Top 9 favourite places in Barcelona

 

This is the third and the final article about Barcelona and we thought to share with you our favorite places in this beautiful city. Honestly, we didn’t visit any place we didn’t like in Barcelona, but there were a few that we liked more than the others.

1. We’re going to start with the Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau because it was the first attraction that we visited. We hadn’t heard about this former hospital before we were documenting the Barcelona tourist attractions we want to visit, but we really advise you to add it to the list because it’s absolutely gorgeous, both inside and outside and it’s about a 10-minute walk from Sagrada Familia.
The hospital was built between 1901-1930 according to the plans of Lluís Domènech and was operational until 2009, and from 2014, after restoration, it was opened as a museum. It was designed to provide comfort to patients and they certainly succeeded with this, we even joked about this saying that it would be the only hospital where we would love to be hospitalized 🙂
The interior is gorgeous but the outdoor gardens are a fairy tale: full of oranges, palm trees through which multicolored parrots fly, brightly colored flowers and bonus to all this: Spanish music in the background and dance lessons (we were on Sundays, but we do not know if these activities take place every weekend in the hospital yard). Effectively, you can’t ask for more. In the first post about Barcelona we  told you how you can visit the hospital for free, so you have no reason not to put it on the list.

2. The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria often simply referred to as La Boqueria it’s one of the most famous markets in the world (the first mention of the market is in 1217) and we have it on our list for a very long time. We seen so many photos, but in reality it is 10 times more beautiful and colorful than in pictures. Because we were very close to the market we went about 3-4 times to get fruits from there and it’s the heaven for anyone who loves fruits and vegetables, but not only, because they also have sweets, cheeses, meat, seafood, spices and much more.

3. And because we kept coming to Boqueria to get fruits and walk and eat on La Rambla, we discovered an all you can eat restaurant that we don’t have enough words to recommend. It’s called The Market Buffet and it’s across the street from the market, next to the Erotic Museum. It’s very cozy and for only 13 euros (17 if you get a drink) you can eat absolutely everything- from soups, salads, seafood, tortillas, paella and many, many others dishes including dessert (you can choose fruits if you are not a fan of sweets). Not only the price is super convenient (the cost of a paella elsewhere), but you can try a lot of dishes and choose what you like. In terms of drinks, neither Sangria nor the juice were great, but the food is very tasty.

4. And because we mentioned above that we lived close to La Boqueria, we must also tell you about the hostel where we were staying: Central and Basic Universitat – we really recommend it if you want something affordable and centrally located. They have very, very good prices, everything is very clean, the staff is super nice and you can reach on foot the most important attractions.

5. We really like to walk, but we could not have reached all the attractions on the list in time, so we used the Hola Barcelona card on 5 days (5 days is the maximum period you can use it) and also the tour of the city with Barcelona Bus Touristic (Hop On Hop Off) and it was one of our favorite experiences in Barcelona.
We have never been to any city by tourist bus before, but after this experience in Barcelona, we will definitely opt more often for this type of transport. Not only do you save time because you go straight to the point, but you can have an „overview” of the city and enjoy the panorama from above, while listening to information about those attractions, so definitely worth it!

6. Palau de la Musica Catalana– although it is much smaller than we would have expected, it is in the top places that we would recommend to someone who visits Barcelona. It’s an Art Nouveau gem where you will find out not only information about music, but also about architecture and history. The concert hall is the only one in Europe that is naturally illuminated during the day, the stained glass windows leave you with a gaping mouth, as well as the „embroidered” flowers in the ceiling, the carved headpieces and the colorful mosaic columns, everything is perfect!
The architect who designed this marvel is Lluís Domènech, the same one who made the Hospital de Sant Pau that we told you about in paragraph 1.
Before visiting the palace we were pretty sure it was made by Gaudi because the style looks pretty much like his, but we were surprised to find that the style resembles not because it was copied, but because Domènech was Gaudi’s teacher. Looks like geniuses have their inspiration, too, don’t they? 🙂 We didn’t participate in a concert here, but our experience was met by rehearsals of a classical music orchestra. The ticket price includes a guided tour + a video about its history and impressions of the great artists who performed here and there is no better way to know this place than this.

7. Park de la Ciutadella– it’s definitely the most beautiful park we’ve ever visited. As soon as we entered and saw the castle of the 3 Dragons (the park houses numerous attractions- zoo, modern art museum, Catalan Parliament, etc.), and then the orange trees full of fruits, we were impressed by this park and when we reached the lake and the other wonderful corners of the park, we hardly broke away from this green oasis, only when it became dark and couldn’t see anything any more. We would have stayed at least 10 minutes in every corner of the park to take pictures because everything is absolutely gorgeous!

