Things to do in Barcelona
From Port Vell to the spires of Barcelona Cathedral in Barrí Gòtic, exploring Barcelona is easy. See Picasso's delicate, early sketches in the Old Town and Joan Miró's colourful masterpieces on Montjuïc. Architecturally, Gaudí reigns supreme; follow the trail from La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Eixample to fantastical Park Güell in Gràcia. Further out, Tibidabo mountain beckons with its charming funfair. Labyrinth Park in Montbau has playful topiary to get lost in.
Picasso Museum
Spanish master
Barcelona's unmissable Picasso Museum houses an exhaustive collection of the
Spanish master's early work, sprawling across adjoining gothic palaces in
the Old Town. Find youthful sketches from his formative years, sculpture,
ceramics and exquisite paintings from his Blue Period.
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Cost
Permanent collection & temporary exhibition €9; temporary exhibition €5.80; Sun from 3pm & first Sun of the month free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-8pm
Address
15-23, Montcada, Ciutat Vella, Barcelona 08003
Telephone
+34 932 563 000
CaixaForum
Important exhibition space
CaixaForum by Plaça Espanya square, is one of Barcelona's most exciting
contemporary art spaces. Housed in an old modernista textile factory
with a stylish modern walkway, courtyard and entrance, the gallery's three
exhibition spaces display an eclectic programme of shows.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-8pm (until 10pm Sat)
Address
6-8, Avenida Marqués de Comillas, Barcelona 08038
Telephone
+34 93 476 8600
Joan Miró Foundation
Art on the mountain
The Joan Miró Foundation possesses an incomparable collection of work by the
20th-century master, and is an essential part of any visit to Montjuïc.
Miró's iconic Spanish paintings are displayed on gleaming white walls, lit
by natural light from above.
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Cost
Permanent collection €8; concessions €6Temporary exhibitions €4; concessions €3
Opening Hours
Oct-Jun Tue-Sat 10am-7pm, Jul-Sep Tue-Sat 10am-8pm, all year Thu 10am-9.30pm; Sun 10am-2.30pm
Address
Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona 08038
Telephone
+34 934 439 470
Chocolate Museum
Sweet exhibits
It's an inescapable fact that the people of Barcelona love chocolate.
Chocolaterias lurk temptingly all over the city but the Chocolate Museum in
the Born district is the highlight. Exhibits include Snowy, Barcelona's
famous albino gorilla, carved from white chocolate.
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Cost
€4.30; concessions available
Opening Hours
Mon & Wed-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am-3pm
Address
36, Carrer del Comerç, Barcelona 08003
Telephone
+34 93 268 78 78
Museum of Contemporary Art
Art and architecture
Richard Meier's cool white design, set incongruously in the Raval district,
draws art lovers (and skateboarders) to this contemporary art showcase. If
you find the Museum of Contemporary Art's exhibitions inaccessible, soak up
the ambience of its vast light halls.
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Cost
€7.50
Opening Hours
Sep-Jun Mon & Wed-Fri 11am-7.30pm; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-3pm, Jun-Sep Mon & Wed 11am-8pm; Thu & Fri 11am-12am; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-3pm
Address
1, Plaça dels Àngels, Barcelona 08001
Telephone
+34 93 412 0810
Barcelona Aquarium
Watery world
Barcelona Aquarium in Port Vell holds an impressive collection of marine life
from giant conger eels to seahorses and even a penguin colony, but the
highlight is the shark tunnel. Get up close to the craggy-toothed monsters
if you dare.
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Cost
€17; concessions €14; children €12
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30am-9pm (until 9.30pm Sat & Sun & public hols, Jun & Sep; until 11pm Jul & Aug)
Address
Moll d'Espanya del Port Vell, Barcelona 08039
Telephone
+34 93 221 74 74
Barcelona Cathedral
Soaring spires
Soaring above Plaça de la Seu square in Barrí Gòtic, attention-grabbing
Barcelona Cathedral features smooth arches, skeletal spires and lofty
towers. Inside the vaulted cloister awaits an oasis of palms and fountains.
