I am a huge fan of Antoni Tapies and his work and I was very excited to be in Barcelona for the…read morefirst time just so I could see this place. I'm happy to say that it was worth the trip! If you are a fan of Tapies or of any form of abstract expressionism, you will not be disappointed. Admission is 10 Euro. The gallery is small but is well laid out on 3 levels with a tiny rooftop area. I wish more works had been on display, but what was on view was fantastic. The museum rotates their exhibits 4 times per year but each one presents a good overview of Tapies' works. This particular display (Exhibition #3) featured several of the artist's early surrealist drawings, a few bronze sculptures and paintings that spanned several decades (from the 1940s to present). The exhibit illustrated the evolution of Tapies' techniques and showcased his ability to create inspired works with varied materials. The artwork here is breathtaking. I had only seen a few very small canvas works at some U.S. art museums and I was overwhelmed with the sheer size of some of the works on display here (they are really larger than life). They are absolutely stunning! Although the museum is small, I easily spent 3 hours here and could've stayed even longer in contemplation. The museum also had a screening of a documentary on Tapies that was included in the admission cost. The museum gift shop is top notch with all sorts of great items for art lovers on a budget (postcards run about 1 Euro each, notecards are around 5 Euro, t-shirts 20 Euro; while you can get gorgeous lithographs, silk scarves and more if you are willing to drop a lot of money). I purchased a few notecards, postcards, a t-shirt and a full color book with selected art for about 32 Euro total. My husband, who is not an art lover, was not very impressed with this place. He really tried to enjoy the art but just kept saying "I don't get it." I know that Tapies is an aquired taste but even if you aren't a fan, this museum is worth a visit just to see works by one of the most influential Spanish artists. And if you are a fan like me, you will be in pure art heaven!

Don't miss this. Was the highlight of my last visit to Barcelona. The rooftop is a lovely place to…read moreread. The galleries are relatively small, but the upside is that you can concentrate on the works without feeling rushed. Makes for a lovely afternoon.

The Monastery at Pedralbes is one of the most important Gothic monuments in Catalonia. Its cloister…read moreis famed for its delicate architecture, and it includes important frescoes by Ferrer Bassa, a student of Giotto. History The monastery was founded by Elisenda de Montcada in 1327, the young Queen of the Catalan King Jaume II. Married at just 13 years of age, when King Jaume was already an old man, the monastery was intended as a place for her to spend her widowhood. Elisenda was never a Nun, however; the early monastery included a small palace complex, which was to be demolished upon her death. The monastery actually a convent was built for the Poor Clares, the female equivalent of the Fransiscans. Built in the Gothic style at the height of Catalonia's Golden Age, Elisenda's generous endowment (the Montcadas were one of Catalonia's most powerful and richest families) meant that no expense was spared on its architecture: the three-storey cloister is one of Europe's largest and most harmonious. Most of main buildings and the church date from the 14th century, although it was extended and improved over subsequent decades, especially the 16th. Many of the Nuns came from wealthy families, and brought considerable endowments, used to buy religious art and other sacred objects: even the size and layout of the Nun's cells reflected their social status. After the 16th Century it entered a period of decline, although it continued as a convent except for a short period during the Catalan Republic in the 1930s, when the Nuns moved out to escape the attentions of the Anarchists. As a closed order, few people were able to see its interior or Treasures. In the 1970s, the Nuns opened part of the Cloister for public viewing one morning a week, which led to the Catalan Government negotiating greater access in 1983, when the cloister and most of the original monastic buildings were opened permanently as a museum: the Nuns (still a closed order) now live in a newly-built annex. The complex includes a Treasury representing seven centuries of religious art, sacred objects and books. The collection is both unique and important as apart from its size and quality it represents one of the few intact collections of mediaeval and renaissance art still located in the institution for which it was intended. The tour The reception leads straight onto the Cloister, in many ways the highlight of the visit. Each side has twenty nine gracefully arched sides, arranged in three storeys. The use of incredibly delicate clustered columns of marble (much stronger than stone) gives an unusually light and open feel. The columns capitals are decorated with the King and Queen's coats of arms, a clear fusion of the secular and religious. Immediately on the right is the chapel of St Michael, decorated in 1343 from floor to ceiling with frescoes by Ferrer Bassa, a student of Giotto. Giotto's influence is tangible in features such as the bold use of colour, naturalistic postures and almond eyes, although it is likely that Bassa's own students did much of the work. The themes reflect the life of Christ and the consolations of the Virgin Mary. Next is the chapel of the tomb of Queen Elisenda. It is in the Decorated Gothic style, with the tomb itself under a large canopy. The tomb is double-sided: on the cloister side Elisenda is depicted as a widow and penitent, attended by saints and angels, on the church side as a Queen. Adjacent to this in the same chapel and rather smaller is the tomb of the first abbess, Fransesca ça Portella. Back in the cloister, a series of three more tombs of abbesses are set against a background of well preserved but rather more prosaic 14th century frescoes. Next, at the beginning of the cloister's west side, is the entrance to the Treasures of the Monastery, contained in the enormous vaulted space of the original dormitory (first floor level there is a lift). The exhibition also describes the development and use of this space, which in the 20th century was divided into individual sleeping cells. At the end of the dormitory is another vaulted room, the Queen's Hall, which may be the only part of Elisenda's Palace rooms to survive. The small but impressive collection consists of paintings, alter-pieces, crosses, monstrances and a rare, complete collection of late mediaeval books of sacred monastic choir music. Flemish and Italian art are particularly well represented. Back to the cloister, the next part of the visit includes a number of the Nun's day cells at ground and first floor level. Most of these can only be seen through their windows, and contain altars and pieces of religious art as well as everyday objects. The size and decoration of the cells reflected the individual Nun's secular status and wealth somewhat at odds with the principles of monastic life, but reflecting the circumstances of its foundation. The most interesting rooms (which can be entered) are the store room

