Beautiful Barcelona

The capital of Catalunya bordering the Balearic Sea is a visual treat spanning two thousand years of artistic excellence. Step back in time wandering the narrow medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter or soar into the future at the not-yet-finished Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia. Stroll down La Rambla amid the posturing mimes, bright birds, and flower-sellers' stalls. Indulge in the hybrid of French and Mediterranean cuisine unique to cultural cross roads.

History stretches backwards through two millennia. Barcelona was built by an Iberian tribe known as the Laietans and conquered by the Romans in 133 BC. Subsequently, the Visgothic capital and the site of a Moorish invasion, by the 8th century Charlemagne captured Barcelona and made it the Frankish frontier with the Moorish Empire.

Gaining independence from the Franks by 988, the Catalonian counties were united through marriage with the House of Aragon. The 1474 wedding of Ferdinand and Isabella united all of Spain. A statue of their famous hired sailor - Christopher Columbus - looms over the harbor end of Barcelona's vast pedestrian thoroughfare, La Rambla.

Emerging from the hushed darkness of the ancient Catedral de La Seu into the whimsical bursts of modernisme fancy spread about the city by Gaudi underlines the contrasts and delights of Barcelona. Gaudi, Picasso, Miro, Dali, and other modern artists have left their mark on Barcelona. Parc Guell, a wonderland of fantasy made real, is designated by Gaudi is a World Heritage Site. The Picasso Museum is designed to provide maximum view-space around the artist's works. [Budget note: the café at the Costume Museum right next door to the Picasso Museum is less expensive and open outside of Museum hours.]

From the top of Mont Juic to the beaches of Barceloneta the city is a living time capsule. If your time is limited, a stroll through the Gothic Quarter. A funicular car ride up to the heights, and a glimpse of the Parc Guell are essential.

Budget Barcelona

Running from early spring through the fall, the Bus Turistic is the best buy around. Traveling a circuit that takes in all the major sights, the bus runs from 9:30 until 7:30, with a bus coming by every thirty minutes. Your fee of 1,200 ptas covers the bus and fare for the Tramvia Blau, funicular, and cable car. Bear in mind that many of the sights you have come to see charge no admission.

Go To Page: 1 2