Barcelona - see it all

Metro line L9 Sud connects the airport terminals T1 and T2 with the city of Barcelona, every 7 minutes. There are three stations in this line where you can transfer to other lines of the network. The journey from the airport to Barcelona city centre by metro takes you 32 minutes. There are various ticket and travel card options valid to travel between Barcelona and the airport. We used the Airport ticket, valid for a single journey between the airport and the rest of the metro network.

We decided to take a room in BCN Urbaness Hotels Del Comte. The hotel is 100 m from Barcelona's Urgell Metro Station and 15 minutes walk from the Rambla and Plaza Espanya. The transport with the Metro line from the airport to the city and back was easy. Only one line change. It was an excellent choice. The room was modern, simple, and very clean. And the price was reasonable because we reserved it a couple of months in advance.

After unpacking we went for a short stroll towards Rambla. Between the neighbourhoods of the Barri Gòtic and the El Raval runs the most famous street in Barcelona – La Rambla. This pedestrian street lined with trees and cafes is always crowded with locals and tourists.

In the morning we started the sightseeing from the central square. Plaça de Catalunya is a large square in central Barcelona known for its fountains and statue, and the flocks of pigeons that gather in the centre. It is near to some of Barcelona's most popular attractions.

Palau de la Música Catalana is an architectural jewel of Catalan Art Nouveau. It is the only concert hall in this style to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

On our way to the famous Gothic Quarter we walked into the pedestrian shopping avenue that runs parallel with La Rambla. There are a lot of popular shopps, banks, offices and caffes.

We entered the Gothic Quarter, a historic centre of the old city of Barcelona. The Barri Gòtic charm lays in its narrow medieval streets filled with trendy bars, clubs and Catalan restaurants.

Walking around narrow streets of Gothic quarter we came across this lovely caffe with great offer of pastries. We took famous curros, croissant and Cafe Suizo. Delicious!

While strolling through the narrow streets be sure to go to the Plaça d’Isidre Nonell. There you will find The Kiss of Freedom mural. It is a mosaic that appears to be a romantic passionate kiss on the surface but is actually made up of 4000 tiny ceramic tiles. Each tile is printed with a photo of a person, a place, a moment, an event or something which in some way represents an expression of freedom.

Cathedral 'La Seu' or Barcelona Cathedral is one of the largest and most impressive churches in Catalonia. It is also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. From the roof, there are wonderful views of Barcelona.

Inside the Cathedral is the Gothic cloister with Saint George's fountain. The cloister also encloses the Well of the Geese. There they keep 13 white geese, the number explained by the belief that Eulalia was 13 years old when she was martyred.

Plaça Reial is a plaza in Gotic neighborhood next to La Rambla with many restaurants and clubs. It is a tourist hotspot, especially at night.

We found this nice Braseria at the end of Rambla street and had various tapas and beer. It was very tasty food.

At the end of Rambla street we came directly to the Columbus Monument. It is of course dedicated to Christopher Columbus and his first voyage to the Americas.

Palau Güell Guell Palace is a house located in El Raval, also designed by Antoni Gaudi and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guell was a wealthy industrialist and Gaudi's patron and the house became Guell's family home until he died. Later the building was used by the police during the Civil War for torturing political prisoners.

On our way back to the hotel we visited the popular market La Boqueria situated on one side of the Rambla street. It is known for his tapas restaurants and the fresh products sold in the stalls. And there we had a light dinner.

In the morning we started with visiting Casa Mila also known as La Pedrera. It is famous house designed by Antoni Gaudi and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The apartment building was built as a Modernista building. The unique structure has no straight lines. The interior and the roof are attractions worth seeing. We recommend visiting the rooftop terrace as a unique space with different functional elements and great artistic strength. There are stairwell covers, ventilation towers and chimneys standing out as warrior guardians of La Pedrera. The stepped roof of La Pedrera is called "the garden of warriors" because the chimneys appear to be protecting the skylights. From the roof, you will have a splendid view of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

Near Casa Mila we found this excellent tappas restaurant and had very tasty snack.

