In the midst of a sleek, contemporary landscape, an extraordinary sight awaits discovery — a 19th-century brick water tower that once reigned supreme over the skyline. Completed in 1882, this historical structure stands at an impressive 62 meters tall. Despite its grandeur, the tower is now dwarfed by the surrounding residential, office, and hotel buildings, making it easy to overlook unless one knows precisely where to seek it out.
Urban park created from redeveloping industrial land. It covers 14 hectares and includes seven areas like a children's play area, a lake with sculptures and a central plaza.
Much to the dismay of Mickey Mouse aficionados, Disseny is Catalan for "design", not "Disney". The "Disseny Hub" houses the amalgamated museums focusing on applied arts and design, including Museu de les Arts Decoratives, Museu de Ceràmica, Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària and Gabinet de les Arts Gràfiques. The new building has an intricate, multi-level structure, with the protruding tower overhanging the Praca de les Glories roundabout.
Another Gaudi masterpiece along the same avenue as La Pedrera. Open to the public. No straight line or right angles appear anywhere in the house. Often overlooked for La Pedrera, (also by Gaudi), La Casa Batlló is equally as stunning with its unique architecture and infamous two ornamental pillars in the entrance to the terrace. Open for visitors from ground floor to the roof, and down by an old-time elevator.
A beautiful Gothic monastery near the university, there are a museum which depicts the monastery life, a church, and a marvelous chapel covered with medieval frescoes.
Barcelona's most popular and famous attraction, the Sagrada Família is a testament to Antonio Gaudi's modernist style and unlike any other church in the world. The texture and detail on the façades are intricate and incorporate forms seen in nature as much of Gaudi's work does. The inside is huge — it's estimated that it can hold 13,000 people — with vaulted ceilings and columns designed to be reminiscent of trees. The church is still under construction, but the central nave, apse and crypt are open. Seeing the Sagrada Família at night with lights on is impressive — this is the time when you understand why people say that it is built of bones.
Distinctive pink house that Gaudi lived in for nearly 20 years (although not designed by him). It features furniture designed by Gaudi and other objects relating to Gaudi's life. The gift shop has a large selection of Gaudi-themed souvenirs that are generally better quality than what's available in the normal tourist shops.
Provides a beautiful panorama view over the rest of the city. The Montjuic Castle is in the Montjuic hill. From the Montjuïc Castle, take the harbor cable car to Barceloneta for more splendid views.
The Pavilion is one of the emblematic works of Mies van der Rohe and key reference architecture of the twentieth century. The famous German Pavilion was designed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition and reconstructed in 1986 on its original site. Its innovative architectural structure marked a radical change in the layout of space and greatly influenced the development of modern architecture. Furthermore, the Pavilion exhibits the Barcelona Chair, also designed by Mies van der Rohe, along with a bronze reproduction of Georg Kolbe’s sculpture Morning. The Fundació Mies van der Rohe veils for the conservation of the Pavilion.
Has a lot of art from his first period, before the cubism, but almost none of his most famous works. Pictures are described only in Spanish, but overview texts for each period are available in English. Luggage over 30x30cm needs to be left at the checkroom and there's no liability for lost valuables.
The main Gothic church in Barcelona. The cloister is maybe the most interesting part.
This square is famous for the nightlife and the uniform architecture, and features fountains and palm trees. It was built during the 19th century on the site of a monastery, after the Mendizábal law expelled the monks. After some years Antoni Gaudí designed the streetlights which are still there. It has lots of activity during the day, thanks to the many terraces of the bars and restaurants.