Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain by Ramon Llorensi

City Highlights

This excursion gives you the chance to see the areas and landmarks of Barcelona that have made the city famous and characterise it to this day. Seeing the city on foot is also a great way to really immerse yourself in the local culture and engage with local residents as well as other travellers. Some of the highlights of this trip are the Gothic Quarter and the Spanish Village and two unforgettable places are the religious sites. The 600-year-old, quintessentially Gothic Cathedral of St Eulalia is built on the site of a former Roman temple to Hercules. The world-famous Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi, is spectacular despite still not being completed to this day.

For Football Fans

One of Barcelona’s greatest highlights is its football team. It’s renowned worldwide for its success, both nationally and internationally and usually fields a team of some of the footballing world’s best players. Their home is at the Nou Camp stadium, known locally as simply the Barca and a guided tour is a great way to soak up a real feel of the team and the ground. This tour allows you to pass through the visiting team’s changing room, down the tunnel and on to the pitch, as well as seeing other areas such as the press and interview rooms. There is also a great chance to wander round the Barca Museum, which houses memorabilia from the club’s immensely successful past.

Nou Camp stadium, Barcelona, Spain by Börkur Sigurbjörnsson

Sun and Sea

A chance to make the most of Barcelona’s coastal location is offered by the nearby town of Sitges, accessible by a 45-minute coach journey. This quaint town with its whitewashed houses has plenty on offer, from winding lanes with little shops to explore to seventeen beaches where you can relax, catch some sunshine and enjoy a cool drink. There is something for everyone in Sitges, whether you’re looking for sedate sunbathing or a frolic in the waves. If playing in the water is what appeals to you and your family, then a visit to Isla Fantasia is a must. It’s a giant water park with countless slides, splashdowns and a children’s area. A day at Isla Fantasia will be one that you won’t forget in a hurry.

Into the Mountains

For those who want to see the surroundings of Barcelona, a trip to Montserrat is a great starting point. Literally meaning ‘jagged mountain’ in Catalan, Montserrat is a striking feature of the local landscape and lies only a short distance from the city. One of the most interesting features is the 1000-year-old monastery nestled at the foot of the mountain which hosts the sanctuary of the Black Virgin of Montserrat a site of pilgrimage in the region. From the monastery, it is possible to take the rack railway to the summit of the peak, which is over 4000-feet high and offers spectacular views across the local area.

Any trip to Barcelona will allow you to experience cultural attractions, many great landmarks and hopefully some glorious weather too.

Post by Tony, a UK based travel blogger on behalf of cruise.co.uk.

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Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain by Ramon Llorensi

Barcelona is also Europe’s largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast and a home to one of Europe’s principal Mediterranean ports. Barcelona international airport handles approx. 30 million passengers every year.

Barcelona was the 12th-most-visited city in the world and 4th most visited in Europe after London, Paris and Rome. It is in addition the most popular tourist destination in Spain (receiving above 5 million tourists every year). Barcelona is the 4th richest city by GDP in the European Union (after London, Paris and Madrid).

Barcelona was probably founded by the Carthaginians and later became a Roman colony of Barcino. The city became famous mainly for its remarkable architecture, but Summer Olympic Games in 1992 promoted the city much more. The popularity and the huge attendance certainly also contributes to the fact that it lies at sea. A lot of people are coming here from nearby France.

Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain by WikiMapa

Most remarkable symbol of the city is the cathedral Sagrada Familia designed by the famous architect Antonio Gaudí. Its construction began in 1884 and is still not finished. Meanwhile Gaudí died in 1926 and the following construction is already not according to his original plan. The huge building with twelve towers became the most admired place of Barcelona. Construction is funded by donations and is progressing quite slowly. It is planned that could be completed in 2026, the 100th anniversary of the death of Antonio Gaudí. But whether it actually happens, it is not entirely certain.

But the cathedral is not the only signature of Gaudí in Barcelona. Among his other major works are the Park Güell with Gaudi Museum, the Palau Güell palace, quite controversial building La Pedrera (or Casa Milà) and Casa Batlló. Many of Gaudí’s work at the time of its inception, were considered ugly, but today, however, they are most popular sights of Barcelona. They are also registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List (some of them since 1984, but more were added later in 2005).

The city gave to the world and especially to itself yet another famous architect – Lluís Domenech i Montaner. In Barcelona he designed a building of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, that was constructed between 1901 and 1930, and the Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) from 1905 – 1908. Both buildings have also been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997.

Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain by Alberto Carrasco Casado

But Barcelona does not offer only modern architecture. The city boasts plenty of Gothic monuments, and even has a Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic), forming the basis of the Old Town. The area also contains the walls from Roman times or other non-gothic buildings. Walking through the old streets is really a great experience. Gothic Quarter is dominated by the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia.

In addition there is a huge variety of museums, galleries and cultural booths in Barcelona. There are many sports facilities, some of which hosted major sporting events (e.g. Olympic Games), two large football stadiums, or racing circuit for MotoGP World Championship and Formula I.

Barcelona is a live city at all (in terms of traffic intensity sometimes even too live…), full of culture, art and all sorts of activities.

Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain by Ferran Pestaña

Top sights to see in Barcelona

• Sagrada Família, the international symbol of Barcelona – still unfinished church
• Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau
• Park Güell
• Palau Güell
• Casa Milà
• Casa Vicens
• Casa Batlló
• Crypt in Colonia Güell
• The Cathedral of St. Eulalia
• Church of Santa Maria del Mar
• Gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi
• Church of Sant Pau del Camp
• Palau Reial Major
• The Columbus Monument
• Forum Building
• The Arc de Triomf, a triumphal arch built in 1888

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