I have been to Barcelona twice now with two different sets of people and ever since then I’ve been trying to persuade my sister, brother and law and hubby to come back with me for a third visit!

Barcelona’s influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world’s major global cities.

I spent four days in Barcelona both times I visited, and easily filled all of my time with the amazing sights and activities this fantastic place has to offer! Some of the highlights of my trips to Barcelona include:

Barcelona Cathedral (The Gothic Cathedral)

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia is the Gothic cathedral and and is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve seen. It was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The roof features some incredible gargoyles of a wide range of animals, both everyday animals and mythical creatures.

The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral’s crypt.

The inside is very grand and ornate, but also very tasteful and beautiful.

The Columbus Monument

The monument is a 60 metre tall monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, but in my opinion is relatively easy to overlook! It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) in honour of Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas. The monument serves as a reminder that Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent.

Port Vell

Port Vell translates to ‘Old Harbour’ and is part of the Port of Barcelona. It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. and is now a huge tourist attraction, containing shops, bars, restaurants and a cinema. It also holds Europe’s largest aquarium containing 8000 fish and 11 sharks!

Sagrada Família

The main reason I wanted to visit Barcelona was to see this incredible building!!

The Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. The construction of Sagrada Família commenced in 1882.

Sagrada Familia’s construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, in fact, when Gaudí died in 1926, the basilica was only between 15 and 25% complete.

In October 2015 it was announced that construction is now 70% complete and has entered its final phase (the building of six huge towers) The towers and most of the church’s structure are to be completed by 2026, which marks the centennial of Gaudí’s death. Visitor entrance fees currently finance the construction, which has an annual budget of 25 million euros!

Gaudí’s original design was for a total of eighteen spires, representing in ascending order of height the Twelve Apostles, the Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists and, tallest of all, Jesus Christ. The Evangelists’ spires will be topped with sculptures of their traditional symbols: a winged bull (Saint Luke), a winged man (Saint Matthew), an eagle (Saint John), and a winged lion (Saint Mark). The central spire of Jesus Christ is to be topped by a giant cross with a total height of 170 metres. The completion of the spires will make Sagrada Família the tallest church building in the world.

The Church will have three grand façades: the Nativity façade to the East, the Passion façade to the West, and the Glory façade to the South.

Nativity Façade

Constructed between 1894 and 1930, the Nativity façade was the first façade to be completed. Dedicated to the birth of Jesus, it is decorated with scenes reminiscent of elements of life. The three porticos are separated by two large columns, and at the base of each lies a turtle or a tortoise, to represent both land and sea. In contrast to the figures of turtles, two chameleons can be found at either side of the façade, and are symbolic of change.

Each portico represents a theological virtue of Hope, Faith and Charity. Four towers complete the façade and are each dedicated to a Saint (Matthias the Apostle, Saint Barnabas, Jude the Apostle, and Simon the Zealot).

Passion Façade

In contrast to the highly decorated Nativity Façade, the Passion Façade is plain and simple, with bare stone, and is carved with harsh straight lines to resemble the bones of a skeleton. Dedicated to the Passion of Christ, the suffering of Jesus during his crucifixion, the façade was intended to portray the sins of man. Gaudí intended for this façade to strike fear into the onlooker.

The Passion Façade is supported by six large columns. Above is a pediment (triangular part of the façade), made up of eighteen bone-shaped columns, which form a large cross with a crown of thorns. Each of the four towers is dedicated to an apostle (James, Thomas, Philip, or Bartholomew).

The scenes sculpted into the façade may be divided into three levels. The lowest level depicts scenes from Jesus’ last night before the crucifixion, including The Last Supper, Kiss of Judas, Ecce Homo, and the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus. The middle level portrays the Calvary, or Golgotha, of Christ, and includes The Three Marys, Saint Veronica, Saint Longinus, and a hollow-face illusion of Christ. In the third and final level the Death, Burial and the Resurrection of Christ can be seen. 

Glory Façade

The largest and most striking of the façades will be the Glory Façade, on which construction began in 2002. Dedicated to the Celestial Glory of Jesus, it represents the road to God: Death, Final Judgment, and Glory, while Hell is left for those who deviate from God’s will. Purgatory and death will also be depicted, the latter using tombs along the ground. It will include seven large columns dedicated to spiritual gifts and at the base of these columns there will be representations of the Seven Deadly Sins, and at the top, The Seven Heavenly Virtues.

Interior

I don’t even know how to begin describing the inside of Sagrada Familia! The ceilings are high and the decoration and design made me feel like I was walking through a beautiful forest, with the canopies of the trees protecting me from all the elements. It was absolutely breath-taking…

It has been a while since I have visited so I can’t wait to go back again to see what progress has been made on Sagrada Familia!

Park Güell

The park was again designed by Antoni Gaudí. The park was built between 1900 and 1914 and was officially opened as a public park in 1926. 

From the park’s high point it is possible to view the city, with the Sagrada Família and the Montjuïc area visible at a distance.

Within the park you can find:

Gaudi’s House

Casa Museu Gaudí was the residence of Antoni Gaudí for almost 20 years, from 1906 till the end of 1925. On 28 September 1963 it was opened as a museum.

Hansel and Gretel Houses

The amazing Hansel and Gretel style houses, again designed by the famous architect  Antoni Gaudi.

Hypostyle Room

The great entrance stairway leads to the Hypostyle Room, which was designed to be the market for the estate. It is made up of 86 columns and the ceiling is formed of small domes constructed using the traditional technique of clay bricks decorated with original tile-shard mosaics.

The Salamander

Gaudí’s multicolored mosaic salamander, popularly known as “el drac” (the dragon), is at the main entrance.

Other places in Barcelona also worth a look are:

Casa Batllo

Casa Batlló is a renowned building located in the centre of Barcelona and is another one of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces.  The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a skeletal organic quality.

The Olympic Stadium

Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city (and Barcelona’s bid for the 1936 Summer Olympics, which were awarded to Berlin), it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The stadium has a capacity of 54,000 (67,007 during the 1992 Olympics), and is located in the Anella Olímpica, in Montjuïc, a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbour.

Camp Nou

Camp Nou has been the home stadium of FC Barcelona since its completion in 1957.

It is the largest stadium in Spain (seating for 99,354), is the largest in Europe and the third largest football stadium in the world in terms of capacity.

As part of your tour around Camp Nou you visit the changing room, pitch, presidential box, press room, and the FC Barcelona Museum.

You can book your tickets for tours of Camp Nou here.

Palau Real de Pedralbes (The Royal Palace)

The Royal Palace is a building in the district of Les Corts. From 1919 until 1931 it was the residence for the Spanish Royal Family when they visited the city. It houses the Museu de la Ceramica (ceramic museum), Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària and Museu de les Arts Decoratives (interior design museum), and is the permanent seat of the Union for the Mediterranean.

As you can see, Barcelona is a wondrous city full of amazing architecture, fascinating places to visit and incredible photo opportunities! Make sure to add it to your bucket list! I’m going to keep on trying to persuade someone to come back with me again for a third visit!