Casa Amatller is one of three unusual buildings along Passeig de Gracia. Together with Casa Batlló and Casa Lleo-Morera, they make up the "Block of Discord".

This was a house of the family Batlló and Gaudí completely renovated the original building. As one of his masterpieces, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The roof terrace is one of the most popular places in the entire house with a famous dragon back design with ceramic tiles for the dragon scales. NOTE: To understand Gaudi and the beauty of his work it is worth going inside and having the full experience. Must reserve/buy online tickets far in advance.

On our way to see the Magic Fountain we stopped at the lovely sculpture made by famous Joan Miro. It is situated in the water basin in the city park.

Next to Placa d'Espanya is a grand Plaza de Toros de las Arenas at first built as a bullring. Besides bullfights there were many concerts held in it. The last bullfight was held in 1977. Now the building serves as a shopping mall named Arenas de Barcelona. On the rooftop there are caffes and restaurants with stunning view over the Square and up to Palau Nacional. Nice place to have a snack before the Magic Fountain show.

Placa de Espana is Barcelona's biggest square set beneath the Monjuic hill on a huge roundabout. A spectacular entrance to the attractions on Montjuic including the Palau Nacional, the Magic Fountain, and Poble Espanyol was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.

The famous Magic Fountain is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music, and water acrobatics. It is a "must-see" when you come to Barcelona and you can visit the show for free! The fountain is situated below the Palau Nacional on the Montjuïc mountain and near the Plaça d'Espanya. NOTE: Before you go check the timetable for the Magic Fountain shows because it is not performed every day.

We started the day with one of the top attraction in Barcelona. Parc Güell is not just another green area but more of a garden complex. It includes unique architectural structures which are now the main attraction. The whole parc with the ceramic tiled fantastical structures and mosaics was designed by Antoni Gaudi. He tried to use organic shapes in the park structures. Today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's absolutely amazing and we spent hours enjoying every part of it. NOTE: Parc is situated on a steep hill. The metro stations are rather far and below so beware if you are not in good condition. It is better to take metro L3 to station Lesseps than Bus 116 to the main entrance or Bus 24 or V19, lines that stop on the eastern side of the park.

After the Parc Guell we went by bus on the east towards the sea and get off at The Arc de Triomf. It crosses over the wide central promenade of the Passeig de Lluís Companys, leading to the Ciutadella Park. It was built of red bricks in the New Moorish style as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair.

Visiting the Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona's largest park very popular among the citizens on Sunday was a real hit. The place was packed with locals spending a sunny day relaxing in many ways. The park has a small lake, a fountain and wide grass areas where you can sit, relax and enjoy a day at the park. You can also find the Parliament of Catalonia in Ciutadella Park. The Monumental Waterfall is the most striking feature of the Parc de la Ciutadella.

At this point we got very hungry and searched for the authentic restaurant. Entering the rather old part of the city called Barceloneta we saw a promenade on the seaside part filled with big restaurants and lots of tourists.

But we turned left from the promenade into the Barceloneta and went along the streets, and on one corner bumped into the fantastic restaurant. It was full with locals for they traditionally go on family lunch on Sunday. We ordered tapas and paellas homestyle and had best lunch of all. The prices are very affordable.

Barcelonetta Beach is a long sandy beach along the Barcelona waterfront. You can buy a big colourful thin cloth (sold by many street sellers) to sit on and enjoy the sun. If coming at the weekend you will witness a crowd of people engaged in all kinds of activities or just resting in the company of friends and family. It was sunny Sunday and the beach was full with people playing woleyball and surfing on the waves.

We reached the museum taking the metro. The Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona is situated in a huge dark blue building along the seaside at the end of the Avenida Diagonal. The display of the museum takes you on a fascinating interactive trip that shows the origins of life on the planet.

