Social Activities & Attractions in Barcelona

Las Ramblas:
Las Ramblas’ district, which is an exciting and famous part of the city with street vendors and performers. The ‘Las Ramblas’ area is a pedestrian walkway that extends from Plaza Catalunya to Barcelona’s port district.
The walkway is lined with trees for its entire 2 km length. When traveling to Barcelona, it is always highly recommended to take a stroll down this famous boulevard. By doing so, you’ll see & meet people from all nationalities, cultural backgrounds, ages and social classes as you make your way from one end to the other.

Along the way, you’ll pass by -what seems like- an endless string of theaters, stores, vegetable, flower & fruit stands, cafes, jugglers, acrobats and much more.

Some of the most visited sites include the Mercado de la Boquería (markets), the Palacio de la Virreina (seat of the culture department of the regional government) and la Casa Bruno Cuadros.
Also along the way down the boulevard, you will pass by historic and beautiful buildings, such as the Palacio de Moya, the Gothic-Baroque Iglesia de Betlem and the Academia de Sciencias (Academy of Sciences).

El Ensanche / L' Eixample:
From 1870 to 1936 this part of the city was built to combine the Ciutat Vella (old Barcelona) with the surrounding villages. Cerdá, the architect responsible for the expansion, created the luxurious district of Bourgeoisie, making Barcelona 5 times its initial size!

In this district, there are famous structures designed by Antoní Gaudi. These structures include the Park Güell and Palacio Güell, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the Casa Amatler de Puigi Cadalfach and the Casa de los Punxes.

The most central square in El Ensanche, The Plaza de Cataluña, has comparable dimensions to those of the Vatican City in Rome. In this quarter, you can visit the Paseig de Gràcia, which is a unique boulevard with abnormal yet wonderful benches and banana trees.

Parc Güell:
Gaudí designed a real-life fantasyland with Parc Güell. He found a way to seamlessly combine nature with what is man-made, as well as preserving the fantastic views of Barcelona.

The original intent of the park was to be a garden city on a hill just north of the city center. The gardens now are covered my beautiful pavilions, stairways, columned halls and plazas that are decorated with mosaic work (trencadís). Gaudí's assistant, Josep Maria Jujol was the architect behind many of the park’s wonderful sights.

Montjuic:
Overlooking the city center is one of Barcelona’s greenest areas - Montjuïc Hill. The area is very beautiful and displays typical architectural styles of Spain. In 1929, the Poble Espanyol (village to display art and architecture) was built on the Montjuïc Hill. This site was also often used during the 1992 Olympic Games.

Tibidabo:
During the summer, on a daily basis, the Tramvia Blau tram takes people to the summit of this 350 meter high mountain. At the top of the mountain is the Parc d’Atraccions, which is one of the most famous amusement parks in Europe. Also, you’ll experience amazing views of Barcelona from the peak of this mountain!

Parc De La Ciutadella:
The Parc De La Ciutadella is one of Barcelona’s beautiful ‘green’ areas, which can be found on an old miltary fortress. Within this park is the Barcelona Zoo and the well-known Museu de Ciències Naturals (museum). The park also has many beautiful lakes and fountains, particularly in the northeast corner.

The Catalan Parliament can also be found in the Parc De La Ciutadella. Famous Spanish architect, Gaudí, is responsible for many of the buildings in this area. Many of them were built around 1888 for the ‘Universal Exhibition’.

Catedral de la Seu:
All the way back in the fourteenth century, Catedral de la Seu was built. At the end of the last centure the spires of fatade were finally added. The Cathedral has a magnificent spiritual space of the cloisters, uniquely carved choir stalls and of course, the Capella de Lepanto.

Santa Maria del Mar:
Santa Maria del is a perfect example of Mediterranean Gothic architecture and is considered by most to be the most beautiful church in Barcelona. The interior of the church consists of a simplistic harmony of columns. To add beauty and color to the simplicity there are rose windows from the fifteenth-century. The church is in the Ribera district, just northeast of the Barri Gotic.

Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia:
Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, is Barcelona’s most unusual tourist attraction. It towers high above the streets of Eixample. Although the cathedral is incomplete, it still carries an unique beauty that emerges through the omnipresent construction.

Antonio Gaudi:
Antoni Gaudí y Cornet, Spain’s most famous architect, was born in 1852 in Réus, Tarragona (Catalonia) and died in 1926. He was the son of coppersmith, which inspired his eventual interest in architecture.
Gaudí lived during the Modernisme, which was a Spanish Art Nouveau (artistic and architectural) movement. The movement is comparable to Jugendstil movement (Germany) or the Art Nouveau movement of France.
The majority of Gaudí’s work was done in Barcelona. As you look around the city, you can see that he let his imagination run wild and created remarkable sights. The atmosphere of Barcelona clearly reflects Gaudí’s style. Parc Güell, Sagrada Familia, Bellesguard and la Casa Batlló are just a few of the masterpieces that Gaudí created while in Barcelona.

Mançana de la Discòrdia:
Montaner, Gaudí and Puig i Cadafalch designed the magnificent houses that make up the Mançana de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord), which is found in between Aragó and Consell de Cent on the Passeig de Grácia. For information and passes for the Ruta Modernista, go to room number 35 on the first floor of Casa Lléo Morera.

Casa Milá:
On the corner of Passeig de Gràcia stands an enormous apartment building called the Casa Milá -a.k.a. La Pedrera (the stone quarry). Gaudí was inspired by the ocean when he designed this building. The private apartments are built in such a way that there are no square corners on the outside of the building. The roof terrace atop of the Casa Milá offers magnificent views of the city and other sights, such as the spires of La Sagrada Familia.

Beaches of Barcelona:
Just 10 minutes from Barcelona’s city center is over 4 km of sandy beaches. The beaches are broken down into 4 main areas with plenty of activities to do while there. In Barcelona, windsurfing and kite surfing are very popular sports. It is also common just to go to the beach to enjoy refreshing drinks at one of the beach huts. From Sants station, you can reach Stiges Beach in about 30 minutes by train.

Barcelona Football Stadium Tour:
This tour is very popular among travelers and locals, so we recommend that you book your tour of the Barcelona FC football stadium before arriving in the city. This tour is ideal for football fans.
The Barcelona FC museum is filled with trophies, cups and awards, as well as photos of current and former players. Walking through the halls, you’ll learn about Barcelona FC’s history, get a look at the players locker rooms and see what goes on behind the scenes at the club. You’ll even have a chance to visit a VIP box in the football stadium!