Things to do in Barcelona
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Museu Barbier-Mueller d’Art Precolombí
Occupying Palau Nadal, this museum holds part of one of the world’s most prestigious collections of pre-Colombian art, including gold jewellery, ceramics, statues and textiles. The artefacts from indigenous South American cultures come from the collections of the Swiss businessman Josef Mueller (1887–1977) and his son-in-law Jean-Paul Barbier, who directs the Musée Barbier-Mueller in Geneva. The museum is small but the pieces are outstanding and often rotated, so that the exhibition is never quite the same on return visits. Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.
reviewed
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Salvador Dali Museum, Figueres and Cadaques Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
11 hours 30 minutes (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
This is without doubt, one of the most complete Salvador Dalí tours available. Spend the morning at the unique Dalí Museum in Figueres and finish the day either…Not LP reviewed
from USD$119.33 -
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Domus Romana
The remains of a Roman domus (town house) have been unearthed and opened to the public. The house (and vestiges of three small shops) lay close to the Roman forum and the owners were clearly well off. Apart from getting something of an idea of daily Roman life through these remains, the location also contains six medieval grain silos installed at the time the Jewish quarter, the Call, was located in this area. The whole is housed in the mid-19th-century Casa Morell. So, in an unusual mix, one gets a glimpse of three distinct periods in history in the same spot.
reviewed
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Observatori Fabra
Inaugurated in 1904, this Modernista observatory is still a functioning scientific foundation. It can be visited on certain evenings to allow people to observe the stars through its grand old telescope. Visits, generally in Catalan or Spanish (Castilian) have to be booked. From mid-June to mid-September an option is to join in for the nightly Sopars amb Estrelles (Dinner under the Stars). You dine outside, tour the building, peer into the telescope and get a lecture (in Catalan) on the heavens. The evening starts at 8.30pm and costs €67 per person. The easiest way here is by taxi.
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Cementiri del Sud-Oest
On the hill to the south of the Anella Olímpica stretches this huge cemetery, the Cementiri del Sud-Oest or Cementiri Nou, which extends down the southern side of the hill. Opened in 1883, it’s an odd combination of elaborate architect-designed tombs for rich families and small niches for the rest. It includes the graves of numerous Catalan artists and politicians.
Among the big names are Joan Miró, Carmen Amaya (the flamenco dance star from La Barceloneta), Jacint Verdaguer (the 19th-century priest and poet to whom the rebirth of Catalan literature is attributed), Francesc Macià and Lluís Companys (nationalist presidents of Catalonia; Companys was executed by…
reviewed
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Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona’s grand opera house was built in 1847, largely destroyed by fire in 1994 and reopened better than ever in 1999. The Liceu launched such Catalan stars as Josep (aka José) Carreras and Montserrat Caballé, and can seat up to 2300. On the guided visit you are taken to the grand foyer, and then up the marble staircase to the glittering, neo baroque Saló dels Miralls (Hall of Mirrors). You are then led up to the 4th floor to admire the theatre in all its splendour from the high stalls. You finish off with a modest collection of Modernista art, El Cercle del Liceu.
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Dolso
There is a good reason for saying ‘no’ to dessert in nearby restaurants and coming here for the final dish of the evening. A constantly changing menu of sugary delights, from standards such as tiramisu to concoctions like the nemesi de chocolate (a chocolate pastry with cream of passion fruit), makes dessert in this laid-back spot a great temptation. A small selection of savoury dishes, such as the coques (a kind of open toasted broad baguette with toppings like goat cheese with honey and nuts) means that you can contemplate a full meal.
reviewed
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4-Day Best of Catalonia Tour from Barcelona
4 days (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Catalonia is one of Spain’s most beloved regions. See the best of it on a four-day tour from Barcelona to northern and southern Catalonia's most popular…Not LP reviewed
from USD$725.13 -
Barcelona Hop-on Hop Off Tour: North to South Route
Varies (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Utilize the Barcelona hop-on hop-off city bus tour which has three different tour routes to explore the city! See the major sights aboard an open-top…Not LP reviewed
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Rituels d’Orient
True to name, Rituels d'Orient offers a setting that resembles a Moroccan fantasy with its dark woods, window grills, candle lighting and ancient-looking stone walls. It's a fine setting for luxuriating in hammams and indulging in massages, body scrubs and other treatments.
reviewed
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Embat
Enthusiastic young chefs turn out beautifully presented dishes in this basement eatery, the brown and cream decor of which might not enchant all comers. You can eat three fish or meat courses for around €20 to €25 at lunch.