8. Sagrada Familia – is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world and that says pretty much everything about this architectural marvel. Construction of this cathedral began in 1882 and continues to this day, is scheduled to be completed in 2026, which is why it combines several styles. It started as a Gothic construction, as can be seen on the outside and now continues in neo-Catalan style. Much of the cathedral was built under the guardianship of the genius Antoni Gaudi, who dedicated 43 years of his life to the construction of this 170-meter cathedral (one meter shorter than the tallest hill in Barcelona because Gaudi believed that he must not overcome the „work” of God).
We weren’t so impressed by the exterior (it looks like a mud castle that drains if you look at it from certain angles), but the interior actually leaves you speechless. As we listened to the explanations of the audio guide, we couldn’t stop to admire everything from this cathedral. Yes, the colors are wonderful, yes, the sculpture looks gorgeous, the stained glass windows are brilliant, but when you listen and understand that every little thing in this cathedral was done with a purpose and everything has a profound meaning, you can’t help but admire Gaudi and consider him a genius.
The cathedral has 18 towers (representing the 12 disciples, the 4 evangelists, the Virgin Mary and the tallest tower -Jesus Christ) and 3 facades: the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory, but the only one made by Gaudi is the Nativity one and is certainly the most impressive, the others have a rather different style, not as spectacular, although they are said to be made after his sketches (there is much controversy here, because the original sketches and plans burned in 1936, but are supposed to have been drawn by some architects working on the project). To be honest, it seems that the new works do not rise to the height of the original, but we are waiting for it to be ready to see it as a whole.

9. Park Guell– we mentioned above that Parc de la Ciutadella is our favorite park, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t like Guell. On the contrary, we liked it enormously, but not necessarily as a conventional park, we don’t think it excels in anything, but we were impressed by the monumental area designed by Gaudi.
Having the opportunity to visit it at sunrise, we also understood what inspired the famous architect to create this gem: nature, as in the case of the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral. The sky in shades of pink, turquoise and purple, the orange sun and the green of the palm trees, all seem to be reflected in the trencadis mosaics that seem to be randomly joined, but in a way so pleasing to the eye.
If you are wondering why it’s called like that you must know that Eusebi Guell was the name of the entrepreneur who dreamed of building a residential area in this place, and the houses were to be designed by Antoni Gaudí. He didn’t finished the project, but only 3 houses, because in 1914 the war broke out.
Gaudi stopped one of the houses (where the museum is today) and moved into it with his father. Guell died a few years later and in 1923 the municipality took over his property and declared it a city park and after 61 years it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Have you visited Barcelona? Which place impressed you the most?

RO:

Acesta este cel de-al treilea si ultimul articol despre Barcelona si daca in articolele trecute am venit cu informatii mai practice, astazi ne-am gandit sa impartasim cu voi locurile noastre favorite din acest superb oras.

Sincer, nu am vizitat niciun loc care sa nu ne placa in Barcelona, insa au fost cateva care ne-au placut mai mult decat celelalte.

1. O sa incepem cu Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau pentru ca a fost primul obiectiv pe care l-am vizitat. Nu auzisem despre acest fost spital inainte de ne documenta cu privire la obiectivele pe care vrem sa le vizitam, insa va sfatuim sa il adaugati neaparat pe lista pentru ca e absolut superb, atat la interior, cat si la exterior si e situat la aproximativ 10 minute de mers pe jos de Sagrada Familia.
Spitalul a fost construit între 1901-1930 dupa planurile lui Lluís Domènech si a fost functional pana in 2009, iar din 2014, dupa restaurare, a fost deschis ca muzeu. Designul este de poveste, a fost gandit pentru a oferi alinare pacientilor si cu siguranta au reusit, chiar glumeam intre noi spunand ca ar fi singurul spital unde ne-am interna de drag 🙂

Si interiorul este absolut superb, insa gradinile exterioare sunt pur si simplu desprinse dintr-un basm: pline de portocali, palmieri prin care zboara papagali multicolori, flori viu colorate si bonus la toate astea: muzica spaniola pe fundal si un curs de lectii de dans (noi am fost duminica, insa nu stim daca se desfasoara mereu aceste activitati in curtea spitalului). Efectiv, nu poti cere mai mult de la un obiectiv turistic. In prima postare despre Barcelona v-am spus si cum puteti vizita gratuit spitalul, asa ca nu aveti niciun motiv sa nu il puneti pe lista.

2. Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria sau pe scurt Boqueria e una dintre cele mai faimoase piete din lume (prima mentiune a pietei e in anul 1217) si o aveam pe lista de foarte mult timp. Vazusem multe poze, insa in realitate e de 10 ori mai frumoasa si mai colorata ca in poze. Deoarece stateam foarte aproape de piata am fost de vreo 3-4 ori sa ne luam fructe de acolo si e raiul oricarei persoane care adora fructele si legumele, dar nu numai, pentru ca au si dulciuri, branzeturi, carne, fructe de mare si multe altele.

3. Si pentru ca tot veneam la Boqueria sa ne luam fructe si sa ne plimbam si sa mancam pe La Rambla, am descoperit un restaurant all you can eat pe care vi-l recomandam daca ajungeti in zona. Se numeste The Market Buffet si este peste strada de piata, langa Muzeul Erotic. Este amenajat foarte dragut si pentru doar 13 euro (17 daca va luati si ceva de baut) puteti manca absolut tot ce doriti, de la supe, salate, fructe de mare, tortilla, paella si multe, multe altele inclusiv desertul (puteti alege fructe daca nu sunteti fan dulciuri). Nu doar ca pretul e super convenabil (in mod normal atat costa o paella in alta parte), insa ai posibilitatea sa incerci o gramada de feluri si sa alegi ce iti place. La capitolul bauturi nu prea exceleaza, nici Sangria si nici sucul nu ni s-au parut grozave, insa mancarea e foarte gustoasa.

4. Si pentru ca am mentionat mai sus ca am stat aproape de Boqueria, trebuie sa va spunem si despre hostelul unde am fost cazate si anume, Central and Basic Universitat pe care vi-l recomandam daca va doriti ceva ieftin si situat central. Au niste preturi foarte, foarte bune, totul e foarte curat si dragut, personalul super amabil si puteti ajunge pe jos la majoritatea obiectivelor importante.

5. Ne place foarte mult sa mergem pe jos, insa nu am fi putut ajunge pe jos in timp util la toate obiectivele de pe lista, asa ca am apelat la cardul Hola Barcelona pe 5 zile (5 zile e perioada maxima pe care il puteti face), dar si la turul orasului cu Barcelona Bus Turistic, una dintre experientele noastre preferate din Barcelona. Nu am mai fost pana acum in niciun oras cu autobuzul turistic, insa dupa experienta din Barcelona, cu siguranta vom opta mai des pentru acest tip de transport. Nu doar ca scutesti timp deoarece mergi direct la obiective, insa iti poti forma o priveliste de ansamblu asupra orasului si te poti bucura de panorama de la inaltime, in timp ce asculti informatii despre respectivele obiective.

6. Palau de la Musica Catalana– desi e mult mai mic decat ne-am fi asteptat, e in topul locurilor pe care le-am recomanda cuiva care viziteaza Barcelona. E pur si simplu o bijuterie Art Nouveau unde nu afli doar informatii despre muzica, ci si despre arhitectura si istorie. Sala de concerte e singura din Europa care e iluminata natural in timpul zilei,  vitraliile te lasa cu gura cascata, la fel si florile „brodate” din tavan, capitelurile sculptate si coloanele colorate din mozaic, totul e perfect!
Arhitectul care a proiectat aceasta minunatie e Lluís Domènech, acelasi care a realizat si Hospital de Sant Pau despre care v-am povestit la punctul 1. Pana sa vizitam „palatelul” eram destul de sigure ca a fost realizat de Gaudi pentru ca stilul seamana destul de bine cu al lui, insa am fost surprinse sa aflam ca stilul seamana nu pentru ca ar fi fost copiat, ci pentru ca Domènech i-a fost profesor lui Gaudi. Se pare ca si geniile au inspiratia lor, nu? 🙂
Nu am participat la vreun concert aici, insa experienta noastra a fost incunata de repetitiile unei orchestre de muzica clasica.
In pretul biletului intra si un tur ghidat+ un video despre istoricul lui si impresii ale marilor artisti care au concertat aici si nu exista modalitate mai buna de a cunoaste acest loc decat aceasta.

7. Parc de la Ciutadella– e cu siguranta cel mai frumos parc pe care l-am vizitat pana acum. De cum am intrat si am vazut castelul celor 3 Dragoni (parcul adaposteste numeroase obiective- zoo, muzeul de arta moderna, parlamentul catalan etc.), si mai apoi portocalii plini de fructe, am fost impresionate de acest parc, insa cand am ajuns la lac si la celealte colturi minunate din parc, ne-am desprins cu greu din aceasta oaza verde, doar cand s-a facut intuneric si nu se mai vedea nimic si nu mai puteam face nici fotografii pentru ca daca ar fi fost dupa noi am fi stat minim 10 minute in fiecare coltisor al parcului sa facem fotografii pentru ca totul e absolut superb!

