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.

My husband is an architect so we always add gorgeous places like this to our list. Mies Van der…read moreRohe is a German architect who created the Barcelona chairs (look it up) specifically for this structure. Only downside is that it's expensive at 8 euros to view the small space. It's for preservation purposes, but it does feel like a bit of a rip off considering the small size.

Non-architects look at this building and say "so what is the friggin big deal". "All crap looks…read morelike this everywhere nowadays!" True. Very true. Only this was designed and built in friggin' 1929. Look it up -Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe. How crazy is that?!? 90 years ago when Victorian fashion was at its height. You know all the frilly lacey stuff? Well not only did this building paved the way for modernism and modern design, it also inspired a generation of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and generations after and after. This little building is a friggin' giant. Love it. 5 stars.

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.

In a city more known for Gaudi as the modicum of architecture, it was quite a pleasant surprise to…read morevisit this hospital as it represents the modernist style of Lluis Domenech. It's also a UNESCO site now. For a while, this used to be a fully functioning hospital. Now, people can come and visit several (I think 8) of the pavillions connected by underground galleries. I don't think everything is open but you can see a lot of the history in what is. I enjoyed the courtyard where you can see all the buildings and their architecture from the outside. It's quite mesmerizing to see. You can learn a lot about the history behind the hospital. At 17 EUR, it wasn't cheap, but it's worth the price. It's also about a 10 min walk away from La Sagrada Familia so it can be planned accordingly.

Took a free architectural walking tour with Barkeno Tours in Barcelona. Love how the group was…read moregiven headphones for one euro to be able to hear the information. Casa Lleó Morera is one of the three most important modern buildings in Barcelona's famous Illa de la Discòrdia, the Block of Discord on the Passeig de Gràcia. Along with Casa Batlló and Casa Amatller, the trio are known for their unique, contrasting styles. The Casa Lleó Morera was designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. In 1902, Francesca Morera commissioned Lluís Domènech i Montaner to remodel Casa Rocamora which was built in 1864. It was fashionable at the time to reimagine the "ancient" apartments that were out of fashion. Each family seemed to try to outshine their neighbors. The Casa Lleó Morera was a collaborative project. The inspiration? Natural and organic motifs that are infused in the mosaics, sculptures, and decoration. Since the Morera's family name means mulberry tree, that was used extensively in the decor. So, what is the meaning behind Barcelona's Manzana de la Discordia, or the Block of Discord. The city block's nickname originates from the Judgment of Paris, a famous Greek mythological tale. The Greek gods held a wedding but didn't invite Eris, the goddess of discord, as she spread misery wherever she went. Outraged, Eris arrived anyway. Her gift? A poisoned golden apple inscribed with the words "for the fairest." As Eris anticipated, the goddesses each fought to claim the apple for being the most beautiful. Ultimately, Paris, the Prince of Troy, chose Aphrodite (who promised him Helen of Sparta) over Hera and Athena. When Paris took Helen to Troy, the Greeks invaded Troy to bring her back. This huge conflict or discord was known as the Trojan War. In Spanish, the word "manzana" can be interpreted as either a city block or an apple. On the Manzana block, there was a fierce architectural rivalry, akin to the golden apple as the three Modernist buildings on the Passeig de Gràcia competed for the title of the fairest building. In fact our guide had us vote for our favorite. As a fan of Antoni Gaudí, Casa Batlló earned my vote and captured the majority of votes on our tour. If you appreciate art and architecture, add this beautiful city block to your list of places to explore in Barcelona.

This building on the Block of Discord is a perfect example of the beautiful modernista style…read morebuildings in Barcelona. The decadent decorations left me breathless in every room I went into. They just opened this building to the public a few months ago, and when I went they were limiting tours to about twenty people and only once or twice a day. This makes the experience much more enjoyable than some of the Gaudi buildings because you can ask any questions of the guide and really take your time looking around without distractions. A must-see!

Banks' Lamps! These are some of the most ornate street…read morelights I've ever seen! Seriously, these lamps remind me not to walk down the street and text- you walk into one of these Barcelona lamp posts, you're gonna get wrecked. They're on the 'block of discord' where a lot of Gaudi's buildings are, and there's just so much to see and look at along Gracia street. It's a free thing to see in Barcelona, and since they light up at night, you can go any time, day or night to check these lights out. If I had my euros in the local bank and they were churning out fancy schmancy streetlights like these in front of their headquarters, I'd demand higher interest rates on my accounts instead of lavish spending like this. But it makes for a really neat feature along a great walk-able street. Eric B's review pretty well sums up the trivia. Read his review to find out the style and the architect.

