La Sagrada Família is a stunning structure! Three times we've visited Barcelona and three times La…read moreSagrada Família has eluded us. We had a master plan to arrive at the church by 7:30 am and go inside. Unfortunately, others had the same plan. In fact, a line was wrapped around the church at 7:30 am, which means hundreds or maybe even a thousand folks had the same idea. They must have starting arriving at 5 am. So we could only view the church from outside again... The history... The idea for the La Sagrada Família began in the 1860s, when a religious group in Barcelona wanted to build a church dedicated to the Holy Family. Interestingly, the project was funded by private donations. Construction officially started on March 19, 1882 under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, who planned a traditional neo-Gothic church. In 1883, a young architect named Antoni Gaudí took control and completely changed everything. He transformed the design into something radical and unique, inspired by nature, geometry, and religion. From 1914, Gaudí devoted himself entirely to the project. He worked on it for over 40 years, but when he died in 1926, only a small part of the basilica was finished. At that point, the building was less than a quarter done. The La Sagrada Família project faced major interruptions. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, construction completely stopped. Gaudí's workshop was destroyed, and many of his plans and models were lost. This was a huge setback because future architects had to rebuild his designs from fragments. Construction slowly resumed in the 1950s. Architects used surviving materials and photos to continue Gaudí's vision. During 2005, parts of the basilica became a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2010 the church was officially consecrated and became a functioning basilica. Sagrada Família is one of the longest-running building projects in the world and the largest unfinished Catholic Church.

We couldn't come to Barcelona and not see the Sagrada Familia. The church is absolutely beautiful…read more We enjoyed learning about the history, design and every detail that has gone into it. It's truly a work of art and fully centered around the story of Jesus. The stained glass windows are so beautiful and it looked incredible inside the church when the sun hits. I highly recommend booking a guided tour to not only enjoy the beauty of the church but understand the history behind it.

The Cathedral of Barcelona, which is also called the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia,…read morewas built in the Gothic style from 1298 to the 15th century. It is an active church that provides masses, confessions, and other sacraments. It also provides tours for 16 euros and up (as of the time of this review). I understand that some people think that a church should be free to enter, but I also understand that many tourists are not practicing Catholics and that the church needs to bring in revenue to pay its bills. My tour guide took my husband and me to the exterior of this church and explained its architecture and history. We did not pay for an interior tour. It is a lovely church to see.

The cathedral was beautiful and the rooftop views were simply stunning. Definitely worth a visit…read morewhen visiting Barcelona.

Stun-ning. No other word for this hidden gem of an architectural site that was once a hospital when…read moredesigners cared about the aesthetics of a hospital and not solely function. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for good reason. The campus alone is one example after another of exquisite brickwork, mosaics, color, and Catalan ingenuity. If you loved Casa Battlo and Parc Guell, and you didn't know about this heritage site, do yourself a favor and swing in for even half-an-hour to buzz through and photograph the exquisite buildings collected herein. 10 min walk from Sagrada Familia. Mamma mia. Jaw dropping inside and out. How wise of Spain to recognize -- and preserve, and share -- this breathtakingly artful site.

Beautiful architecture in the exterior and interior of the building. The pictures do not do this…read moreplace justice. I was amazed by the amount of detail in the architecture, the ceilings and moldings. This sight is a must for anyone who enjoys architectural art.

Casa Batllo is one of Gaudi's beautiful architecture designs. I purchased the tickets online and…read morewas instructed to download the app. Within the app there is access to the tickets and the audio tour once you arrive that describes the different sections. The exterior is so beautiful and resembles a sea creature. He was known to get his inspiration from nature and it shows throughout Casa Batllo. The tour took about an hour. We went early in the day to avoid a long wait time. There are some gift shops in different sections throughout the tour and they also had an option to take a photo on the balcony which was available for purchase. Overall it was a nice experience!

When researching popular tourist destinations in Barcelona, Casa Batlló came up on many a list. I…read morelike to take in museums and other historical structures whenever I visit a new city, so this sounded perfect. That being said, I purchased tickets for us to explore during our first full day in the city. Casa Batlló is one of several structures in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudí. I believe this was originally designed as a private residence, and has since become a showcase of the type of work Gaudí produced. The visits are self-guided, and once you enter you are given an audio guide that you can use throughout the house that provides information about the space you're in. The house itself is gorgeous. It's so intricately designed with different themes throughout the space. The audio guide really helped here as it told the history behind each room. I found myself snapping tons of pictures, or just standing there and taking it all in. As expected, there were a couple of gift shops, and some interactive exhibits scattered throughout the house as well. Note that not all spaces are open to all guests, it depends on the type of ticket you buy; that being said, even if you get the base ticket you will see a lot. Also, this place naturally attracts Instagrammers - be aware there are lots of people posing for the camera, Overall, Casa Batlló was an awesome experience. It was my first taste of Gaudí's influence on the city, and I would definitely return for another visit.

