Top Tourist Attractions in Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions upon millions of visitors each year.

why is it so popular?

Well, it has almost everything any holidaymaker would desire. Easy access, favorable weather conditions, attractive beaches and surrounding mountains, a buzzing nightlife, tasty local cuisine and it’s steeped in culture and history.

It’s also a sight-seeing wonderland, housing many recognizable monuments. Variety’s the word with Barcelona and the city has something for everyone; families, couples and singletons alike. There are the tourist attractions in Barcelona travelers shouldn’t miss if they ever decide to visit the Catalan capital.

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1. Monastery of Pedralbes

The quiet beauty of the Monastery of Pedralbes provides a safe harbor for travelers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of Barcelona. This gothic monastery was built in 129y by Queen Elsenda who sought forgiveness for her sins. It is considered an outstanding example of Catalan gothic architecture.

Arched outer corridors overlook swaying palm trees. Its original occupants were Poor Clares, nuns from mostly noble families; they were charged with protecting the city. Some nuns still live in the monastery, which today houses the city museum.

2. Palau Guell

Barcelona is filled with significant buildings designed by noted architect Antoni Gaudi. A good place for visitors to begin their appreciation of his work is Palau Guell or Palace Guell. It’s one of his first major works, and sets the tone for his designs to follow.

Gaudi designed Palau Guell for an extremely wealthy resident. Because the tycoon entertained a lot, the house was designed around a central hall, with other rooms designed to fit the family’s needs. Gaudi’s use of space and lighting in the Palau Guell was innovative for its time.

3. National Art Museum of Catalonia

Sitting atop a hill,National Art Museum of Catalonia looks more like a massive castle than an art museum, a museum that holds a king’s ransom in treasures. It is here, however, that visitors will find the greatest Catalan art from the 10th century to the 20th century.

Here visitors will find impressive Romanesque murals that graced church apses, and Gothic art from the era when Catalonia was expanding across the Mediterranean. The gallery also contains paintings by the great Spanish artists El Greco and Velasquez.

4. Arc de Triomf

The Arc de Triomf was constructed in 1888 to welcome international visitors to Barcelona’s Universal Exhibition, the world’s fair of its day. The massive decorative arch is located on the Passeig Lluís Companys, a promenade.

The classical style arch, now a famous Barcelona landmark, is noted for its sculptural decorations that are symbolic of Barcelona at that time. One frieze welcomes visitors to the exhibition, while reliefs extol agriculture, industry and commerce. The top of the arch features shields from Spain’s 49 provinces; they are topped by Barcelona’s coat of arms.

5. Sant Pau Modernist Precinct

Travelers who are fond of art nouveau will definitely want to put Sant Pau Recinte Modernista on their Barcelona bucket. The former hospital, with a façade that resembles a church, is the top-ranked art nouveau site in Europe. Sant Pau Recinte Modernista was built in the first third of the 20th century as a hospital and healthcare research center.

It served this purpose for 100 years, and today houses a variety of international organizations. The complex, with underground tunnels connecting the building has a pavilion that is devoted to the history of medicine in Barcelona.

6. Plaque of Catalonia

Every city has a big square where people congregate to celebrate, mourn or just see each other. NYC has Times Square, Beijing has Tiananmen Square and Barcelona has Placa de Catalunya. The city’s nerve center is a place to meet friends, sit on the grass or take a break from shopping at nearby stores.

Integral to the square are six sets of sculptures that represent the four capitals of Catalonia, labor and wisdom. The plaza opened in 1927 on land that once fronted the gates to a walled Barcelona.

7. Ciutadella park

The Parc de la Ciutadella is a lot happier place today than when it was founded in 1714. After Philip V conquered Barcelona, he ordered a citadel – the largest in Europe – to be built by forced labor so he could maintain control over the Catalans.

Over the centuries it transformed into peaceful uses, becoming a major oasis of green in the city. Citadel Park was the site for the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Today it is home to a zoo, a small lake, the Museum of Natural Science, and Als Voluntaris Catalans, a sculpture honoring Catalans killed in World War .

Tourist-Attractions-in-Barcelon

8. Barcelona Cathedral

Add Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, as it’s officially known, to the list of beautiful Gothic buildings in Barcelona. The church also known as Barcelona Cathedral or La Seu because it’s the seat of the archbishop.

The cathedral dates back to the 14th century and honors St. Eulalia, co-patron saint of Barcelona, who was killed by Romans by putting her in a knife-studded barrel and rolling her down the street. The entire church is ornate, with towers and spires reaching into the sky. It is a major tourist attraction and now boasts a gift shop that caters to visitors.

