Located on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, Barcelona welcomes all its visitors with its hospitality, art that spans the streets, traditions, culture, buildings that shed light on its architectural history, and extraordinary climate. Barcelona is an exceptional city that makes every visitor fall in love with it.
The geographical location of Barcelona, which was founded as a Roman city, made it economically and strategically important. Barcelona has been home to many different civilizations throughout history, creating a rich cultural heritage in the city and making Barcelona one of the most popular tourist destinations today.
During your stay in Barcelona, whether you stay at multi-story luxury hotels of the world's leading hotel chains or you can prefer traditional Barcelona houses that re-decorated and become a boutique hotel. But in my opinion, the first thing you need to pay attention to is that the hotel you are staying in must be in the city center because I think you are not going to Barcelona to spend time at the hotel.
Before you start your Barcelona tour you will need a good route plan, yes we are in a digital age, we have maps on our smartphones and even show our place. But put smart maps aside and get a paper map from your hotel, a bookstore or tourism information. If you get lost, you will use the blessings of the digital world.
There are places to visit in every city, but in Barcelona, this number is a bit more. We took a look at these must-visit places and selected some destinations and listed them for you. Nevertheless, do not run from one building to another museum, try to absorb the spirit of Barcelona. Don't focus on just visiting too many places in a short time, make sure you experience the artistic atmosphere of Barcelona and the delicacies of its unique cuisine.
La Sagrada Familia
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - La Sagrada Familia
If you ask the first place you have to visit in Barcelona, you will always get the same answer, La Sagrada Familia. In a sense, Barcelona means La Sagrada Familia, La Sagrada Familia means Barcelona. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, The Basílica de la Sagrada Família is one of the most famous architectural works in the world. In 1883, Antoni Gaudí became the chief architect and combined the Gothic and Art Nouveau architectural styles and designed a magnificent architectural masterpiece. However, due to the complexity and size of the building, Gaudí's life did not enough and only less than a quarter of the project had completed before he died in 1926.
La Sagrada Familia, which is more famous than Antoni Gaudí's other buildings in Barcelona, has become the symbol of the city and is the ideal place to start your trip to Barcelona. La Sagrada Familia is made up of details, details, and details, and it will not be easy to get lost in its spell and prevent you from spending your whole day there. La Sagrada Familia, which will make you feel small, will fascinate you so you will want to go back and look at it when you have the first opportunity during the rest of your Barcelona trip.
Park Güell
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - Park Güell
We can define Antoni Gaudí as the person who shaped Barcelona. Each building he designed has become an integral part and value of Barcelona. The fact that he has created works representing different architectural movements in different periods of his career and the diversity he has made makes Antoni Gaudí and his works different. Park Güell also home to some of these works together, and it is one of the places you must visit in Barcelona, so it is in second place on our list. At Park Güell, as soon as you see buildings where Antoni Gaudí pushes the limits of architectural creativity, you will feel that you are next to one of the most intertwined examples of geometry with architecture, and this will inspire you.
Construction of Park Güell was started in 1900. After 14 years of design and construction process, it was completed in 1914. Officially it was opened in 1926 as a public park. Reflecting the talent and spirit of Antoni Gaudí, Park Güell has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. One of the best places to visit in Barcelona, Park Güell is home to the works of Antoni Gaudí and some of Josep Maria Jujol and Joan Rubió. Gaudí's mosaic work on the main terrace is one of the most important proofs that details create a whole. You can visit Park Güell with tours that include Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, or with your own time schedule. The beauty of Park Güell will add a new color to your Barcelona tour and your outlook on life.
Casa Mila
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - Casa Mila
As I mentioned earlier, Barcelona was shaped by Antoni Gaudí. Casa Mila is also a heritage and another signature work that Antoni Gaudí left to Barcelona. This modern architectural work was built between 1906 and 1912 and is the last private residence designed by Antoni Gaudí. Its unique facade and curved iron balconies were designed by Josep Maria Jujol.
Located in Paseo de Gracia, 92, Casa Mila was designed and built as the home of Pere Mila and his wife Roser Segimon, and has become one of the most famous buildings in architectural history. To understand Barcelona's culture, it is important to see Casa Mila. The distinctive appearance and stance of a fairy tale represent the warm atmosphere of Barcelona. Casa Mila, which became part of the World Heritage Site in 1984, was restored in 1987 by architects Joseph Emilio Hernández-Cross and Rafael Vila. But before you visit Casa Mila, forget all the houses you've seen so far, because when you see the details, you can decide that the place is exactly where you want to live.
