Barcelona is a city known for so much -- food, history, art, architecture, sports. If you have a limited time in the city, it's useful to know the five attractions or activities that should not be missed. Public transportation is top-notch in Barcelona, but if you have the time to walk, you're guaranteed to happen upon many other treasures this city has to offer.
Pablo Picasso's Pieces
- The Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum), in Barrio Chino, is housed in five medieval mansions with beautiful courtyards and architecture as impressive as the works of art inside. The museum holds several thousand paintings by Picasso and artists that inspired him. Lonely Planet recommends it as a top choice sight in Barcelona because it offers a collection that provides insight into the artist's formative years and explores the relationship between Picasso's work and his relationship with Barcelona.
To Market, to Market ...
- The Mercat de la Boqueria is Barcelona's biggest and oldest market, built over a long period, from 1840 to 1914. The open-air market, now housed in Modernista-influenced architecture, dates back to the Middle Ages. It's at Placa de la Boqueria on La Rambla, a broad pedestrian boulevard. Hundreds of stalls sell thousands of products that include fish, produce, spices, flowers and insects.
Gaudi Architecture
- The landscape of Barcelona is speckled with unique Gaudi architectural sites that include Casa Vicens, Casa Calvet, Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. However, if you only have time to see one of his masterpieces, visit La Sagrada Familia, a famous landmark and tourist destination. This temple was Gaudi's masterpiece and all-consuming obsession. Though unfinished, it attracts around 2.8 million visitors a year, making it the most visited monument in Spain. Its architectural style emulates medieval cathedrals, and the towers are covered in intricate motifs of plants and animals carved in stone.
Barca Barca!
- Soccer fans should check out Camp Nou, Futbol Club de Barcelona’s 98,772-seat soccer stadium. Nearby Museu del Futbol Club Barcelona (Barcelona Club Soccer Museum) attracts more than a million visitors a year, making it one of the most visited museums in Barcelona. It was built in 1957 and enlarged for the 1982 World Cup to hold nearly 99,000, making it one of the world's largest stadiums. Catch a game during the season, which runs September through June.
Taste Sensations
- One of the best activities in Barcelona is dining out. Pintxos are bite-sized snacks, typically eaten in bars. Traditionally, each item comes with a toothpick in it, and at the end of the night you are charged based on how many toothpicks you have. For another traditionally Spanish culinary experience, try washing down tapas with some cold beer at the city's many tapas restaurants. Barcelona is also known for its vermouth and seafood. From traditional Catalan food to pizza to cheap beer in the public plazas, Barcelona's culinary scene offers a wide variety of spectacular taste sensations.
