneys and offers an excellent view across the city to the spires of La Sagrada Familia. The loft space of Casa Milá is the home to the museum, Espai Gaudí, dedicated to the architect.

Poble Espanyol
Avgda. Marquès de Comillas
Montjuic
Tel: (93) 508 6330
Fax: (93) 508 6333
Metro L-1, L-3 Espanya

The Poble Espanyol was created for the International Exhibition in 1929, and is a tourist-oriented "town" with cobbled streets featuring replicas of famous buildings from every region of Spain. Shops and artists' workshops sell everything from crafts to gallery pieces, and the large open-air courtyard occasionally serves as a concert or theatre venue. There are a number of restaurants and at night there is a nightclub for those wanting to dance.