September 3, 2004

11:30 AM

Anyone know great things to see & do in Barcelona? General recommendations appreciated, specific insider tips even more so!
posted by subpixel to (13 comments total)

When you're in Barcelona, it's impossible not to see buildings by Gaudi. They are everywhere. But, the one you absolutely must see is La Segrada Familia. This building has been under construction for over a hundred years (if I remember correctly) and is absolutely breath taking. Every inch is covered in sculpture and mosaics. Here is my lovely wife at the segrada on our honeymoon a few years ago. It costs some money, and you should be in moderately good shape, but absolutely do the spire tour where you walk up the 300 foot spires around the cathedral.

There are also great art museums in Barcelona, including the Picasso Museum.

Other than that, get ready to do some drinking. Barcelona is a party town and you can easily stay out all night.
posted by trbrts at 12:31 PM on September 3, 2004

I was just there in May - spent the entire month.

Definitely check out some Gaudi. The Sagrada Familia is compelling, but I was much more taken with La Pedrera. Park Guell is also cool - that's the park with the amazing mosaic bench.

I found the Picasso Museum okay, but I loved the Miro Museum.

Just walking around is interesting enough. La Rambla does get packed with a lot of tourists, but it's still worth checking out.

I'd also recommend Montserrat if you don't mind venturing out of the city. It's a monastery in the mountains. I actually skipped the monastery and went for an amazing hike instead. It's a 45 minute train ride, followed by another short train ride - or the cable car, if you want the most scenic experience.
posted by O9scar at 12:34 PM on September 3, 2004

The view from the funicular over the harbor is great.

More outside the city: the three Dalí museums (I've actually only been to the theater-museum and museum-house.) They're amazing.
posted by Utilitaritron at 1:53 PM on September 3, 2004

I live here, so, 10 things:

1) Go up Montjuic. But not the front side. Go up the South-East side, past the cemetary and up to Mirador del Migdia. The view will blow your mind, the chiringuito will refresh you and on a Sat/Sun night, the chill-out DJs will, erm, chill you...

2) Check out el Cementerio Viejo (the Old Cementary, aka Cementiri de L'Est), just past Parc Ciutadella. Great sculpture, particularly "El beso de la muerte", in Deporamento Tercero

3) See the bomb in the wall on Carrer de Socrates - been there since 1842 - ain't gone off yet!

4) Go up Mirablau - opposite side of the city to Montjuic - amazing views. Don't bother going all the way up to Tibidabo.

5) Museum of Erotica? La Rambla, 96

6) Museum of Chocolate? Carrer de Comerç, 36-40

7) Placa Reial, central North Entrance. There's a door marked "Club de Futbol Espanyol". Knock on the door, go upstairs and drink in a private (except to those who know) bar overlooking the square, and laugh at the stupid tourists.

8) Monday Night Jazz Jam at Jamboree, also on Place Reial.

9) Get a RENFE from Passeig de Gracia and go up the coast to Caldes d'Estrac if you want a beach that doesn't suck.

10) Buy me a drink...

(On preview, for utilitaritron: 1) it's the teleferric - the funicular's go up Montjuic and Tibidabo), 2) the view's great, if 3) you don't have to queue for hours to get on...)
posted by benzo8 at 1:55 PM on September 3, 2004

(Ooh - grocer's apostrophe on "funiculars" - sorry!)
posted by benzo8 at 1:56 PM on September 3, 2004

German Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe
posted by Dick Paris at 2:10 PM on September 3, 2004

Subscribe to this.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 3:05 PM on September 3, 2004

Complain about how it's not as cool as it used to be.
posted by signal at 3:15 PM on September 3, 2004

just wander all around the barri gotic, and you must go to the old cathedral--Santa Maria Del Mar (there's another one--a high gothic one, in a big square that looks like ones all over the world, but this one is just stunning and simple and peaceful-- truly beautiful. The hotel guy told me that this is the native Barcelonan's favorite church) : >

and Passeig de Gràcia for shopping/people watching. Adolfo Domínguez has very nice stuff, i've found.
posted by amberglow at 5:31 PM on September 3, 2004

I second the Miro museum recommendation.
posted by FidelDonson at 11:54 PM on September 3, 2004

I haven't been to Barcelona, but was in Madrid. Even so, everyone I've spoken with has said the pick-pockets are as bad, or WORSE than Madrid.

I've been all over the US, and all over western Europe. No place have I ever caught people's hand in my bag or pockets except Madrid, and it happened DAILY there. Such a pity, I love Spanish art and archetecture. But I ain't going near the place for a holiday again.
posted by Goofyy at 7:42 AM on September 4, 2004

Yeah, teleferric. I must have lucked out -- I waited maybe 10 minutes. Maybe my guides (from Perpignan and La Jonquera) knew something.
posted by Utilitaritron at 2:17 PM on September 4, 2004

Barcelona is worlds better than Madrid.
It's probably my favorite city of just about any I've been to. I felt much safer there than in the rest of Spain.

I had the best time just walking around and getting lost. The town has beautiful architecture around every corner.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:53 PM on September 4, 2004