Barcelona: The City of My Dreams

Barcelona is the city of my dreams. Every corner of the city is magnificent. Barcelona boasts a rich cultural heritage, a picturesque coastline, and a pleasant climate. To be honest, I'm not sure where to begin. I visited Barcelona twice, most recently with my husband and daughter. During our first trip, my husband and I visited Barcelona for only two days as part of our Tossa de Mar summer holiday.

However, I am going to write about my last trip to Barcelona in April/May 2022. The places we have visited may provide you with ideas for your next trip to Barcelona.

Barcelona city view

I believe that saying a few words about Antoni Gaudí will be quite helpful. I must admit I am a big admirer of Gaudí's work.

Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was a Spanish and Catalan architect known for his unique style.

Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Parque Güell; Palacio Güell; Casa Mila; Casa Vicens; Nativity Façade and Crypt of the Sagrada Familia; Casa Batlló; Crypt at the Colonia Güell.)

Antoni Gaudí devoted his whole life to his profession and never married. Gaudí had Nordic features and blue eyes. As a young man, he dressed in expensive suits, ate only in the best restaurants, and was a frequent guest in theatres and operas throughout Barcelona. Many people criticized him for his occasional arrogance. Gaudí himself acknowledged that his impulsive nature is the only aspect of his life that he has not yet learned to control. However, those closest to him said he was a faithful friend, a talented conversationalist, and a pleasant person. As an older man, he underwent significant changes. He ate modestly, dressed in old, tattered suits, and showed no concern for his appearance. His lack of concern for his appearance often led people to mistake him for a street beggar. He withdrew from social life and devoted himself totally to his work. Unfortunately, Antoni Gaudí lost his life unexpectedly in 1926 after being knocked down by a tram.

Park Güell

This magnificent park is an attractive place for the whole family.

Situated on Barcelona's El Carmel hill, it is protected as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Park Güell

Park Güell

Park Güell

Park Güell

Park Güell

Originally intended to house more affluent Barcelona residents, Park  Güell was part of a commercially unsuccessful residential area. Eusebi Güell, a member of a wealthy and royal family from Barcelona, came up with the idea and gave Gaudí the assignment to build Park  Güell in 1900.

The lack of buyers prevented it from succeeding, so it became a city garden.

Trencadís is a unique method applied mostly in Catalan modernism. Trencadís, which means "chopped" is a special technique for assembling mosaics from shattered ceramic tiles and glass fragments. This technique is common in Catalan modernism and it is so mesmerizing that one cannot stop staring at it.

Park Güell, detail

Park Güell, detail

Park Güell, detail

Park Güell, detail

Perhaps it would be better to visit Park Güell first thing in the morning. You can check opening hours using the link below, and it usually opens from 9:30 am - 8:30 pm (Summer) and 9:30 am - 6:30 pm (Winter).

https://ticketshop.barcelona/park-guell.html

This official shophouse resembles the house from the “Hansel and Gretel” fairy tale.

Park Güell, the official shop

 

Casa Batlló & Casa Milà

(No images ☹ because I'm not entirely sure if it's forbidden to take pictures for editorial use... even from the outside)

Casa Batlló is a magnificent, extraordinary house designed by Antoni Gaudí and built between 1905 and 1907. It is located on the street Passeig de Gràcia no. 43. Locals call it “La Casa dels Ossos,” or House of Bones. It was designed for a Batllós middle-class family. We purchased a gold ticket online, though I don’t recall the name of the website, to access all the attractions, including Batlló's private room.

Casa Milà, popularly called “La Pedrera” or the quarry, was designed by Antoni Gaudí and built between 1906 and 1912. Neither of our visits to Barcelona included an inside tour. We gazed at this lovely building from the outside, as on this second visit, I simply wanted to show my child what I had seen the last time. Perhaps we might visit Barcelona a third time and experience Casa Milà from within. ☹

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia, detail

Sagrada Familia - The Holy Family is a temple, a masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí.

The architect Francisco de Paula del Villar began construction on the temple, but in 1882, Gaudí took over and completely altered it. He worked on the project for forty years. Gaudí passed away in 1926, and work on the temple continued until today. The centennial of Gaudí's death, 2026, will see the completion of the towers and most of the temple construction; decorative elements should be finished by 2030 or 2032.

2010 saw the completion of the interior of the temple.

