Barcelona churches & monuments
The best churches and monuments of Barcelona
Sagrada Familia ★★★ - The weirdest-looking cathedral in Europe rises like a giant, drippy sand castle from the precise grid of street in the Eixample neighborhood, an ongoing project representing Antoni Gaudí’s creativity at its whimsical, feverish best. The architectural details are almost Gothic in their intricacy, but with a modern, fluid twist. The rosy brown and gray stone is flecked with the colors of Gaudí’s signature tile-chip mosaics and crawls with funky gargoyles—which you can peep up close by climbing conch-shell spiral staircases (or taking elevators) up the towers... » more
Casa Batlló ★★★ - Gaudí's colorful Casa Batlló is the crowning jewel of the Modernisme movement, with curvaceous theater-mask balconies, soft-serve minaret chimneys, and an oil-slick rainbow of a roof shaped like a dragon's back. The amazing thing is that Gaudí designed every single architectrual element and decorative detail, down to the door handles and trash cans. Most just snap pics from the sidewalk, but it's worth taking the (admittedly pricey) hour-long self-guided audio tour inside.... » more
Catedral ★★ - Behind an elaborate neo-Gothic facade and spire from the 19th century lies Madrid's massive and genuinely Gothic cathedral, a dark, echoey space built largely between 1298 and 1450. It'll take a good 45 minutes to see the marvelously carved 15th-century choir stalls, ranks of glowing votive candles, and shady cloisters surrounded by magnolias and palms and ponds swimming with geese. The adjacent museum is stuffed with medieval Catalonian art... » more
La Pedrera (Casa Milá) ★★ - Casa Milà—often called La Pedrera ("the quarry") for its undulating rocky shape, all poured cement set with chips of bone-white cermaic tile—is a magnificent apartment block designed by Antoni Gaudí and declared a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1984. Here, especially, Gaudí seemed to avoid straight lines at all costs—the whole place looks like it's melting. There's an exhibition space on Gaudí and Modernisme inside, and you can tour an apartment and the architectural fun park and swirly chimneys of the roof.... » more
Aeri del Port (Transbordador) ★ - This low-key, 1,292-meter (0.8-mile) thrill ride in a gondola over the harbor of Barcelona from Barceloneta to the Miramar viewpoint halfway up Montjuïc Hill offers spectacular views. The busy waterfront is below and all around you. In one direction, all of downtown Barcelona and spreads to either side of La Rambla; in the other direction, the waters of the Mediterranean stretch to the horizon... » more
Park Güell ★ - In the northern reaches of the Grácia district, north of the Eixample, rises one of architect Antoni Gaudí’s most colorful creations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This idiosyncratic, 37-acre park was is filled with Gaudí’s colonnades of crooked columns, narrow gardens, small fountains, curvaceous benches, and whimsical animals... » more
Poble Espanyol - For the 1929 World’s Fair, Barcelona created a simulated Spanish village high on top of Montjuïc, where 117 houses, structures, streets, and squares reproduce Spanish monuments and buildings from over the last 1,000 years. Think of it as an early version of EPCOT, only one focused just on Spain and instead of rides it's filed with craft and artisan workshops, restaurants, and nightclubs... » more
Mirador de Colón - This 1881 architecural exlamanation point is a monument to Chrisopher Columbus on Plaça del Portal de la Pau, anchoring the south (port) end of La Rambla, Barcelona's main boulevard. You can ride the elevator 51m (167 feet) to the top of the column portion for sweeping views over the port and the city—and up La Rambla... » more
Castell de Montjuïc - This 18th century castle remains a glowering presence above Barcelona, half a misshappen star—all triangluar bastions and stony parapets—sunk ino the Montjuïc hillside 173 meters (568 feet) above the city. In 2010, Montjuïc Castle was converted into a space for temporary exhibitions and cultural activities... » more
Telefèric de Montjuïc - These gondolas, holding eight people each, dangle from a cable and sweep 84.5 metres (277 feet) up and along the Montjuïc hillside offering stellar views over the terraced parks and noble buildings of Montjuïc, and heart of downtown Barcelona and its harbor below. It travels from near the funicular station to Montjuïc Castle... » more
Palau de la Musica Catalana - Barcelona architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed this concert hall in 1905–08, and it is the only Art Nouveau performance space to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take one of the 55-minute guided tours to see the sky-lit stained glass of the inverse dome in the auditorium. Even better, return in the evening to attend a concert... » more
Tips & Links
If you're just passing through, I'd give Barcelona at least two full days—though if you only have one day, here's how to squeeze in the most of Barcelona into just 24 hours.