The Bancs-Fanals (banks, lamps), are located along the Paseo de Gracia. They were made in 1906 by…read moremunicipal architect Pere Falqués i Urpí . It is one of his best known works, although sometimes modernist architect Antoni Gaudí erroneously gets the credit in this Block of Discord area. The Bancs-Fanals consist of thirty-two benches built with the classic "trencadís" of Catalan modernism and integrated as a single piece with the lamp posts. The cast-iron lamp posts are in a "coup de fouet" style, that was made in the foundry of Manuel Ballarin. The best ways to see these beauties are either to walk this section of the Passeig de Gràcia or watch them go by while you're on the top deck of the Bus Turistic.

The statue of Christopher Columbus is here, in this area. It's a congested area with pedestrians…read moreand vehicles and it's close to a main bus and train station on the water. Just like many other areas and things in the city, vandals have tagged portions of it with their nasty graffiti.

Located at the end of Barcelona's Rambla near the sea…read more The Mirador de Colom or Columbus Column, was designed by Gaietà Buïgas, and built in 1888 for the Universal Exhibition as a tribute to Christopher Columbus' departure from Barcelona to America. The 51 meter column is made of cast iron in the Corinthian style. On its top is the statue of Christopher Columbus holding a navigational chart in his left hand, and pointing to the route to America with his right. This monument contains Barcelona's first ever lift. This original lift was replaced by a more modern electric lift that takes just 30 seconds to ride to the top. From there if you look north, you can see the Gothic Quarter, the Cathedral, Santa Maria del Mar and LaRambla. Towards the sea you'll see the Olympic Marina and the modern Forum. The south view gives you Montjuïc Hill. And the west, the vast green Collserola Natural Park.

If you seen Plaça d'Espanya, then you seen the towers. They are both apart of a busy roundabout…read more The towers are a beauty to see day or night. Venetian Towers - they are 47 m (154 ft) tall and lead the way to the MNAC via Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, an avenue commonly used to host trade fairs. Fira de Barcelona They were originally envisaged in Léon Jaussely's city expansion plan of 1907,[2] and designed by architect Ramon Reventós [ca] and built in the period 1927 to 1929, as part of the redevelopment of the area for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Reventós was also involved in a number of other projects featured in the exhibition, such as the Greek Theatre (Teatre Grec),[3] the Spanish Village (Poble Espanyol),[3] and the buildings of the Montjuïc Funicular[4] on the nearby hill of Montjuïc. They serve an ornamental function, to mark the entrance to the exhibition district, now known as Fira de Barcelona, and the start of the grand avenue leading up to the Palau Nacional on Montjuïc, which houses the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Originally, the towers were open to the public, who could climb the internal stairs to the viewing galleries, but they are now normally closed. In later years, the western tower housed equipment for controlling the illumination of the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, 350m away at the far end of Avinguda Maria Cristina, and the gallery of the eastern tower housed sirens for signalling possible emergencies; the disused equipment was removed during the 2013/14 restoration work. The towers are registered as protected structures by Barcelona city council, with a protection level of B:B, a structure of local interest. Following restoration work, the towers opened to the public for the first time since 1929, for a two-day period during October 2014. All in all, another must stop to see if you are into landmarks.

They seem out of place…read more These two towers of red brick were modelled after the campanile of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Designed by architect Ramon Reventós and built in 1927 to 1929, for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Reventós had other projects in the exhibition, - the Greek Theatre, the Spanish Village (Poble Espanyol), and the Montjuïc Funicular building. They are an ornamental pieces at the bottom of the hill leading up to the Palau Nacional, marking the entrance to the exhibition area that is now called Fira de Barcelona. The towers are no longer open to the public as viewing galleries. At one time a tower housed the equipment for operating the lights of the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. The other one once held sirens for signaling emergencies. From the tourist's point of view, they are ok to check out if you are in the area for other sites. I wouldn't go out of my way just for these. They kinda seem out of place a bit for the surrounding architecture.