Regarding the extremely long construction period, Gaudí reportedly said: "My client is not in a hurry."

There is a magic square on one of the facades. The magic sum of the squares equals 33, reflecting Jesus's age at his crucifixion. However, due to the repetition of the numbers 10 and 14, this is not a classic magic square.

Sagrada Familia

Giant Dolls

If you want to enter Sagrada Familia, I recommend buying tickets online. There isn´t a ticket office, or at least I didn't see one.

Generally speaking, booking your ticket online is advised (when visiting museums and any tourist sights).

We arrived one hour before our scheduled entrance and were fortunate to watch a parade of colorful, beautiful giant dolls. It looked like the La Mercè festival, but I'm not sure what it was because we visited Barcelona on May 1, 2022, and La Mercè is usually held in September. One of the reasons I enjoy Barcelona is its unpredictable nature. You never know what can surprise you.

Giant dolls

Giant dolls

El Pueblo Español

El Pueblo Español, or Poble Espanyol (Spanish Town), in Barcelona, is a very colorful and beautiful place on the slopes of Montjuïc. The Universal Exhibition of 1929 inspired its creation. El Pueblo Español represents "Spain in miniature." It shows and unites the essential characteristics of village architecture in Spain.

El Pueblo Español

El Pueblo Español

El Pueblo Español

El Pueblo Español

El Pueblo Español

El Pueblo Español,  chains on the wall

There is a story behind those chains hanging on the wall. It is about convicts who served their sentence at sea rowing on Spanish galleys. Many of them ended their lives on those very galleys. But those who were lucky enough to return to Spain alive hung their chains on the wall.

Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona

The architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas built it as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. We took a rickshaw ride to reach the Arco de Triunfo. It was lovely!

Arco de Triunfo

Gaudí´s Fountain in Park de la Ciudadela Barcelona

The monumental fountain in the Park de la Ciudadela was one of Gaudí's small projects while he was still a university student.

Fountain in the Park de la Ciudadela

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuic)

Barcelona is a fantastic city that you must visit with your kids! There are numerous attractions that you can explore together. For instance, my child and I had a blast at the Magic Fountain (Catalan: Font Màgica de Montjuïc). However, when we took a taxi from our hotel to the fountain, we simply told the driver, "Take us to the Magic Fountain," and he had no clue which one we meant. This is due to Barcelona's abundance of breathtaking fountains, each possessing a unique charm. So, we had to look up the address ourselves: Pl. Carles Buïgas, Barcelona 😊

Before you plan your trip, I recommend you check the fountain show schedule online. Here's a link that will come in handy: https://ticketshop.barcelona/magic-fountain.html

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuic)

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuic)

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuic)

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuic)

Barceloneta Beach

As I love the sea more than I love my own life, it was impossible for me not to visit Barceloneta Beach (during both my visits to Barcelona). During my first visit to Barceloneta Beach in August 2010, I was unable to swim due to my husband and our friends' desire to explore other beautiful aspects of this city. However, on my second visit in May 2022, the weather was too cold for swimming. But it was lovely to watch - both times! Third time lucky!😊

Barceloneta Beach

The huge fish sculpture can be seen from the Barceloneta Beach and the Olympic Marina.

The Fish sculpture by the architect Frank Gehry

L'Aquàrium de Barcelona

The aquarium is another place to visit if you travel with kids.

It’s just wonderful! The L'Aquàrium is located on the Moll d'Espanya at Port Vell. It's one of the largest in Europe. The best part of the visit was feeding the koi fish out of a baby bottle!

It's such a joy to experience it!

L'Aquàrium

Tibidabo

Of course, we had to attend the tour of Tibidabo Amusement Park. In addition to being fun for children, the hill offers a beautiful view of Barcelona. Of course, the view is even more appealing in sunny weather.

Tibidabo Amusement Park

View from the Tibidabo Hill

The Temple of the Sacred Heart (Catalan: Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor de Jesús) on Mount Tibidabo is impressive.

The Temple of the Sacred Heart- View from the Tibidabo

We took one of two trips with the agency, the other being El Pueblo Español, and traveled on a tourist bus provided by them.

We visited all of the other sights on our own, taking a taxi.

There are plenty of taxis on the street.😊

Barcelona is the city of my dreams. Visiting it twice has not been enough for me. I wish to live there forever. I know this desire may not seem modest, but it is not impossible, right?😊