Barcelona in 5 days

Barcelona... I've been to Barcelona three times and I dare say it's one of my favourites (and I know how hard it is to pick just a few!).

My first time in Barcelona was only a five-day trip. Just after graduating in Chemical Engineering in July 2006, two friends and I spent two months in Europe: one month studying Spanish in Salamanca and the other backpacking around Spain, Portugal, Belgium and France. As we didn't have much time, we basically went to the main attractions, such as Las Ramblas, La Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell and Montjuïc... The second time, in December 2006, I spent the whole month, and I went back there once more in April 2008 and stayed for 5 days.

Well, I think in Barcelona every and each one of these touristy places is definetely worth seeing!

As most tourists usually stay in Barcelona for a short period of time, I divided these main attractions into 5 days , so you can make the most out of your stay there:

Day 1 - Parc Güell and Barrio Gótico:

I truly recommend going to Parc Güell in the morning and scheduling at least half a day for this activity, as it is located a little bit far from the city centre. I took the metro to go there (Green Line – L3 – Direction: Canyelles Stop: Lesseps), and I must say that you should be prepared for at least a 20 min walk after that. Moreover, the last 200 m is a steep hill, so if you have any difficulties it is better to take a bus or a taxi to complete the journey.

The park is amazing! Completely different from everything you have ever seen! I chose not to visit the museum, the building where Gaudi lived for a while, because I wanted to enjoy the view and all the small details of that place. Among all that beauty, two things impressed me the most: a guy playing the cello right under the curved collonaded pathway and those two buildings at the entrance, which reminded me of that gingerbread house from Hansel & Gretel.

After spending the whole morning there, I suggest you take the metro back to Plaça Catalunya (or a little bit further down Las Ramblas) and head yourself to Barrio Gótico. The best thing to do in Barrio Gótico is to just wander around it. Don't miss the Plaça Sant Jaume, where you'll be able to see the Casa de La Ciutat (City Hall) and the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Presidential Palace), the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, a Gothic cathedral seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, and the Plaça Reial.

Art Connection: http://rachelsmagicalmysterytour.blogspot.com/2009/10/barcelona-in-5-days.html

Day 2 – Montjuïc:

As well as going to Parc Güell, going to Montjuïc in the morning is a nice idea because you also need to take the metro (Green Line – L3 – Direction: Zona Universitária Stop: Paral-lel). Having taking the metro, you need to climb the Montjuïc, which is a mountain overlooking the Barcelona harbor and the Mediterranean Sea. I've done that twice: by taking the funicular and by riding a scooter. The funicular uses the same fares as the metro, and it is just a mostly underground two-minute journey. On the other hand, the scooter, which as driven by a friend, not only was more exciting, but also allowed me to see the whole journey.
As soon as you leave the funicular, you can see how majestic the place is. The hill features a large number of sights and attractions, most of them originating from two major events that took place there: the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympics. Among all sights, the highlights are: the Palau Nacional and its “magical” fountains, the Olympic Village, the Castell de Montjuïc (Monjtuïc Castle) and Fundació Miró.

The Palau Nacional, or National Palace, which was designed to be the central pavilion of the International Exhibition, is home to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). I think that it can be too tiresome to go to two museums at the same day, so I recommend choosing one. I always prefer to go to one-theme museums instead of going to those of general or universal collections, as a result I highly recommend the exciting and colourful Fundació Miró.

In regards to the Olympic Village, a simple walk around is enough to see its main attractions, such as the Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi - Sports Hall and the Olympic Ring. Pay special attention to the Torre de Comunicaciones (Communication Tower) designed by Santiago Calatrava, whose works are always inspiring.

Art Connection: http://rachelsmagicalmysterytour.blogspot.com/2009/10/barcelona-in-5-days_18.html

Day 3 - Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera:

To visit La Sagrada Familia is a unique experience! It gave me the impression of a massive sand castle, like the ones I used to build at the beach when I was a child. Getting there is pretty easy: just take the metro straight to the Church (Purple Line – L2 – Direction: Pep Ventura Stop: Sagrada Família). The time you should spend on this visit depends entirely on you. I particularly enjoy looking for details, and the tree-form pillars and the spiral staircase really caught my attention.



After that, I suggest you to take a walk around Barcelona in order to understand a little bit more about its lifestyle. Go along Avinguda Diagonal, one of the most important and fancy avenues in the city, and once you get to the Plaça de Joan Carles I, walk down Passeig de Grácia. It's quite a walk actually, but you can always stop for lunch or a cup of coffee. On Passeig de Grácia, stop to contemplate its beautiful buildings designed by modernist catalan architects such as Gaudí, Puig i Cadafalch and Domènech i Montaner. In my opinion, a special visit to the Casa Milá (or La Pedrera) shouldn't be missed. One interesting fact is that Casa Milá is an apartment building and there are people actually living there! In addition, knowing how it was built and how it is like to live there, you can also see the fun and amazing terrace full of sculptures that look like vanilla ice-cream.

To finish this walking tour, if you continue down Passeig de Grácia, you will get to Plaça Catalunya and Las Ramblas (probably close to where you'll be staying!).

Art Connection: http://rachelsmagicalmysterytour.blogspot.com/2009/11/barcelona-in-5-days.html

Day 4 – Barceloneta and La Ribera:

Begin your day with a gorgeous ocean view! You don't need to take the metro this time, just walk down Las Ramblas until the end of it, where you'll see the Monumnet a Colom. That's Port Vell (or “Old Port”) and if you continue walking along Passeig de Colom, you will reach Barceloneta, which is the beach area.

From my point of view, there is not much to do there but wander around and enjoy the view of the Mediterranean Sea. I think that Maremagnum is just a mall and I wouldn't spend my short time in Barcelona going to the Aquarium, so let's head to La Ribera!

That's one of the places I like the most! Go back to Passeig de Colom and turn right at Via Laietana, and work your way up into trendy medieval Barcelona. The attractions I wouldn't miss if I were you: Passeig del Born, Museu Picasso, Palau de la Musica Catalana and the Gothic church of Santa María del Mar. Schedule the rest of the day for La Ribera, as it is really worth it. Besides, you'll probably get lost there (like I did several times!).

And, now, I present you one of my top 10 places in the world: the Palau de la Musica Catalana, by Domènech i Montaner. I don't know if it is due to the place where it is located (you can never tell there is such a majestic building there), or its colourful pillars and walls.... I was astonished! Simple as that! I also had the great opportunity to watch a concert there, which made me feel more enchanted by it, so if possible, try to do the same. It's really worth it!

Art Connection: http://rachelsmagicalmysterytour.blogspot.com/2009/11/barcelona-in-5-days_27.html

Day 5 - Las Ramblas and El Raval:

It can be considered a series of short streets, each Rambla differently named, hence the plural form in Spanish Las Ramblas. As a tourist, you will probably stay at a hostel or hotel close to Las Ramblas, so I believe that walking one afternoon down this street is enough. One must-see is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria, which is a large public market where you can find all sorts of goods. It can be quite expensive, so be careful! I was so delighted with a mouth-watering fig that I grabbed it without thinking about the price. As a result, this short moment of delusion cost me 5 Euros!