Indulge perhaps in raviolis de pollo amb bacon i calabassó (chicken ravioli bathed in a sauce of finely chopped bacon, zucchini and other vegetables) followed by melt-in-the-mouth lluç amb pa amb tomàquet, carxofes i maionesa de peres (a thick cut of hake on a tomato-drenched clump of bread dressed with artichoke slices and a pear mayonnaise).
reviewed
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Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
6 hours (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Immerse yourself in the magical world of Spain's sparkling wine and beaches on this day trip from Barcelona. You'll tour the Freixenet cava cellars with your…Not LP reviewed
from USD$69.72 -
Parc d’Atraccions
Barcelonins converge here for stomach-churning and scream-inducing rides. El Pndol is a giant arm holding four passengers, which drops them at a speed that reaches 100km/h in less than three seconds (a force of 4g) before swinging outward. La Muntanya Russa is a massive new big dipper and Hurakan tosses its passengers about with sudden drops and 360-degree turns. A curious sideline is the Museu d’Autòmats, with around 50 automated puppets that go back as far as 1880 and are part of the original amusement park; you can still see some of these gizmos go.
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La Catedral
Barcelona’s central place of worship presents a magnificent image. The richly decorated main (northwest) façade, laced with gargoyles and the stone intricacies you would expect of northern European Gothic, sets it quite apart from other churches in Barcelona. The façade was actually added in 1870, although it is based on a 1408 design. The rest of the building was built between 1298 and 1460. The other façades are sparse in decoration, and the octagonal, flat-roofed towers are a clear reminder that, even here, Catalan Gothic architectural principles prevailed.
reviewed
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Tarragona and Sitges Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
10 hours 30 minutes (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Combine history and beach fun on a visit to Roman Tarragona and coastal Sitges on a full-day small group tour by minivan from Barcelona. You'll travel in a…Not LP reviewed
from USD$105.92 -
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Mercat de Santa Caterina
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Coure
The minimalist decor gives away that a chef with avant-garde ideas is at work in his laboratory-kitchen. The end results are far from over the top, leaning to nicely elaborated dishes such as the cochinillo ibérico con manzana al horno (oven-roasted suckling pig with apple). The set lunch menu (€18) is a great-value sample, popular with office workers all over the area. There’s also a tasting menu at €45. A curtain of copper chains hides the dining area from the bar in the entrance (the name is a play on words, meaning both ‘copper’ and ‘to cook’).
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Noti
Once home to the Noticiero Universal newspaper, Noti has an ample dining room plastered with mirrors that seem to multiply the steely designer tables. Try the fresh fish from the Boqueria market with ratatouille of courgette and lemon butter or perhaps a meat dish – anything from steak tartare to chicken curry. Start the evening with the cocktail of the day at the bar.
It has lunch menus from €14 to €24, and an evening set menu at €36.
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La Caseta Del Migdia
The effort of getting to what is, for all intents and purposes, a simple chiringuito (makeshift cafe-bar) is well worth it. Stare out to sea over a beer or coffee by day. As sunset approaches the atmosphere changes, as lounge music (from samba to funk) wafts out over the hammocks.
Walk below the walls of the Montjuïc castle along the dirt track or follow Passeig del Migdia – watch out for signs for the Mirador del Migdia).
reviewed
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Barcelona Morning Sightseeing Tour
4 hours 30 minutes (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Discover the exuberance and beauty of Barcelona on a 4.5-hour morning tour of this exquisite Catalan city. Perfect for first-time visitors, this tour is the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$63.02 Advertisement
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5-Day Spain Tour: Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo from Barcelona
5 days / 4 nights (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Head out of Barcelona on a five-day tour of Andalucia's most popular cities: Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Toledo. You'll visit several UNESCO World Heritage…Not LP reviewed
from USD$899.16 -
Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
8 hours (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
See the best of Barcelona on this private sightseeing tour, which offers a comprehensive view of this exquisite Catalan city and includes skip-the-line access…Not LP reviewed
from USD$93.85 -
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Església de Sant Pau del Camp
Back in the 9th century, when monks founded the monastery of Sant Pau del Camp (St Paul in the Fields), it was a good walk from the city gates amid fields and gardens. Today, the church and cloister, erected in the 12th century and partly surrounded by the trees of a small garden, are located on a fairly down-at-heel street and surrounded by dense inner-city housing. The doorway to the church bears rare Visigothic sculptural decoration, predating the Muslim invasion of Spain. Inside, the beautiful Romanesque cloister is the main reason for dropping by.
reviewed
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2-Day Northern Catalonia Tour: Vic, Figueres, Girona and Montserrat
2 days (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Head out of Barcelona on a two-day tour to northern Catalonia's most popular destinations: Vic, Figueres, Girona and Montserrat. Discover the Salvador Dali…Not LP reviewed
from USD$395.53 -
2-Day Southern Catalonia Tour: Sitges, Tarragona and Santes Creus
2 days (Departs Barcelona, Spain)
by Viator
Escape Barcelona on a two-day tour to southern Catalonia's most famous destinations: Sitges, Tarragona and Santes Creus. Combine history, beach fun and great…Not LP reviewed
from USD$395.53