barri gotic
the tightly packed maze of narrow streets and alleyways of barcelona's ciutat vella (old city), bordered by las ramblas, the ciutadella park, placa catalunya and the sea, was once enclosed by medieval city walls and, until the massive building boom of the eixample, 150 years ago, comprised the entire city. at its heart is the barri gotic (gothic quarter), one of several clearly identifiable barris or districts which make up the old city. its roots can be traced back to 15bc, when roman soldiers established a small settlement called barclno on a slight hill here called mons taber....
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girona
just 1.5 hours by car or train from barcelona, the beautiful, walled city of girona is one of catalonia's most characterful cities, with an admirable collection of ancient monuments. the old city, built on a steep hill and known for its lovely stairways, arcaded streets and sunless alleys, is separated from modern girona by the river onyar. the medieval, multicolored houses overhanging the river are a photographer's dream, especially when seen from the iron footbridge designed by eiffel....
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gay sitges
sitges, known for its gay bars, discos and nightclubs is situated 40km (25 miles) south of barcelona, and is one of spain's oldest bathing resorts and has long been the weekend and holiday playground of barcelonans. it was once a sleepy fishing port and, although it has now developed into a thriving seaside destination, the old town still retains its ancient charm, with narrow streets, whitewashed cottages and flower-festooned balconies. it also has several appealing modernista buildings....
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la sagrada familia barcelona
the sagrada familia is antoni gaudi´s crowning glory, europe's most unconventional church and an attraction that a holiday trip to barcelona cannot be complete without. situated in the eixample suburb of barcelona, the towering masterpiece has been under construction since 1882 with various stops and starts and plans drawn up for its completion. bursting with symbolism, imagery, and incredible detail, the church is a fabulous place of interest for all ages. visit antoni gaudi´s crypt, or follow a lift up one of the towers for a heightened perspective of the grand structure....
the columbus monument
this vast monument, commemorating the return of christopher columbus to barcelona in 1493 from his first trip to the americas, stands outside the naval headquarters of catalonia, at the seaward end of the ramblas. it was designed by gaieta buigas for the universal exposition of 1888, with columbus standing at the top of a column 50m (164ft) high, pointing out to sea towards italy take the lift to the top for breathtaking bird's-eye views of the harbor front....
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the placa de catalunya
the placa de catalunya is the heart of barcelona and the hub of the city's transport system. it was first landscaped at the end of the 19th century and became of major importance as the pivotal point between the old and new city: the barri gotic to the east, the eixample district to the north and west, and, to the southeast, las ramblas running down to the port its main landmarks today are the head office of banco espanol de credito,...
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placa del rei
the charming king's square was once a bustling medieval marketplace. today, it forms a frequent backdrop to summer open-air concerts and theatrical events, especially during the grec festival, and is the location of the city history museum , a huge section of which is housed in the palau reial major (great royal palace), former residence of the counts of barcelona....
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the placa reial
this sunny porticoed square, just off las ramblas, with its tall palm trees, decorative fountain and buskers was constructed in 1848. some of the facades are decorated with terracotta reliefs of navigators and the discoverers of america, and the two tree-like central lampposts mark gaudi's first commission in barcelona....
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the placa sant jaume
once the hub of roman barcelona, this impressive square today represents the city's political heart, and is dominated by two buildings; the neoclassical and gothic casa de la ciutat (town hall) and, directly opposite, the renaissance palau de la generalitat de catalunya (government of catalonia)....
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portvell
although barcelona was founded on seagoing tradition, for many years its seafront was in decay, until a major redevelopment prior to the 1992 olympics reintegrated the port veil (old port) into the city by transforming it into a lively entertainment venue the rambla de mar, an undulating wooden walkway and bridge, acts as an extension of las ramblas, connecting the city to port veil's many attractions....
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