Barcelona is a Cosmopolitan Gem.

Bordered on the east by the beaches of the Mediterranean and on the west by the hills of Montjuïc, Barcelona is a cosmopolitan gem. A progressive city bursting with energy, rich cultural history and spectacular Gothic and Modernista architecture that is also on the cutting edge of European art, fashion, design and cuisine. And with its fabled nightlife, get ready to hit the streets and paint the town with the city’s other nearly two million inhabitants. 

First and foremost, Barcelona is a visually stunning city. Its meticulously preserved Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) contains an impressive array of medieval structures surrounded by fourth century Roman walls representing the city’s prosperity as an important port city during the 13^th to 15^th centuries. While the Art Nouveau architecture of the Eixample area showcases the city’s 19^th century industrial achievement. It is here that the Catalan Masters of Modernisme – notably Antoni Gaudi – prolifically constructed buildings, parks and churches using colorful and experimental forms that dazzle the eye today.

The largest concentration of Modernista masterpieces exists along the Passeig de Gracia, the Eixample’s most elegant boulevard, including Gaudi’s Casa Batllo (covered in a rippling blue shell of ceramic plaques and trencadis) and La Pedrera (Casa Mila), considered to be the most extraordinary residential building ever built. And on C/Mallorca you will find Gaudi’s great unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. The original architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar, envisioned a neo gothic church when construction began in 1882. One year later, Gaudí took over as lead architect at the age of 31 and devoted most of his life to the construction of the church, changing the design dramatically along the way from neo gothic to his trademark modernist style based on forms found in nature. The building, still under construction, is not expected to be finished until at least 2026 and visitors to its museum can see stone masons at work carving stones to be used in the building. At nearby Mont Pelat, the Gaudi inspired Parc Guell contains amazing stone structures, stunning tile work, fascinating buildings and a walkway supported by twisting rock pillars that seem to be growing out of the ground like tree trunks. But Gaudi isn’t the only artist celebrated in Barcelona. Among the world class museums here are those dedicated to the works of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro.

 

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