8. Sagrada Familia – e unul dintre cele mai vizitate obiective turistice din lume si asta spune cam tot despre aceasta minunatie arhitecturala. Constructia acestei catedrale a inceput in 1882 si continua si astazi, e programata sa fie finalizata in 2026, de aceea imbina mai multe stiluri. A inceput ca o constructie gotica, dupa cum se poate observa la exterior si acum se continua in stil neo-catalan. Mare parte din catedrala a fost realizata sub tutela geniului Antoni Gaudi, care si-a dedicat 43 de ani din viata contruirii acestei catedrale de 170 metri (cu un metru mai scunda decat cel mai inalt deal din Barcelona pentru ca Gaudi considera ca el nu trebuie sa depaseasca „lucrarea” lui Dumnezeu).
Pe noi nu ne-a impresionat exteriorul atat de mult (ni se pare ca seamana cu un castel de noroi care se scurge daca te uiti din anumite unghiuri), insa interiorul te lasa efectiv fara cuvinte. Pe masura ce ascultam explicatiile ghidului audio, nu ne puteam opri din admiratie pentru tot ce adaposteste aceasta catedrala in interior. Da, culorile sunt minunate, da, sculptura arata superb, vitraliile sunt geniale, insa cand asculti si intelegi ca fiecare lucru, oricat de marunt din acea catedrala a fost facut cu un scop si totul are o semnificatie profunda, nu poti sa nu il admiri pe Gaudi si sa nu il consideri geniu.
Catedrala are 18 turnuri (reprezentand pe cei 12 apostoli, cei 4 evanghelisti, Fecioara Maria si cel mai înalt turn pe Iisus Hristos) si 3 fatade: Nasterii, Patimilor şi Gloriei, insa singura realizata de Gaudi e cea a Nasterii si e cu siguranta cea mai impresionanta, celelalte au un stil destul de diferit si nu la fel de spectaculos, desi se spune ca sunt realizate tot dupa schitele lui (sunt multe controverse aici, deoarece schitele si planurile originale au ars in 1936, insa se presupune ca au fost refacute de unii arhitecti care lucrau la proiect). Sa fim sincere, noua ni se pare ca noile lucrari nu se ridica nici pe departe la inaltimea originalului, insa asteptam sa fie gata pentru a o vedea in ansamblu.

9. Park Guell – spuneam mai sus ca Parc de la Ciutadella e parcul nostru favorit, dar asta nu inseamna ca Guell nu ne-a placut. Dimpotriva, ne-a placut enorm, dar nu neaparat pentru suprafata verde, ca si parc conventional nu ni se pare ca exceleaza prin ceva, insa aici am fost mega impresionate de zona monumentala realizata de Gaudi. Avand ocazia sa il vizitam la rasarit, am inteles si ce l-a inspirat pe faimosul arhitect sa creeze aceasta bjiuterie: natura, ca si in cazul faimoasei catedrale Sagrada Familia. Cerul in nuante de roz, turcoaz si mov, soarele portocaliu si verdele palmierilor, toate parca se reflecta in mozaicurile trencadis ce par imbinate la intamplare, dar intr-un mod atat de placut ochiului.
Daca va intrebati de ce numeste asa, Eusebi Guell a fost numele antreprenorului care a visat sa construiasca o zona rezidentiala in acest loc, iar casele urmau sa fie proiectate de Antoni Gaudí. Acesta nu a mai apucat sa termine proiectul, ci doar 3 case, pentru ca in 1914 a izbucnit razboiul. Gaudi a oprit una din case (unde astazi este muzeul) si s-a mutat in ea impreuna cu tatal sau. Contele a murit, iar in 1923 municipalitatea a preluat proprietatea acestuia si a declarat-o parc orasenesc, iar dupa 61 de ani a intrat in patrimoniul UNESCO.

Ati vizitat Barcelona? Ce loc v-a impresionat cel mai mult?

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
 
LA BOQUERIA

THE MARKET BUFFET

Central and Basic Universitat

BARCELONA BUS TURISTIC

PALAU DE LA MUSICA CATALANA

 

PARC DE LA CIUTADELLA

     SAGRADA FAMILIA

PARK GUELL

Comments

comments