Worth a stop. I am a fan of arches. We happened here as walking around the town. I don't know the…read morehistory of the arch nor did I care our tour gave us so much history I was glad you just walk around and explore on my own . Don't know if it was somehow trying to copy the arch in Paris either way it was cool . There's a very interesting part very close by with fountains and parakeets and all kinds of cool stuff so if you come to the arch definitely check out that Park beside the zoo . This was Popular location lots of people ... tourists and street performers. Popular photo spot.

It is an arc near downtown Barcelona What else can you say…read moreabout the arcs? Came here because others insisted, took a picture and walked away.nice Mood cafe is nearby, go there next?

The Gothic Quarter is the oldest section of Barcelona. My husband and I hired a guide to take us on…read morea private tour of Barcelona, and one of my favorite parts of our tour was walking around the Gothic Quarter. We enjoyed seeing the remains of a Roman wall, the Barcelona Cathedral, the Mercado de La Boqueria, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, cobblestone alleyways, public squares, stores, restaurants, and more. If you are planning a vacation for Barcelona, then I highly recommend that you stroll through the Gothic Quarter.

Most of my adventures through the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona were of historic buildings and…read morechurches which are surrounded by retail shops and unique tapas and cafe eateries. The wife and I got the pleasure to take a four hour food and wine tour throughout the Gothic Quarter providing us the opportunity to taste true Barcelona at four different locations. The area has a dark, wet and slightly unsettling gloomy atmosphere with lots of unsanctioned wall graffiti, although gave it added character to the area.

We heard it was cool fountain with lights and music similar to Balagio fountain in Las Vegas. We…read morewalked a longggggg way to see only to find its not every night and we had passed through some areas we thought questionable sketchy. So the next night we took taxi to and from. Lots of people but we could still see and enjoy. Later several left and we crossed the street to be close and found spots right upfront. I loved it. Beautiful. Fun watching children play there and enjoying the music.

Font Magica is located next to Espanya's square. The Place of Espanya is one of Barcelona's most…read moreimportant square, built on the occasion of the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, held at the foot of Montjuic district. The square of Espanya is a central transport hub in Barcelona. A few steps away from Square of Espanya, you will find the Font Magica. I came to Font Magica when it was New Year's Eve. So many tourists and citizens of Barcelona gathered at the Magica because they had known a customary venue when people gather on New Year's Eve. After I checked them by internet, I came to here. Around Font Magica is scalable in the view axis through the two brick towers, which are based on St.Mark's tower in Venice. The Palace behind Font Magica is the museum, National d'Art de Catalunya ( MNAC) After about 300 meters from the towers in the direction, you can find the palace National d' Art de Catalunya. You can see the event in free. At that time, I left the staying hotel at 20;30p.m on December 31, and I arrived at the Espanya square on foot. As soon as I arrived at here, there were so many people around the place. I tried to access near spot of Front Magica, but because of so many people, I couldn't get close to Magica fountain. So, I took my video clips of the event at a fairly distant distance. But I was so excited with this new year's Eve. I want to share this experience with you.

If you are an architecture buff like my husband and I, consider a visit to Antoni Gaudi's Casa…read moreMila, aka La Pedrera. We did the nighttime tour on the first night of our honeymoon and it was spectacular. A great start to our trip and a truly architecturally magical evening we will never forget. From the light show on the truly unique rooftop facades to ending in the courtyard with a glass of cava.

This house has easy online ticket purchase and plenty of open hours. The view from the roof is…read moreawesome, and the architectural models upstairs are fascinating. I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Gaudi so I don't find this house to be a must-see in Spain for travelers, especially for €25 entry.

Plaça d'Espanya, which means Plaza of Spain, is a public square that was built for the Barcelona…read moreInternational Exposition in 1929. A tour guide briefly took my husband and me to this plaza, and he told us a little about its history. The plaza is located at a roundabout junction of major roads, and during our visit, some construction was occurring on the roadside, but the former bullring that is now a shopping center looked quite impressive. We also enjoyed seeing the two tall towers and a fountain.

Other reviews have mentioned the history of this roundabout, the monumental fountain and the…read morebuildings adjoining the square. Aside from the aforementioned joining of roads, I'll just add that it's a an impressive joining of public transit routes for both bus lines, the metro, and around a 13-15 minute walk, a short bus ride or two stops on the metro over to Sants station (Pl. Espana stop to Sants Estació stop), which is the main train station in Barcelona. Additionally, airport shuttle buses (Aerobus) stop at Plaça d'Espanya about once every 20 minutes or so. You can buy a ticket on the bus (used to be cash only but I believe they take card now). The neighborhood directly around the square is a mix of residential and commercial, there is a good mix of casual mom and pop restaurants and mostly smaller establishments though that's just from some very cursory strolling in the area.