9. La Boqueria Market

Foodies may think they’ve died and gone to heaven when they visit La Boqueria Market, a colorful market (and tourist attraction) in the old town. Located just off La Rambla, the market dates back to 1297 when meat was sold at the city gates. More than meat is sold there today.

There’s an array of foods, from farm-fresh produce, seafood, spices and candies being sold by more than 200 stalls. Buy the fixings’ for a picnic lunch or eat at one of the many restaurants before continuing sightseeing.

10. Montjuïc

Montjuïc is a broad shallow hill with a relatively flat top to the southwest of the city center. The eastern side of the hill is almost a sheer cliff, giving it a commanding view over the city’s harbor immediately below. The top of the hill was the site of several fortifications, the latest of which remains today.

Another interesting sight is the Palau Nacional (National Palace), originally built as the central pavilion for the International Exhibition. The majestic building in neo-Baroque style is home to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Montjuïc is also home to a number of sports facilities built for the 1992 Olympics.

Valencia tourist attractions

Valencia is the capital of the province with more than 800,000 people within the city limits and 150,000,000 within the city limits, making it the third largest city in Spain and the 15th largest city in the European Union. A vibrant, modern city, one of the most important cities on the Mediterranean coast, a prestigious business center and now home to Formula One Spain.

Geographical location of Valencia

Valencia is located on the banks of the River Toria, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, facing the Gulf of Valencia. At the time of its founding by the Romans, it was located on a river island in Turia, 6.4 km (4.0 miles) from the sea. Albufeira, a freshwater lagoon and waterfall about 11 km south of the city, is one of the largest lakes in Spain. The city council bought the lake from the Spanish crown for 1,072,980 ridges in 1911 and today forms the main part of the Parc Natural de l’Albufera, with an area of ​​21,120 hectares (52,200 hectares) in In 1976, because of its cultural, historical and ecological value, Generalita Valenciana declared it a natural park.

Valencia city weather

Valencia has a Mediterranean climate with short, temperate winters and hot, dry summers. The temperature here averages 18.3 ° C. 22.8 ° C during the day and 13.8 ° C at night. In the coldest month of January, the maximum temperature is typically 12 to 18 degrees Celsius during the day, and the minimum temperature is typically between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius at night. In the warmest month, August, the maximum daytime temperatures typically range from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius, around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Snowfall is very rare. The last case was a small amount of snow on January 11, 1960.

History of the city of Valencia

The city of Valencia was founded by the Romans in 137 BC as Valencia (meaning power or courage). The city prospered under the rule of the Moors and became famous for trading in many basic and exotic goods including paper, silk, leather and ceramics.
The city continued to be an important strategic and cultural site, having been repeatedly occupied by Spanish and foreign forces for almost a thousand years.

Architecture in the city of Valencia

Valencia retains much of its past in its architecture with direct Roman, Arabic and Gothic influences. The Cathedral of Valencia was built between the 13th and 15th centuries and is primarily Gothic in style but also has Baroque and Romanesque architectural elements.
La Lonja de la Seda, a silk exchange market, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many historical sites to visit in Valencia, but as a modern city there are also examples of contemporary architecture. The most famous Ciutat de las Arts I les Ciênces (City of Arts and Sciences) is an incredible entertainment complex designed by Santiago Calatrava himself in Valencia.

Economy of the city of Valencia

Prior to the 2008 economic crisis, Valencia experienced strong economic growth, largely driven by tourism and the construction industry, with the development and expansion of communications and transport. The economy of this city is social services, because only 84% of the population working in the service sector is employed. However, the city has an important industrial base, which is 8.5% of the population working in this sector. Recent growth in the manufacturing sector has largely improved car assembly. (Ford Motor Company’s large factory is located in the suburbs of Almosf). Agricultural activities are still carried out there, even if relatively small, only 1.9% of the working population and 3973 plots (9820 plots) are mostly planted in orchards and citrus orchards.
Since the onset of the Great Depression (2008), Valencia has experienced rising unemployment, rising government debt and heavy spending by the city government. In 2009, Valencia was named the “22nd fastest growing city in Europe”. Its impact on business, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and art contributes to its position as one of the global beta cities in the world. The metropolis of Valencia had a GDP of $ 52.7 billion and a per capita income of $ 28,141.

Famous dishes of Valencia

Valencia is the birthplace of Paella, which is considered the national food of Spain by many Spaniards, but in Spain it is considered the provincial food of Valencia. Valencian Paella usually consists of meat and not seafood, but all kinds can be found in the city. From Paella, the city has many restaurants that can cater for any type of food, but seafood is expected to be very special in this city.

Famous beaches of Valencia

Valencia has more than 100 km of coastline, most of which are inhabited by fantastic beaches that are known for their blue flag beaches. With 2,600 hours of sunshine a year, visitors go to the beaches of Valencia every year – both national and international tourists.