I took 2 trains to get here and I'm so glad I did, the grounds are so stunning, peaceful and quiet…read moreand it's drenched in history. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend when in Barcelona.

When we booked our trip to Barcelona, we had NO idea we were booking over La Merce weekend. So we…read morestarted reading about it and....wait...there are human towers? Bands all over the city? Art shows? Dance? A DEVIL FIRE parade? Papier-mache giants? There's no question that Barcelona is an incredible city and the highlight of my visit was La Merce. It's traditional culture, crazy parties, parades and music all at once. We watched the entry parade and the giants parade and were just in awe. The castellans were incredible - human towers 7 or 8 high, with little kids scrambling up to the top! The closing fireworks were beautiful & synchronized to music. I mean, tens of thousands of people singing along to "Imagine" is something I won't forget. This isn't a spectacle for the tourists (though there are plenty of us!), it's an expression of local pride and traditional culture. I loved seeing little kids participating in the parades, dressing up and playing in the bands, hopefully carrying the traditions on. My only regret was missing the correfoc run, but that means I have to come back!

Every year, Barcelona holds a week long festival to commemorate their local patron Saint's day…read more This festival always falls in the week with 24 September. We were fortunate enough to be in Barcelona for most of the festival this year. You'll find: Castellers (human towers) Giant puppety type things Big street food event Light shows Art installations Concerts Gymnast/circus shows Loads of family events It. Was. Awesome! Can't wait for next year!

I came across this exhibition space by accident. There's a nice garden outside it, and I stopped…read morethere to sit and noticed signs for their current exhibit "Ferran Adria & elBulli: Risk, Freedom & Creativity". The main exhibition space on the 2nd floor is a decent size and this particular show is great, especially for anyone who loves food! They had photos, old menus, etc. from El Bulli. Downstairs, there are 2 smaller galleries. One exhibit was about the Catalan media, but there was no English or Spanish, so I didn't really understand what it was about. They had another exhibit about Catalan composer Xavier Montsalvatge which had English panels and stations where you could listen to his recordings. Best of all, it's totally free! I didn't see this place mentioned in any travel guides, so I'm glad I found it. It was not crowded at all. A nice escape from the crowds at the bigger museums.

Nice and small exhibition of two very cool topics, "Love Me" and "Consumption". Each exhibitions…read morehave two rooms with more or less 7 expressive pictures per room. So its for free and everyone who is interested in photography (like me) has to go there. Its open every day.

Gee, I didn't know this was a museum separate from the Cau Ferrat next door since it was all free…read moreunder the same ticket on International Museum Day (review: https://yelp.to/bIxDanekks). I only noticed weeks later when I finally read the brochure. Wasn't that stupid of me? Don't answer that. Anyway, while Museo del Cau Ferrat represents one man's collection of art, this more expansive exhibit represents the collection of not an artist but a wealthy benefactor. It was American magnate and philanthropist Charles Deering. Yes, the guy who founded International Harvester. Apparently, making his fortune in tractors meant he could afford three floors of art that spans ten centuries of art from the 10th to the 20th century. The style varies from Romanesque and Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque to Modernism. The mirador was particularly striking with the neoclassical statuary set against the Mediterranean background. RELATED - Exploring Barcelona and Sitges? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/4dTEx5T

Great experience, definitely worth attending once you're done drink and eating lots of tapas. Good…read moreexhibits and even better view of the Mediterranean Sea.