Getting Around Barcelona

Whether you've heard of Barcelona because it is the capital of the Catalonia or due to its fantastic football team, when visiting this great city you cannot fail to be impressed.

Whenever I am asked for advice about what to do in a big city I give one answer:  If there is a hop-on-hop-off tour bus, take it.  Stay on it for the first time around and make notes of the places you want to visit.  Then second time around you can do the hop on and off bit.  By then you'll have a good idea of the layout and can go it alone.  Barcelona has plenty of these roofless double-decker buses which encompass all parts of the city that are of interest to tourists.  Bearing in mind the distances between many of the 'must see' sights the buses are well worth the expense.

Probably the most recognisable site is the unfinished church of the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) by Gaudi.  Building started in the 19th century and Gaudi died in 1926 (killed by a tram in Barcelona) when just one of the spires had been completed.  Now it is possible to go into the church and climb to the top to see splendid views of Barcelona.

The city has many types of architecture - Gothic, Renaissance, Neo-classical and modern.  All this as well as statues of famous people - Christopher Columbus stands on a tall column so you have to look up a long way to see him - and colourful 'shapes'.

Taken from top of the bus.

You want shopping?  Amble up the Ramblas, browse the department store called El Corte Ingles (The English Court), get lost in the side streets and find the markets.  Somewhere not to miss is in the Plaza de Espana (in Catalan Placa d'Espanya) and called Las Arenas.  A clue as to what the building originally was - it is circular.  Got it?  Another clue - bullfighting was banned in Catalonia.  That's right, it was a bullring.  To make it higher it was lifted above the street and new floor inserted.  It was then covered with a roof and a terrace.

If you need somewhere quieter then go to Montjuic which towers over the city and has gardens and museums.  As it was the centre of the 1992 Olympics there is an Olympic Museum.  And if needing to cool off there is a public swimming pool.  If you want fabulous views take the cable car back down to the World Trade Centre.

Sorry, football fans, did you think I'd forgotten you?  Yes, you can go to visit FC Barcelona's stadium.

If you want information on all that Barcelona has to offer you'll need to buy a very good guide book.  There is far too much to put into an article or a blog!