Our concierge is glad to offer you the best selection of Tourist Attractions
|
- CASA BATLLÓ: (Batlló House) Located at number 43, Passeig de Gràcia, on the Manzana de la Discordia (a play on words: ‘manzana' means both ‘block' and ‘apple' in Spanish), which is so called because in addition to this building the block also contains works by other modern architects. Gaudí was charged by the industrialist Josep Batlló i Casanovas with renovating an old building. Gaudí's renovation focused on the façade, the main floor, the inner courtyard and the terrace roof, as well as adding a fifth floor for the servants. - CASA MILÀ: (Milà House) Popularly known as La Pedrera, this house was built between 1906 and 1910 in the modernist style. Located at number 92, Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona's Eixample district, the house was ordered to be built by the married couple Pere Milà i Camps and Roser Segimon i Artells. The innovation used in the building is typical of Gaudí's work: the only geometric lines used are flat and curved. The entire façade is made of limestone, except for the top, which is covered with white tiles, giving the impression of a snow-capped mountain. - SAGRADA FAMILIA: The Sagrada Familia is the most famous and most representative of Gaudí's monuments. It is the symbol of Barcelona and the cathedral of the third millennium. Gaudí began directing work on the project in 1883; he would later dedicate his entire life to creating this monument which he left unfinished in 1926, the year of his death. The cathedral is the synthesis of all his architectural knowledge, with a collection of symbols of the mysteries of the Catholic faith: impressive façades representing the birth, death and resurrection of Christ. The 18 towers represent the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. The immense, 170-metre spire will personify Christ - PARQUE GÜELL: This is a large garden including architectural elements that is located in the upper part of the city of Barcelona, carrer Olot. Initially devised as a housing development, it was designed by Antoni Gaudí, the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism, at the request of the businessman Eusebi Güell. Built between 1900 and 1914, it was inaugurated as a public park in 1922. In 1984 UNESCO included Parc Güell in the World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí". The park was conceived of by Güell and Gaudí as a structured whole in which there would be a group of prestigious homes, in a setting of incomparable natural beauty and enjoying all the technological advances. - FINCA GÜELL: Located on Avenida de Pedralbes, these buildings were intended to house stables and a riding school. In contrast with Gaudí's other projects in this first phase of his works, the exterior of this building is austere and almost without windows. The master understood that because it was an area with a small population, and because of the use to which the buildings were going to be put, there was little point in an ostentatious exterior, so he lavished his attention on the functionality of the interiors. The 5m-high gate decorated with a winged dragon stands out. This magnificent, wrought-iron piece shows both the profound respect that Gaudí felt for ironwork (which is so common in his work) and the importance that he attached to ornamental details. - PALAU GÜELL: Gaudí built the Palau Güell at the request of Eusebi Güell (Barcelona, 1846-1918), who wanted a new home in Barcelona at Nou de la Rambla, 3-5. Palau Güell is the only one of Gaudí's buildings that was fully finished and was not subsequently modified in any major way. This makes it one of Gaudí's most communicative buildings: a building whose architecture has a complex eloquence. - CASA CALVET: This is a 5-floor building located at number 48, carrer Casp, in Barcelona's Eixample district. It was built between 1898 and 1900 for a textiles manufacturer and served both for business, to which the ground floor and the basement were dedicated, and dwellings, which are located on the upper floors; the main, and more luxurious, one belonging to the owner. Many experts on Gaudí's work consider Casa Calvet to be the architect's most conservative work. In the gothic style, the present cathedral was built between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries on the site of the old Romanesque cathedral, which in turn was built on the site of a Visigoth-era church which had been preceded by an early Christian basilica, the remains of which can be seen in the subsoil; this can be viewed in the Museum of History of the City. Although the imposing façade is in the same style, it is far more modern (nineteenth century). The building is a Site of Cultural Interest and, since 2 November 1929, a National Historic-Artistic Monument Santa María del Mar is a gothic church in Barcelona located in the La Ribera area and built between 1329 and 1383. It is worth us today noting that it must have belonged exclusively to the parishioners of the port and of La Barceloneta, who were solely responsible for the church since it was they who paid for it, whether through their money or their labour. This is in stark contrast with the cathedral, which was being built at the same time and was associated with the monarchy, the nobility and the senior clergy. It seems that the entire population of La Ribera participated in the construction, in particular the dockworkers - known as "galafates de la Ribera" or "bastaixos" at the time - who carried, one at a time and on their backs, the enormous stones for building the church from the royal quarry at Montjuïc and from the beaches, where the boats that had brought the stones to Barcelona were. In Barcelona Las Ramblas extend approximately 1.2 kilometres; Port Vell (the old port) is at one end and Plaça Catalunya is at the other. - MIMES: These can be found all along Las Ramblas. - PALAU DE LA VIRREINA: This was built in the French baroque style by the architect Josep Ribes in 1770 at the request of the Viceroy of Peru, Manuel Amat i Junyent. When he returned to Barcelona having been widowed in Peru he married again and ordered this palace built to please his new wife. It is now the headquarters of Barcelona City Council's Culture Division and its exhibition hall houses work by contemporary Catalan artists such as Oriol Bohigas or Antoni Abad. - MERCAT DE LA BOQUERÍA: The La Boquería Market is located in the centre of Barcelona on Las Ramblas and flies the flag for gastronomy. With decades of tradition behind it, it is already a reference point on the world gourmet map. All you have to do is take a short walk around its galleries to enjoy a fiesta of colours, flavours and aromas. It is so specialised that it is possible to find stalls that are dedicated to a single foodstuff, for example bananas, eggs or cod. - CASA DEL PARAIGÜES: (Umbrella House) A building with oriental elements. Located on Rambla de Barcelona, it used to be an umbrella shop. - MOSAICO MIRÓ: (Miró Mosaic) This work by Miró - a circular mosaic of azulejos (glazed ceramic tiles) - is located next to the Liceu Theatre and the Liceu metro station. - GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU: (Opera House) This theatre, which was built on the Rambla de Barcelona in 1847, is an opera theatre which has continued to function as a cultural and artistic centre down the years and constitutes one of the city's symbols. Built between 1905 and 1908 by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the headquarters for the Catalan Choral Society and paid for by popular subscription, this constitutes a symbolic and sentimental piece of patrimony for an entire people that identifies with its history. Furthermore, its Concert Hall - one of the most remarkable in the world - has for over a hundred years had the privilege of being the scene for concerts in Barcelona by musicians from all over the world. The Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital originated in 1401 with the fusion of the six hospitals that then existed in Barcelona. In the late-nineteenth century the growth of the city and advances in medicine meant that the hospital's capacity was insufficient, leading to the construction of a new building. The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner was entrusted with designing the new building and he made Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital into the largest collection of state-owned buildings in the Catalan Modernist style. - FONTS DE MONTJUÏC (LA FONT MÀGICA): (Montjuïc Fountains; the Magic Fountain) This is one of the city's most traditional spectacles: a fiesta of water, music and light. The tower was designed by the studio of the architect Jean Nouve. It is 145m-tall and has 34 stories (plus four below ground), making it the third-tallest building in the Catalan capital when it opened (June 2005). It has a total area of 50,693 square metres. Barcelona experienced an explosion of architecture and renovations motivated by the 1992 Olympic Games and an example of this is the telecommunications tower built to look like an Olympic ring by Santiago Calatrava for the event. It uses an innovative design that breaks with those of traditional telecommunications towers. Adress: Carrer d'Arístides Maillol 12 Tel: 934 963 600 Web Site: www.fcbarcelona.com Guided visits to the Football stadium and the Museum |
 |