Casa Batlló
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - Casa Batlló
Yes, it is more like a visit to the works of Antoni Gaudí one by one, than a trip to Barcelona. But what can I say, in a sense, Barcelona is an open-air architectural museum that houses Antoni Gaudí's works. And now, it's time to visit one of those unique works and admire the details. Built in 1877, Casa Batlló was redesigned by Antoni Gaudí in 1904 and was renovated many times over the years. Antoni Gaudí's assistants also contributed to this restoration work.
Casa Batlló is located on the Passeig de Gracia, one of the major avenues of Barcelona, in the center of the Eixample district, home to shopping and business districts. Casa Batlló, a unique example of Modernisme or Art Nouveau style, stands more like a giant statue in the center of the city than a building. Antoni Gaudí redesigned Casa Batlló entirely and made it look as if it had been designed by him from the very first moment. You may be questioning whether it is worth the time to see a single building. However, Casa Batlló is more than a single building; it is a magnificent building composed of thousands of details. There are some architectural artifacts that seem to come from the future, but Casa Batlló is a work that surpassed it. Casa Batlló seems to have come from a completely different world in another parallel universe.
La Rambla
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - La Rambla
La Rambla looks like a green river flowing in the middle of Barcelona. La Rambla, one of the most famous streets of both Barcelona and the world, is an iconic street that must be visited and must be walked slowly from beginning to end. The 1.2-kilometer-long La Rambla basically consists of joining five short streets. Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla de Sant Josep, Rambla dels Caputxins, and Rambla de Santa Monica are part of this unique street.
Although La Rambla is used to go from place to place for the residents of Barcelona, it is one of the ideal places for tourists to understand the city's culture and breathe its atmosphere. The first trees that make up the tree lines that became the identity and integral parts of La Rambla were planted in 1703. 280 birch trees planted at that time were later replaced by elm trees. Although some acacia trees were planted in the 1830s, plane trees started to form the shadow that fell on La Rambla after 1859. Crowded all day long and welcoming tourists until late at night, La Rambla is one of the best places to visit in Barcelona. Throughout La Rambla, you can find kiosks selling newspapers, souvenirs, and flowers. Performers on the street create the warm atmosphere of La Rambla. If you think walking in La Rambla will be tiring, don't worry, pavement cafes and bars on the street offer many options to relieve your tiredness and taste the flavors of Barcelona.
Picasso Museum
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - Picasso Museum
Cities gain their identity with the works of artists who were born or lived in that city, architects who shaped that city, and notable people who determined the fate of the city. Barcelona is a very lucky city in this respect, it houses the works of an architectural genius like Antoni Gaudí and a painter like Pablo Picasso. Barcelona is like an open-air museum with Antoni Gaudí's works that must be visited and seen. Picasso Museum is also one of the best places to visit in Barcelona as a museum filled with the works of Pablo Picasso and shedding light on every stage of his life.
The founding father of the Picasso Museum is Jaume Sabartés, friend and secretary of Pablo Picasso. Jaume Sabartés wanted to set up the museum in Málaga, but when Pablo Picasso stated that Barcelona would be more suitable, Jaume Sabartés signed an agreement with the city of Barcelona in 1960 and the museum opened its doors in 1963. The Picasso Museum, dedicated to Pablo Picasso, is the only museum established in his name during the artist's life. Pablo Picasso and Jaume Sabartés met in 1899, and since then the painter has given his friend many of his works. Jaume Sabartés donated his private collection consist of 574 works, which were given to him by Picasso, to the museum. After the death of Jaume Sabartés in 1968, in 1970 Pablo Picasso donated 920 pieces of art to the museum, and the museum reached a unique inventory. The Picasso Museum is one of the most important parts of the Barcelona art network and one of the best places to visit in Barcelona.
Cathedral of Barcelona
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - Cathedral of Barcelona
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, renowned as Barcelona Cathedral, is a Gothic cathedral that its construction spanned three centuries. Barcelona Cathedral is also one of Barcelona's iconic values. Dedicated to the Eulalia of Barcelona, Barcelona Cathedral is an architectural masterpiece in all aspects. It is unthinkable to leave this city without visiting Barcelona Cathedral on your trip to Barcelona.
The construction of the Barcelona Cathedral started in 1298 and as a result of 150 years of work, this magnificent cathedral, which is 90 meters long and 40 meters wide, with two towers 53 meters high, was completed in 1448. In the 19th century, the construction of the neo-Gothic facade and central tower started and was completed in 1918. Fascinating its guests with its exterior and interior architectural details, Barcelona Cathedral is located in a very easy-to-reach place in the center of Barcelona. One of the best places to visit in Barcelona, Barcelona Cathedral is home to the tomb of Saint Raymond of Penyafort as well as tombs of many bishops. When you want to get away from the lively and cheerful atmosphere of Barcelona, this is the right time to visit Barcelona Cathedral and witness the history of Barcelona.
Ciutadella Park
Best Places to Visit in Barcelona - Ciutadella Park
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