After the museum we went to the nearby modern shopping centre Diagonal Mar. There we had a dinner at Five Guys restaurant and it was delicious as always.

Sagrada Familia (The Holly Family), the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world is designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí. Construction of the Sagrada Família began in 1882. and it is still not finished. Gaudi lived to see complete only one façade, the Nativity Façade, the apse, one tower and a crypt where he was buried. His work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seeing the Sagrada Familia and not going inside is a mistake you'll regret. The interiors are as spectacular and like no other church, you've seen. NOTE: To see inside of the basilica reserve tickets online a couple of weeks in advance!!

Art Nouveau de Sant Pau is the hospital built at the beginning of the 20th century by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the architect of Modernisme. Today is a UNESCO heritage site. Sant Pau is the world’s largest Art Nouveau complex, a city within the city. The site consists of 12 pavilions set in green space and interconnected by a kilometre of underground galleries. One of the most underestimated sites in Barcelona, a must-see place. NOTE: Located only 10 minutes walk from Sagrada Familia.

We went back to the most touristic street to find a place for lunch. Must say that the street was too crowded with tourists and piled with stalls selling souvenirs and street food.

On Placa Reial just next to the Rambla we found a very good restaurant La Gallega Tobogan and had a great lunch with tapas and paella. It was very tasty and moderate prices.

After great lunch we crossed over to the another famous district El Raval. Here we came across the huge building with beautiful patio belonging to the Library of Catalonia. There are also many orange trees free to picking fruits.

Next we visited Museu d'Art Contemporani MACBA. Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is located in El Raval district. The modern and very impressive building is the work of Richard Meier. The interior is extraordinary and worth visiting as well as the exhibition of modern art.

To finsh one beautiful day we choose the London bar in La Raval having a lovely cocktails.

On the day 6 we decided to go up the Montjuïc hill. We used the Montjuïc Funicular Railway that gave us quick and easy access by public transport to Montjuïc from the centre in just 2 minutes. The funicular (FM metro line) operates like a metro with two stops and the ticket is the same price as a trip by metro or bus.

From the funicular station to the top we went with the bus no.150. One can walk that part up but it is rather steep and we saved the energy for further walking. On the top in front of the fortress is a lookout over the Barcelona harbour. And big old cannons.

Montjuïc Castle is an old military fortress from the 18th century. It was built on top of the Montjuïc hill in Barcelona, the ideal place for a bastion of defence, with 360º views of the city below. It is rather huge and interesting with beautiful views overlooking the city.

The best thing to see on the hill is definitely the Joan Miro Foundation. It is a museum devoted to the works of Joan Miro who was a native Catalan born in Barcelona. Miro's purpose was to create a place where young artists could experiment with contemporary art and also have a place to display their work to the public. The building and parc are almost as fantastic to see as the works of Miro in the exhibition.

The Montjuïc Hill is best known as the site of the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympic Games. The main attractions are The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Ring and the Olympic Tower designed by Santiago Calatrava.

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is housed in the National palace. The building is located at the bottom of the Montjuïc. From the terrace in front of the palace you can have a spectacular view all the way to the Plaça d'Espanya. And in a distance you ca see Tibidabo hill.

On the way down from Montjuic we passed the Placa de les Cascades to the plateau with Magic Fountain. On the left from the fountain don't miss to visit the most famous house The Mies van der Rohe Pavilion. It was built in 1929. for the World Exhibition as a German pavilion.

During the daylight and on workdays the fountain is not displaying the show. Nevertheless the sight is beautiful.

The finale of this wonderful walk over the Montjuic hill was going through two monumental towers built in Venetian style hundred years ago. They led us to the Placa d'Espanya and back to the hotel.

Last day in Barcelona. Just enough time to pack and check out. We took the metro from the station Urgell that was only 10 minutes from the hotel.

We had to change to line L9 Sud that connects the city with the airport. Very easy, fast and cheap transport.