In my last post I talked about the best areas for you to stay in Barcelona, how to get from the airport into the centre and then how to make your away round for the rest of your stay. Today’s post will be all about the sights you can see.
Oh gosh, we didn’t even touch the sides of the list of things we had planned.
Park Güell
First we walked up to Park Guell. It is one of the amazing works of Antoni Gaudi, who’s distinctive buildings can be seen all over Barcelona. Park Güell is a large park split into two different areas: the Monumental Zone, which requires the purchase of a ticket, and the free access area which is open to all visitors at no charge. While you don’t need to get a ticket in advance to enter the monumental zone, it’s recommended that you do so as visitors are limited to 400 each half hour. Antoni Gaudí built the Park Güell as a tribute to nature and he was tasked with the project in 1890, with the park opening to the public in 1922. Along with the Sagrada Familia, this is the largest of Gaudi’s projects. To get there you will go to the metro station Lessops. From there it’s about 10-15 minute walk (follow the signs from the station). It’s all very accessible until you get to the last stretch up the hill, where an escalator or stairs are required to enter the park. There are several levels and areas to the park and I would say it’s a challenge for wheelchairs and strollers. I suggest taking a carrier or light umbrella stroller if you must have one. You are not permitted to leave the stroller at the entrance and several areas are only accessible by long flights of stairs. After walking through the park you can take a short stroll (200 metres) from the main entrance easterly to the Gaudí Museum. The museum is inside Gaudi’s former resistance and was opened in 1963 as a museum.
Tickets: €10 adult, kids 6 and under free but must have a ticket.
La Sagrada Familia
This is an absolute must see. Totally breath taking. Gaudi worked on Sagrada Familia for 43 years, from 1883 until his accidental death in 1926. It is still being worked on today and they say it won’t be complete for another 10 years. Gaudi designed Sagrada Familia to be a celebration of light and colour. He was quoted as saying that colour was the expression of life, which is why colour is such an important part of the temple. When visiting Sagrada Familia, book your tickets online in advance. Queues form early, with admittance limited to timed intervals. Sagrada Familia has towers that can also be visited, but only by children aged six and over. People in wheelchairs are also not permitted up in the towers.
Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
Adult: €17, Children under 11 are free.
Catherdral Barcelona
A spectacular gothic cathedral with a stunningly high ceiling, best visited early in the morning to avoid queues (also, it’s free to visit in the morning). Walk through to the cloisters to meet the cathedral’s pet ducks.
Monserrat
Monserrat, is a breathtaking monastery perched on a mountain top. It’s an hour by train from Barcelona followed by a cable car up the mountain. The whole experience is very accessible for families and strollers. Trains leave every hour from Placa Espanya and go directly to the mountain, where you change to either the cable car (Aeri ticket version) or rack train mountain ride (Cremallera ticket version). When you buy your tickets from Placa Espanya, choose between the cable car and rack train – they are not changeable. You will need to get off the train a station earlier for the cable car. The train is easy and fast – just use this guide to make sure you board the right train on the right platform. Up at the top there are mountain walks, two short funicular rides up and down areas of the mountain to various lookouts, a museum (better suited to older kids) featuring works by Caravaggio and Picasso, and the 1000 year old basilica, which is suitable for everyone. The Montserrat Boys’ Choir sings daily in the basilica at 1pm, this gets very busy but is magnificent.
Magic fountain of Montjuic
The show starts at 9pm and it is truly magnificent. I had a teary moment (which the kids found hilarious) as the Barcelona song started playing and the fountains burst into action. Get there early as it is very busy. Mark and I were joking thinking it would just be some small fountains but wow.
Barceloneta Beach
Barceloneta is the most popular beach in Barcelona It’s literally just a few hundred meters from famous sites such as La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter. This makes getting to the beach incredibly easy and makes for spending a couple of hours at the beach easy to fit into your day. We relaxed here all morning whilst the kids played and then strolled through ElBorn to the Gothic quarter for some lunch.
Parc De La Ciutadella
A 16 hectare park on the northeastern edge of Ciutat Vella, it features a giant mammoth, boating lake with a waterfall, band stand, a massive fountain, playgrounds, and the Barcelona Zoo. Literally hours of entertainment but nowhere to eat so bring a packed lunch.
The Arc De Triomf
The Arc de Triomf is one of the most amazing structures in Barcelona. The arch has numerous beautifully detailed stone carvings. There is a large area, leading from the Arc to the gate of the park de la Ciutadella. The park is also fab and is great to walk with the kids. Here you can often find skaters and on some days you might see magicians and craftsmen, entertainers for children making huge dancing soap bubbles. The Arc traditionally serves as a venue for the city’s fairs. The old El Born area its right next door where you can find designer shops, restaurants and bars.
See my places to eat and drink in Barcelona here.
Shelley x
Great post with lots of good advice. Looking forward to the next installment 😍 x
Author
Ooooh Claire you will love it. I forget to add some other places we visited so will add them to the post as well. Next up is eating and drinking. Shelley x