Things to see and do in Barcelona

Montjuic

Built for the 1929 International Exposition and revitalized for the 1992 Olympics, this is a five-acre museum village (called Pueblo Espanol in Castilian) whose streets and squares are lined with examples of traditional buildings from every region of Spain, most of them recreations of actual structures, from Galician casonas (cottages) to white­washed Andalusian villas with wrought-iron grilles. A walk through the "town" illustrates the diversity of Spanish architecture and offers a chance to see traditional artisans at work-their carvings, pottery, glass, leather, and metalworks are sold in the village's 35 shops.

There also is an interesting Museu de les Arts Grafiques (Graphic Arts Museum), with displays of printing and engraving equipment both old and new, and samples of posters, playing cards, hand-printed books, and other items; and a Museum of Popular Arts, Industry, and Tradition, containing historical and ethnological material from all over Catalonia and other parts of Spain, including a reconstructed antique pharmacy. Nightlife aficionados should take a look at the popular, high-tech Torres de Avila club here. The grounds are open daily till the wee hours of the morning, but the shops, restaurants, museums, and other enterprises within the village keep their own shorter hours.

The Art Museum of Catalonia

Occupying a portion of the Palau Nacional.(National Palace) and now having been remodelled by Italian archItect Gae AulentI (who turned an unused train station in Paris into the magnificent Musee d'Orsay), this museum is often referred to as "the Prado of Romanesque art." Its collection of Romanesque and Gothic altarpieces and sculpture is superb, but its chief treasure, a series of 12th- and 13th­century frescoes removed by Italian craftsmen from dank little churches in the Pyrenees and reinstalled magnificently here, is unparalleled in the world. The museum also contains works by Tintoretto, El Greco, Zurbanin, and the Catalan painter Antoni Viladomat.

The Joan Miro Foundation Barcelona

Set up in an ultramodern building designed by the late Catalan architect Josep Llufs Sert, this is a light, aIry tnbute to Cataloma's surrealist master, Joan Miro (who died in 1983 and is buried nearby in the Montjulc cemetery). Numerous painted bronze sculptures are displayed on terraces of the museum's upper level; in the gallery, artworks of various styles are displayed, including a haunting Self Portrait, whIch the artIst began in 1937 and did not finish until 1960. The Fundacion hosts frequent special exhibitions, and also has a library, a well­stocked art bookstore, and a very good snack bar.



The Archaeological Museum Barcelona

The Archaeological Museum, Barcelona, exhibits relics found in the excavation of the Greco- Roman city of Empuries on the Costa Brava; other remnants of Spain's prehistoric cultures; and a fine collection of Carthaginian, Greek, Iberian, Roman, and Visigothic artefacts, mosaics, and sculptures, most of them found in present-day Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. There is also is an archaeological library.





Barcelona Pavilion

The Barcelona Pavilion was designed by world-famous architect Mies van der Rohe as the German pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition, this sleek, spare, very contemporary building has been called one of the landmarks of modern architecture. Among the meagre furnishings are a sensuous standing nude sculpture by Georg Kolbe and two prototype examples of the Barcelona chair-probably the most famous chair design of our century, done originally for this space and first sat in (according to tradition) by Alfonso XIII, the last king of Spain before the Franco era. Disassembled and put into storage in the 1930s, the pavilion was redIscovered after 50 years and reconstructed in 1986.

The Olympic Ring Barcelona

Some 63 years after hosting the 1929 International Exposition on its slopes, Montjulc was designated as the principal site for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The sports facilities within the Anell Olimpic, from which there is a panoramic view of the Mediterranean, include the main 70,000-seat Estadi Olimpic (Olympic Stadium), built for the1nternational Exposition but completely remodelled in the late 1980s by a team of top Catalan and Italian architects. Also within the Anell Olimpic are the 17,000­seat domed Palau d'Esports Sant Jordi (St. George Sports Palace), designed by noted Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and the Piscines Municipals B. Picornell (B. Picornell Municipal Pools), open-air pools with seating for 5,000.

The Universitat d'Esport (University of Sport) was built by controversial architect Ricardo Bofill and his associate Peter Hodgkinson in a neo­classical-post-modernista style. Alongside the stadium is the Galeria Olimpica, with videos, photos, and medals from the 1992 games.

The Military Museum Montjuic



Since time immemorial, there has been a fortress at the top of Montjulc, and the 17th- and 18th-century castle currently occupying the spot now houses military uniforms, toy soldiers, models of castles and fortresses, and a collection of 17th- to 19th-century firearms. The castle can be reached by road as well as aboard the Montjulc cable car.