Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

There's an unmistakable air of unrivaled artistry about the city.

Delightful surprises abound. Roadside old street lights, sparkling glass paintings, medieval pebble-paved paths, church steeples, flamenco dancing, street performances – everything reflects the city's obsession with art.

Gaudi said, “The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God”. This great architect has breathed life into architecture with his imagination-imbued curves and imparted a fairytale flavor to the city. No wonder Barcelona is also known as the “City of Gaudi”.

Getting around

• Holy Family Cathedral

  This architectural masterpiece by Spain's highly extolled architect Antonio Gaudi is the most famous attraction and landmark in downtown Barcelona. Its construction is still underway. The cathedral of Gothic style is so impressive that UNESCO has bestowed upon it two World Cultural Heritage titles - one for the Nativity facade and the other for the crucifixion facade. Gaudi’s statement “The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God” comes to life in this awe-inspiring geometric bulk of spirals, cones, hyperbolas and parabolas arranged in a rhythmic, eye-pleasing way.

• Casa Batlló

  This colored mosaic building is the result of a complete revamp of its previous incarnation by Spain’s most celebrated architect Antonio Gaudi from 1905 to 1907. It was honored with the European Cultural Heritage Award in 2004 and inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List in 2005. Its ceramics ceiling is rumored to tell a Catalonian legend about a fight against an evil dragon. Facial mask-shaped balconies and bone-shaped columns add to the ambience.

• Casa Milà

  Gaudi’s another architectural masterpiece fully reflects the architect’s fevered imagination. Its roof depicts an extraterrestrial world. A chimney resembles a lighthouse whose top is inlaid with a ceramics mosaic, while another recalls a mask-wearing alien.

• Flamenco

  It’s a good idea to watch a Flamenco dance while eating your seafood meal. The dance represents passion, vigor, struggle and love for life.

• Camp Nou

  Be sure to plan a tour to Europe’s largest and the world’s second largest stadium, a shrine for the FC Barcelona fans. Walk through the professional football club’s own museum, where prizes, photos and videos recap the club's glory over the past 100 years.

  
  
  
• La Rambla

  Barcelona's most famous street is a true tourist draw. Hawkers, street buskers, pavement artists, mimes and living statues are all part of the ever-changing street scene. It seems dramas will never end here. A big stage for crackpot but great ideas.