World City Guide

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Barcelona is neatly framed by the Mediterranean to the east and the hills of Montjuc and Tibidabo on two of its other flanks. The central section of the city, where most tourists spend their time, is even more conveniently divided by La Rambla, the main artery of Barcelona life, which tumbles from Plaa de Catalunya southeast towards the Mediterranean and the recently reborn districts of Port Vell (Old Port), and trendy La Ribera (The Waterfront). The atmospheric Barri Gtic (Gothic Quarter), the area to the right of La Rambla, heading in the direction of Plaa de Catalunya, is the charming heart of the old city, embracing the Catedral de la Seu and Museu Picasso amid narrow streets and hidden squares. Plaa de Catalunya divides the old town from the Eixample (a grid of streets laid out in the 19th century) in which much of the city’s finest Modernist architecture is to be found, including the celebrated Sagrada Famlia, a marvel of design by Anton Gaudi.

An eccentric recluse, Gaud was the most celebrated practitioner of the Modernist style, whose innovative work threw all design rulebooks out of the window in his quest to get architecture to mirror the curves and intricacies of nature. In addition to those sights described in Key Attractions, further architectural highlights include Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau and the Palau de la Msica Catalana, both designed by Gaud’s contemporary, Domnech i Montaner. Passeig de Grcia, the most stylish street in the city, is at the heart of the Eixample and intersects with the Diagonal – the city’s main thoroughfare, at its northern end.

The Montjuc mountainside has successfully managed the transition from being the site of the 1992 Olympic Games to become a permanent tourist attraction, boasting the remaining Olympic installations, such noteworthy museums as Fundaci Joan Mir and the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, as well as great views of the city.

Tourist Information
Centre d’Informaci Turisme de Barcelona
Plaa de Catalunya 17-S
Tel: (807) 117 222 (within Spain) or (93) 285 38344 (international). Fax: (93) 285 3831.
E-mail: teltur@barcelonaturisme.com
Website: www.barcelonaturisme.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2100.

Other information desks can be found at the airport, at Central-Sants station and in Plaa Sant Jaume.

Passes
The Barcelona Card offers discounts of up to 50% at many of the most interesting tourist attractions, including museums, entertainment and leisure venues, shops and restaurants, as well as free public transport and assistance insurance. Attractions include Museu Picasso, Casa-Museu Gaud and Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. The card is available for one, two, three, four or five days, for 17, 20, 24, 27 and 30 respectively, from the main tourist offices at Plaa de Catalunya, Plaa Sant Jaume and Central-Sants station.

The Articket gives half-price admission to six of the city’s main art galleries and museums – Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), Fundaci Joan Mir, Fundaci Antoni Tpies, Centre de Cultura Contempornia de Barcelona (CCCB), Centre Cultural Caixa de Catalunya and Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA). It is available for 15.00 from any of the respective box offices and branches of Caixa Catalunya.