Barcelona Attractions

Barrio Gótico (Old Town)
Metro lines 1,3 and 4 Jaume I Station is in the heart of the district The Gothic Quarter is one of the oldest and most interesting parts of Barcelona. The square of Sant Jaume was the site of the Forum in the days of the Roman Empire, and there are many remnants of old fortification walls still standing. Also.located in the square are the Palacio de la Generalitat and Palacio del Ayuntiento (Townhall).
In Calle Paradis, on top of the mountain Táber, there is old millstone. Iberian tribes lived here long before the time of the Roman empire. At Plaza del Rei can be found the Palacio Real Mayor, Iglesia de Santa Agata and Palacio del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón. The Gothic cathedral and the medieval palaces of Casa dels Canonges, Pia Almoina and Ardiaca are close by.

Casa de l' Ardiaca
Carrer de Santa Llúcia 1
93 318 1195
Metro Jaume 1
Mon-Fri 9-8:45
Standing beside what was the Bishop's gate in the Roman wall is the Archdeacon's house. It was built in the 12th century, but its present form dates from around 1500 when it was remodeled and a colonnade added. In 1870 this was extended by the addition of a Gothic patio around the fountain. A Modernista architect, Domenech I Monrtaner added a fanciful marble mailbox, carved with three swallows and a tortoise which stands beside the Renaissance portal. The city archives are housed upstairs.

Cathedral de Barcelona
Plaça de la Seu
93 315 1554
Built between 1298 and 1450, the cathedral is an excellent example of Catalonian Gothic architecture. It was begun in 1298 under Jaume II on the foundations of a Roman temple and a Moorish mosque.Its large bell towers blend medieval and Renaissance styles. Beautiful cloisters, the high altar, the side chapels, the sculptured choir and Gothic arches are among the features that make this one of the most impressive cathedrals in Europe. A garden of magnolias is surrounded by vaulted galleries in the cloisters. The cloister is illuminated on Sundays and feast days and contains a museum displaying medieval art. Among the works displayed is Bartolomé Bermejo's La Pietat. A plaque near the baptismal font records the baptism of six native Americans of the Carribean brought to Spain by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Every Sunday noon passersby join in dancing the sardana, a Catalonian folk dance, in front of the cathedral.

Frederic Mares Museum
Plaça Sant Iu 5
93 310 5800
Daily except Mondays from 10 - 5
Sundays and Public Holidays from 9 - 2
The sculptor Frederic Mares I Deulovol (1893-1991) was a traveler and collector. This building is part of the Royal Palace complex and was occupied by 13th century bishops, 14th century counts, 15th century judges and 16th century nuns. Mares had a small apartment in the building and opened the museum in 1948. It is a fasscinating place and boasts a fine collection of Romanesque and Gothic religious art. Exhibits range from clocks, crucifixes and costumes to antique cameras, pipes, tobacco jars and postcards. There is also a room full of antique children's toys.

Museum of the History of the City of Barcelona
Casa Calriana Padellas. Plaça del Rei.
93 315 11 11
July, August and September 10 - 8 Sun 10 - 2 p.m. Rest of the year 10 - 2 and 4 - 8 Sundays and Holidays 10 - 2 . Closed on Mondays all year.
The museum occupies a Gothic building that in 1931 was brought stone by stone from its original location in Carrer dels Mercaders. During the excavation at this site, the remains of Roman water and drainage systems, baths, mosaic floors, and a road were found. The basement now contains these treasures of some of the ancient construction of Roman Barcelona. The three other floors have exhibits relating to local history and post Roman development..). There are many documents, prints, paintings, sculptures and ceramics.

Palau Reial Major (Royal Palace)
Plaça del Rei
93 315 1111
Originally the palace of the counts of Barcelona, this later became the residence of the kings of Aragón. During the Inquisition, the accused were tried in this square.
Of particular interest are the Salon de Tinell, a 14th century banquet hall with a wood paneled ceiling, the Mirador del Rei Martí containing a gothic chapel of 14th century design and the ceremonial hall of the counts of Barcelona, where Christopher Columbus is said to have been received by the king and queen after returning from America.

Palau de la Generalitat (Parliament Building)
Plaçe de Sant Jaume
93 402 4600
Catalonia's parliament building constructed in gothic and renaissance styles, has a superbly designed chapel and stone staircase that rises to an open air, arcaded gallery.

Palau del Ayuntiento (Townhall)
The facade is of neoclassic, the inner court of gothic style.

The Palau de la Música Catalana
At the corner of Carrer adeu Vives stands this fascinating building: the work of the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, a follower of Gaudí. The Palau de la Música dates from 1908, and its interior is the most typical of the modernist style. Polychrome materials (tiled mosaics, stained glass); floral themes and the figures with the body in mosaic and the bust in relief were created by Eusebi Arnau. To the left of the stage there is a willow tree in stone, sculpted by Pau Gargallo, evoking Catalan folk song in the person of Anselm Clavé and the girls of the song Les Flors de Maig. The right-hand side depicts international music, with the bust of Beethoven and the ride of Wagner's Valkyries. The Palau de la Música was created as the home and the concert hall of the Orfeó Català, a great choral society founded a few years earlier by the composer Lluís Millet. It should be noted here that the Orfeó Català has had great importance in the development of Catalan popular music.

La Rambla
This boulevard is about 1 1/2 miles in length and is situated between Plaza de Catalunya and the port in the Barrio Gótico section of Barcelona. It is the main artery of Barcelona's street system. People of every age and social class can be found here. Shoe shine boys, small stands selling flowers and vegetables, street theater, commercial galleries, cafeterias, terraces as well as some of the great theaters of the city.

Postal Museum
Palace of La Virreina La Rambla, 99.
93 301 7775.
Monday to Friday from 9:30- 2 by prior arrangement.

Wax Museum
Pasaje de la Banca, 7 (at the end of La Rambla)
93 317 2649
Contains a collection of wax figures representing famous people from the world of the arts, science, history, etc.

The Mercado de La Boquería
This is the most important and most visited market of Barcelona, while Pla de la Boqueriawas the old center of town. In Palacio de la Virreina, today seat of the culture department of the regional government, frequently you can see expositions of art. Impressive is Casa Bruno Cuadros with its dragon at the front. You arrive to Plaça Reial, a beautiful square with arcades, palms, fountains and luxurious shops. Here lived in former times the bourgeoisie, but today it is the heart of an artists district and offers charming ambience with its pubs and cafés. Sundays are a popular market day for coin and stamp collectors.

Museum of Geology
La Ciutadella Park. Passeig Tillers.
93 319 6895.
daily except Mondays from 10-2.
This is Barcelona's oldest museum. It was opened in 1882. It has a large collection of fossils and minerals, including specimens from Catalonia and around the country.

Museum of Modern Art
La Ciutadella Park. Plaça de Armas.
93 319 5023
Metro: Arc de Triomf
daily except Mondays 10 -7
Has paintings and sculptures from the end of the 18th century up to the present day. There are paintings by Fortuny, Rusiñol, Casas, Nonell, Regoyos, Zuloaga, Sunyer, Sotomayor and Solana as well as sculptures by Llimona, Gargallo, Hugue, Clara and Rebull. there are also some bold pieces of Modernista furniture acquired from the houses in the Eixample.