Barcelona is a lovely place to relax, however, so you might be happier spending 3-4 days.
Barcelona has two types of sightseeing/transport passes:
There's a full description of both passes here, but in brief: The only museum covered fully by the Museum Pass that is not also covered by the Barcelona Card is the Museu Picasso (where you get only a 20% discount with the Barcelona Card).
You can also get discounts (usually 10% to 20%) on a wide range of sights, activites, and shows if you have a hop-on/hop-off bus ticket.
- Sightseeing
- Food & wine
- Day-trips
- Excursions
- Barcelona in One Day Sightseeing Tour
- Artistic Barcelona Afternoon Tour
- Barcelona Morning Sightseeing Tour
- Context: Welcome To Barcelona
- Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
- Skip the Line: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour
- Context: Gaudi in Context
- Context: Gothic Quarter
- Barcelona Modernism and Gaudi Walking Tour
- Context: Dragon Hunt, Family Orientation to Barcelona
- Gaudí’s La Pedrera at Night: A Behind-Closed-Doors Tour in Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
- Barcelona Walking Tour: Picasso and Picasso Museum
- Context: Picasso's Barcelona
- Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
- Gaudi's Park Güell Guided Walking Tour
- Skip-the-Line Barcelona Walking Tour: Palau de la Musica, Picasso Museum and Gaudi's Casa Batlló
- Context: Barcelona and the Sea
- Skip the Line: Gaudi's Casa Batlló Ticket with Audio Tour
- Context: Montjuic, Conquering the Mountain
- Context: Homage to Catalonia, the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona
- Barcelona Coastal Tour by Scooter
- Barcelona Gaudi Tour by Scooter
- Barcelona Photography Walking Tour: Walk Thru The Ages
- "The Shadow of the Wind" Walking Book Tour in Barcelona
- "The Cathedral of the Sea" Walking Book Tour in Barcelona
- Barcelona Gaudi Tour by Scooter
- Private Tour: Barcelona Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
- Private Tour: Barcelona Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
- Context: Custom Walk
- Context: City of Chocolate
- Tapas Evening Walking Tour of Barcelona
- Context: Modernista Menu: Avant-Garde Barcelona Cuisine
- Context: My Barcelona Kitchen
- Barcelona Tapas Tour “en el barrio”
- Context: Pica-Pica in Poble-Sec Tapas Walk
- Barcelona Cycle & Tapas
- Context: Farm to Fork, the Boqueria and Beyond
- Small-Group Tour: Traditional Food and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Cava and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: City Tour, Sitges and Freixenet Cava Day Trip
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sitges, Freixenet Cava Wine Cellars and Montserrat Tour
- Catalan Culture Tour from Barcelona: Food Market, Montblanc and Human Tower Festival
- Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
- Montserrat and Cava Trail Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Three Countries in One Day: France, Andorra and Spain from Barcelona
- Girona, Figueres and Dali Museum Day Trip from Barcelona
- Montserrat Royal Basilica Half-Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona and Montserrat Small-Group Tour
- Pyrenees Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Salvador Dali Museum, Figueres and Cadaques Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Tour: Traditional Food and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Cava and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Girona and Costa Brava Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sightseeing Tour with Montjuic Cable Car and Montserrat Tour
- Barcelona Day Trip: Montserrat, Colonia Guell and Gaudi Crypt
- Barcelona Super Saver: City Tour, Sitges and Freixenet Cava Day Trip
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sitges, Freixenet Cava Wine Cellars and Montserrat Tour
- Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
- Tarragona and Sitges Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Catalan Culture Tour from Barcelona: Food Market, Montblanc and Human Tower Festival
- Small-Group Medieval Villages Day Trip from Barcelona
- Private Tour: Salvador Dali Museum at Figueres and Girona Day Trip from Barcelona
- Private Full Day Tour to Sitges and Bodegas Torres
- 4-Day Best of Catalonia Tour from Barcelona
- 6-Day Spain Tour from Barcelona: Zaragoza, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Valencia
- 8-Day Spain Tour Including Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo
- 5-Day Spain Tour: Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo from Barcelona
- 2-Day Northern Catalonia Tour: Vic, Figueres, Girona and Montserrat
- 2-Day Southern Catalonia Tour: Sitges, Tarragona and Santes Creus
SIGHTS
Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info
Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)
Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com
LODGING
Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com
B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com
Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com
Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com
TRANSPORT
Airfares:
Airports: Aena.es
Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com
Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat
Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com
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This article was by Reid Bramblett and last updated in September 2013.
All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998–2013 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.
Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info
Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)
Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com
LODGING
Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com
B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com
Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com
Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com
TRANSPORT
Airfares:
Airports: Aena.es
Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com
Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat
Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com