Barcelona: The City of My Dreams

brightsunnymorning9
Feb 5, 2024
7 min read

Barcelona is the city of my dreams.

Every corner of it feels magnificent, filled with a unique energy that is hard to describe. It offers a rich cultural heritage, a picturesque coastline, and a wonderfully pleasant climate.

To be honest, it is difficult to know where to begin. I have visited Barcelona twice, most recently with my husband and daughter. During our first trip, my husband and I spent only two days in the city as part of our summer holiday in Tossa de Mar.

In this text, however, I will focus on our most recent visit to Barcelona in April/May 2022. The places we explored might give you some inspiration for your own trip to this remarkable city.

Barcelona city view

Antoni Gaudí

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

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

Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Vicens, the Nativity Façade and Crypt of the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, and the Crypt of Colònia Güell.

Gaudí devoted his entire life to his profession and never married. He had Nordic features and blue eyes. As a young man, he dressed in expensive suits, dined in the finest restaurants, and was a frequent guest at theatres and opera houses throughout Barcelona. Many people criticized him for his occasional arrogance. Gaudí himself acknowledged that his impulsive nature was the only aspect of his life he had not yet learned to control. However, those closest to him described him as a faithful friend, a gifted conversationalist, and a pleasant person.

As he grew older, he underwent significant changes. He ate modestly, wore old, worn-out suits, and showed little concern for his appearance. His disregard for his appearance often led people to mistake him for a street beggar. He withdrew from social life and devoted himself entirely to his work. Unfortunately, Antoni Gaudí lost his life in 1926 after being struck 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

Originally intended to house more affluent residents of Barcelona, Park Güell was part of a residential project that was ultimately commercially unsuccessful. Eusebi Güell, a member of a wealthy and aristocratic Barcelona family, conceived the idea and commissioned Antoni Gaudí to design Park Güell in 1900.

However, the lack of buyers prevented the project from succeeding, and it was eventually transformed into a public park.

Trencadís is a distinctive technique widely used in Catalan Modernism. The word trencadís, meaning “chopped” or “broken,” refers to a method of creating mosaics from shattered ceramic tiles and glass fragments. This technique is characteristic of Catalan Modernism and is so visually captivating that it is difficult to take your eyes off it.

Park Güell, detail

Perhaps it would be better to visit Park Güell first thing in the morning. You can check the opening hours online in advance, and it usually opens from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm (summer) and from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm (winter).

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

Park Güell, the official shop

Casa Batlló is a magnificent, extraordinary building designed by Antoni Gaudí and built between 1905 and 1907. It is located on Passeig de Gràcia, at number 43. Locals call it “La Casa dels Ossos” (the House of Bones). It was designed for the Batlló family, a middle-class family in Barcelona. 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 Batlló

Casa Milà, popularly known as “La Pedrera” (“The Quarry”), was designed by Antoni Gaudí and built between 1906 and 1912. Neither of our visits to Barcelona included an interior tour. We admired this beautiful building from the outside, as on this second visit, I simply wanted to show my child what I had seen the previous time. Perhaps we will visit Barcelona a third time and experience Casa Milà from the inside.

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia, detail

Sagrada Família – The Holy Family – is a basilica and a masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí.

The architect Francisco de Paula del Villar initially began construction on the temple, but in 1882, Gaudí took over the project and completely transformed its design. He worked on it for over forty years. Gaudí passed away in 1926, and construction has continued ever since.

In 2010, the interior of the basilica was completed, while work on the exterior is still ongoing.

Regarding its exceptionally long construction period, Gaudí is said to have remarked: “My client is not in a hurry.”

One of the façades features a magic square. The sum of each row, column, and diagonal equals 33, symbolizing the age of Jesus at his crucifixion. However, due to the repetition of the numbers 10 and 14, it is not a traditional 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

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, chains on the wall

There is a story behind the chains hanging on the wall. It is about convicts who served their sentences at sea, rowing on Spanish galleys. Many of them died on those very galleys. Those who were fortunate enough to return to Spain alive would hang 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 Montjuïc)

Barcelona is a fantastic city to visit with children! There are numerous attractions that you can explore together. For instance, my child and I had a great time at the Magic Fountain (Font Màgica de Montjuïc in Catalan). 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 idea which one we meant. This is because Barcelona has many beautiful fountains, each with its own unique charm. So, we had to look up the address ourselves: Pl. Carles Buïgas, Barcelona. 😊

Before planning your visit, it is best to check the fountain show schedule online in advance.

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuïc)

Magic Fountain (Fuente Mágica de Montjuic)

Barceloneta Beach

As I love the sea more than life itself, it was impossible for me not to visit Barceloneta Beach during both of my trips to Barcelona. During my first visit in August 2010, I was unable to swim because my husband and our friends preferred to explore other beautiful parts of the city. On my second visit in May 2022, the weather was simply too cold for swimming. Still, it was lovely to be there and enjoy the view 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 great place to visit if you are traveling with children.

It is truly wonderful! L’Aquàrium is located on Moll d’Espanya in Port Vell and is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. The highlight of our visit was feeding the koi fish with a baby bottle!

It is such a joy to experience.

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 would love to live there forever. I know this may not sound very modest, but is it really impossible? 😊