Take the lift for spectacular city views.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 8.30am-12pm & 5.15pm-7pmSat pm and Sun depends on mass times
Address
3, Pla de la Seu, Barrí Gòtic, Barcelona 08002
Telephone
+34 933 428 260
Camp Nou
Catalan football
Camp Nou in Les Corts is a large-scale temple to football and an impressive
piece of architecture. Now architect Norman Foster plans to transform the
building into a pulsating, light-refracting superstructure. See a match or
take a guided tour.
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Cost
Various
Opening Hours
Various; no tours on match days
Address
Avenida Aristides Maillol, Barcelona 08028
Telephone
+34 902 189 900
Park Güell
Unique Gaudí park
Park Güell in the Gràcia district is Catalan architect Gaudí's modernist
utopia. Lush, shady parkland overlooks the city and fantastical
mosaic-covered, sculptural buildings are curiously inviting. In the
scorching summer months this is one of the coolest places to be.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
May-Sep daily 10am-9pm; Dec-Feb daily 10am-6pm; Mar & Nov daily 10am-7pm; Apr & Oct daily 10am-8pm
Address
Carrer d'Olot, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 93 424 38 09
Transport
Lesseps metro; buses 24, 25 to Lesseps
La Sagrada Família
Gaudí masterpiece
La Sagrada Família in the Eixample district is a crazed, towering cathedral
and lifetime obsession of Gaudí, a unique symbol of the Catalan capital and
a work in progress. Climb up inside its fantastical, undulating spires to
see Gaudí's Workshop.
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Cost
€11; concessions €10; lift €2.50
Opening Hours
Oct-Mar daily 9am-6pm; Apr-Sep daily 9am-8pm
Address
Plaça Sagrada Família, Barcelona 08013
Telephone
+34 932 080 414
Labyrinth Park
Beautiful garden
Labyrinth Park, a playfully romantic park in Montbau, offers welcome respite
from the urban bustle of Barcelona. Built in 1791, the grounds are situated
on different levels with ornamented stairways and expansive gardens dotted
with statues of Eros and Narcissus.
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Cost
€2.17; discounts for groups
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-dusk
Address
La Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona 08035
Telephone
+34 9 3428 3934
Transport
Metro Mundet
Montjuïc
Culture, views and nature
Cable cars trundle from Barcelona's harbour to leafy Montjuïc, home to the
Miró Foundation and the Spanish Village. Travel on a second cable car to the
17th-century castle for impressive views, or swim in the open-air Olympic
pool in summer.
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Cost
Teleférico single €9; return €12.50
Opening Hours
Teleférico winter 11am-5.30pm; summer daily 11am-7.15pm/8pm
Address
Barcelona 08038
Transport
Paral.lel or Espanya metro
CatHelicopter BCN Sky Tours
Thrilling helicopter ride
For James-Bond views of Barcelona, take to the skies on a helicopter ride.
From a giddy height, CatHelicopter BCN Sky Tours take in soaring Gaudí
spires, the ordered grid of the Eixample district, the glistening sea and
distant green mountains.
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Cost
5-min flight €45; 10 mins €80; 35 mins €240
Address
Heliport, Passeig d'Escullera, Moll Adossat s/n, Barcelona 08039
Telephone
+34 93 224 07 10
La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
Roof-top architecture
La Pedrera is a gem in the heart of the Eixample district. Across the street
from the popular Gaudí House, this large corner building by the Catalan
master boasts the sculpture-filled Espai Gaudí terrace providing roof-top
views of the city.
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Cost
€10; concessions €6
Opening Hours
Nov-Feb daily 9am-6:30pm, Mar-Oct daily 9am-8pm
Address
261-265, Provença, Barcelona 08008
Telephone
+34 902 400 973
Tibidabo Amusement Park
Mountain funfair
Always visible from the streets below, Tibidabo Amusement Park is certainly
worth the climb. A creaking funicular delivers visitors to the top where a
gloriously antiquated amusement park entices with rickety rides and an
unbeatable view along the coast.
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Cost
€25; concessions €9; children under 90cm free
Opening Hours
Schedule varies please check before visiting
Address
3-4, Plaça del Tibidabo, Barcelona 08035
Telephone
+34 93 211 79 42
Transport
Avinguda Tibidabo metro, then Tramvía Blau (Blue Tram) to the funicular
