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MUSEUMS
ART & HISTORY |
Palau Nacional
Parc de Montjuïc
Metro: Espanya
Web: MNAC.es |
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MNAC
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya: The Catalán national art museum features an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures and artifacts, dating back to ancient times, and tracing the cultural development of the Catalán community. |
Museu Picasso
A one of a kind display, Barcelona's Picasso Museum is located in a series of Renaissance era palaces, remodeled for the purpose of honoring the revolutionary artist whose Bohemian roots were here. The museum will surprise many visitors who may be unaware of Picasso's incredible virtuosity in classical painting during adolescence. |
Parc de Montjuïc
Metro: Espanya / Funicular de Montjuïc (Metro Paral·lel)
Tel: 93 443 94 70
Web: Bcn.FJMiro.es |
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Fundació Joan Miró
The Miró Foundation celebrates the work of Barcelona's emblematic abstract artist, whose idiosyncratic style has penetrated the graphic life of the city at seemingly every level. Located on the slopes of Montjuïc, near the Olympic ring and overlooking the Mediterranean, the Foundation easily becomes part of an unforgettable day. |
Museu d'Història de la Ciutat
MHCB distills the "vast museum" of the city to a fascinating essence, and explains how it all came to be. Walk through ancient Roman settlements, the walled medieval trading post, and into the breathtaking architectural renaissance of the early 20th Century. The museum is actually several museums, but is mostly identified as the Conjunt Monumental de la Plaça del Rei. |
Baixada del Monestir 9
Buses: 63, 78, 22, 64
Tel: 93 203 92 82 |
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Monestir de Pedralbes
Part of the MHCB, this converted monastery traces the artistic and religious history of the city, displaying monastic furnishings, ceramics, textiles, papers and writings, as well as a stunning collection of paintings. The museum serves a dual role of anthropological artifact and active exhibition, useful to educational travelers, groups, and those interested in traditional Catalán architecture. |
Pavelló de Consergeria
C/ d'Olot
Buses: 24, 25, 28, 31, 32, 74, 116
Tel: 93 285 68 99 |
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Centre d'Interpretació del Parc Güell
Located at the main entrance to the park, this MHCB facility allows the visitor to better understand the layout of the park, the flora, the architectural concepts and strategies at play, and the historical relevance of the park itself. |
Espai Gaudí / La Pedrera
A winding, dramatically lit visual library enclosed within his marvelous Casa Milà (better known as La Pedrera), designed to provide key information for understanding the architectural genius of Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona's incorrigible innovator and favorite son. |
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CULTURAL SITES
NEIGHBORHOODS & ARCHITECTURE |
C/ Marina, bet. Mallorca, Provença
Metro: Sagrada Familia |
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Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia
Stunning unfinished cathedral, designed and begun by Barcelona's legendary modernist master, Antoni Gaudí. The building swims with color and with sacred sculpture, illustrating the doctrine of the death and resurrection. Visitors can climb the spires, and cross between them, getting an aerial view of the city, even as construction continues below. |
C/ d'Olot
Metro: Lesseps + 3/4 km. walk
Buses: 24, 25, 28, 31, 32, 74, 116 |
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Parc Güell
This public park is entirely unique in all the world. Its design artfully integrates human design and the natural elements of the indigenous landscape. Gaudí's structures intertwine with the foliage of the hills, and his trencadis tile mosaics adorn the rim of the park's elevated central plaza, from which one can enjoy a view of all Barcelona, down to the sea. |
El Born
Fascinating archaeological excavation, which has uncovered the old Ribera neighborhood, demolished between 1716 and 1718 to make way for a grand citadel, to secure the city. The dig sheds light on a long arc of Barcelona history, having so far revealed 8,000 sq. meters of the lost Ribera barrio. The Mercado del Born itself will be converted into a library, and a cultural center is due to open in 2006. "El Born" means tournament, referring to medieval jousts held there, and is a barrio now again getting people's attention. |
Bet. Plaça Catalunya, Ramblas, Port
Metro: Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes, Urquinaona, Jaume I |
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Barri Gòtic
The Barri Gòtic, along with El Born, encapsulates what was once the thriving city itself, the Casc Antic or 'Old Shell'. Strolling its charming narrow passageways, there is a wealth of textured and unexpected scenery to experience, ranging from the ancient to the medieval, even to the modernist flare of Picasso, the gothic Cathedral, the Roman walls, the Ajuntament (city hall), and a broad array of shops, cafés and eateries. |
Bet. Plaça Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal
Metro: Catalunya, Pg. de Gràcia, Diagonal |
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Passeig de Gràcia
Barcelona's preeminent shopping street has long been a place to see and be seen. Formerly a site of Eixample evening promenades, it is now a major thoroughfare, with wide sidewalks, and an abundance of terrazas, or sidewalk cafés. Within a few blocks, the visitor is treated to some of the finest of modernist architecture, including works by Antoni Gaudí, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and Lluís Domènech i Montaner. |
Plaça del Tibidabo
FCG: Tibidabo to Avda. Tibidabo + 15 min. walk or Tramvia Blau |
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Tibidabo
All of Barcelona is available to the eyes from this spot, named for the biblical passage in which the Devil tempts Jesus with the worldly riches of the land spread before his view, saying "Haec omnia tibi dabo". When lit by night, the Temple del Sagrat Cor cathedral appears to float over Barcelona, with an amusemuent park by its side. Also, see Norman Foster's Torre de Collserola, and the Museu de Ciéncia. The restaurant Mirablau is a prime spot for taking in the view while relaxing over tapas, copas or coffee. |
Montjuïc, below Paral.lel
Walk from Plaça d'Espanya
Metro: Espanya or Paral.lel + Funicular |
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Montjuïc
This seaside hill is the site of the Olympic ring, which includes Calatrava's communications tower and the Olympic stadium and diving platforms. MNAC is at the bottom, near the Plaça d'Espanya. Just above that is the Poble Espanyol, which features structures and streets emblematic of provinces from all parts of Spain, as well as artisans, foundations, restaurants and a nightclub. The Fundació Joan Miró is located about halfway up the slope. Atop the hill, there is a fortress, which has served a military role and as a prison throughout the city?s difficult history. |
Foot of Ramblas
Metro: Drassanes |
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Maremagnum
An impressive seaside mall, popular with tourists and natives, some will say it represents the generic international urban retail experience; others highlight interesting restaurants, and an enjoyable walk from the foot of Las Ramblas, over the inlet to the mall, then across to the aquarium and the Port Vell (Old Port). |
Palau de la Música Catalana
There are scarcely words available to describe the lush, colorful and ingeniously decorated interior of this modernist masterpiece of the architect Domènech i Montaner. Guided tours are available; photographs are prohibited. The best way to see the Palau, however, is to attend a concert held there; the experience will surely reinvent your notion of anything you hear there. |
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