Things to do around Barcelona

The Citadel Park Barcelona

Citadel Park was created just over 100 years ago for the International Exhibition of 1888, on the site of the hated citadel built by Felipe V in 1716 and razed in 1868. Popular with Barcelonans, the park features gardens, an artificial lake with an elaborate fountain and cascade (co-designed by Antoni Gaudi early in his career), and a zoo. There's also the Palau de la Ciutadella (Palace of the Citadel), which houses the Catalan Parliament and the Museu d'Art Modern (Museum of Modern Art); the Museu de Zoologia (Zoology Museum) housed in a modernista building by Domenech i Montaner and the Museu de Geologia (Museum of Geology). Barcelona's oldest museum, with a large mineral collection and paleontology exhibits.

The Museum of Modern Art Barcelona

Housed in the Palau de la Ciutadella, the collection includes a few works by such well­known Catalan artists as Dali, Mira, and Tapies, but consists mostly of 19th­century and early 20th-century paintings, graphic works, and sculptures by such less famous but talented local artists as Ramon Casas (a great portrait artist), Santiago Rusinyol, Isidre Nonell, Miguel Utrillo, Pau Gargallo, and Josep-Maria Sert-all of whom deserve more attention today than they are generally accorded.

The Sierra de Montserrat

The Sierra de Montserrat lies 40 miles 164 km) northwest of Barcelona, in the geographical and spiritual heart of Catalonia. The many legends that surround Montserrat, which inspired Wagner's opera Parsifal, undoubtedly arose from the strangely unreal appearance of these impressive mountain peaks. Tucked within the mountains is the Benedictine Monestir de Nostra Senyora de Montserrat Monastery of Our Lady of Montserrat), whose Marian shrine has attracted pilgrims for over 700 years. La Moreneta the Black Madonna), a polychrome statue of the Virgin Mary that dates from the 12th century, represents the spiritual life of the province and is an emblem of Catalan unity. The Santuan de Nostra Senyora de Montserrat, the basilica where the Virgin sits, is open daily, and no admission is charged, but a donation is welcome. The monastery's famous Escolania, a boys' choir that claims to be the oldest in the world, sings at 1 PM each Sunday and on special occasions. There is also a museum at the site. From the monastery, paths and funiculars lead to the Santa Cova, the cave where the statue is supposed to have been found, and to the isolated hermitages of Saot Miquell St. Michaell, Sant Joan 1st. John and Sant Jeroni 1st Jerome). The belvedere provides breathtaking views that stretch from the Pyrenees to the Balearic Islands.

Barcelona tourist information offices

Brochures, maps, and general information are available at Oficina de Turisme. It's closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Between late June and the end of September there's also a tourist information office in the Barri Gotic at the Ajuntament (City Hall), on Plaza de Sant Jaume, which is closed Saturdays after 2 PM and Sundays. The tourist information offices at Estacio Barcelona Sants and the train stations and at Aeroport del Prat international arrivals hall are open year round.The "Casacas Rojas "-red-jacketed tourist guides who patrol popular areas such as the Barri Gotic, the Passeig de Gracia, and La Rambla­supply on-the-spot information from approximately mid-June to mid-September. The tourist offices provide good free maps and brochures. The weekly Guia del Ocio and monthly Barcelona city magazine, Vivir en Barcelona, both available at newsstands, provide comprehensive listings of museums, nightspots, restaurants, and other attractions, in Spanish (the latter include some information in English in high-season editions). Watch the news in English on TV3 during the summer.

Barcelona Airport

Barcelona's airport for both domestic and international flights is known as Aeroport Barcelona en Frat de Llobregat, commonly known as Aeroport del Prat, and is located 12km southwest of the city, or about 30 minutes from downtown by taxi. Trains run between the airport and Estacio Barcelona Sants, the central railway station, connecting with the subway lines, every 20 minutes; the trip takes 15 minutes. Shuttle flights to Madrid leave every hour on Iberia and other carriers such as Air Europa and Spanair. Budget airlines now also fly to Barcelona including Easyjet from the UK. Car hire can be pre-booked and picked up directly from Barcelona Airport.

Boat Ferries Barcelona

Boat Ferries leave Barcelona for the Balearic Islands daily in summer, and less frequently in winter. Ticket sales and departures are at the Estacio Maritima de Baleares at the Muelle de Barcelona near the Monument a Colom. Golondrinas, or "swallow boats," making brief sightseeing jaunts in the harbour (out to the breakwater and back) depart from directly in front of the monument throughout the year. The trip takes only about 15 minutes; buy the ticket from the office at the water's edge. Three or four times a day, golondrinas also leave from the Portal de la Pau to tour the Olympic harbour.


Information about buses in Barcelona

Although more than 50 routes crisscross the city, the system is easy to use, since each stop is marked with a map of the routes that pass there. The best deal for the visitor is Bus Cien, the No. 100 bus that constantly travels among 12 well-known sites, including the cathedral and the Sagrada Familia. A flat-rate, full-ticket (bought on the bus) lets you get on and off as often as you like, and also entitles the bearer to a discount at museums. Buy the tickets at the public transport kiosk in the Estacio Universitat (Metro LI) or at the Estacio Sants (Metro L5), where the Guia del Transport Public de Barcelona (Guide to Barcelona's Public Transportation) also is available, or at any other metro station. After boarding the bus (enter through the front doors), insert the ticket in the date­stamping machine. There is also bus service every 15 minutes between Plaza de Catalunya and the airport. Long-distance domestic and international buses also serve the city.