Gaudí's work is everywhere – but there's more to this iconic city than one man, writes CIARA NORTON
STANDING in Antonio Gaudí’s Parc Güell, you can see across the city of Barcelona to the Mediterranean. This view can tell a visitor more about this city on the sea than anything else.
Straight ahead are the skyscrapers and cranes working towards modernising the city, pulling it into the 21st century. To their left is the Sagrada Família, a half-finished temple intended to dwarf everything else when complete.
Beyond that is the Barri Gòtic, or Gothic Quarter, its winding streets untouched by time and commerce. Nearer the water is the Olympic Village, a reminder of Barcelona’s brightest moment in the sporting sun, and the Camp Nou stadium, the venue for countless crazy nights of soccer glory.
The capital of Catalonia, Barcelona prides itself on its heritage and dedication to the language and customs of the Catalan people. Most people speak Catalan as well as Spanish, streets signs are in both languages and many shops and restaurants advertise only in Catalan.
It is this distinction from mainstream Spanish culture and language that lends Barcelona an offbeat air that permeates the streets of the city. Gaudí began the architectural revolt against straight lines and uniformity when he started his career in the city, and it is obvious that his spirit of adventure lives on in the people and the buildings.
Almost everything he touched is worth visiting. Even the most art-weary tourists can only marvel at the union of nature and art that is Parc Güell. Mosaic tiles on stone arcades, sculptures of lizards and snakes decorated with broken glass, and a gatehouse with chimneys that look good enough to eat are all in a park used by the people of the city for recreation and relaxation.
If you start at this park and work your way towards the sea you can visit, with the help of an efficient metro system, all that Barcelona has to offer.
Though possible, it is not advisable to ignore Gaudí. Other landmarks bearing his inimitable touch are La Pedrera, a wave-like apartment building with sculptural chimneys on its roof. Each chimney is a masterpiece, and each set of steps leads to another level – a vertigo-inducing fright.
The Sagrada Família is Gaudí’s unfinished cathedral. Begun more than 100 years ago, and due for completion in 2025, it is a living and breathing work of art, its interior a building site, its exterior a work of deranged genius.
To fully understand the concept of this church and how it will finally look, visit the museum in the basement. Walking by workshops where artists and sculptors labour on this living piece of history is fascinating, and the mind boggles at the scale of the task ahead.
There is, of course, more to Barcelona than one man and his art. The heart of the city, its version of O’Connell street, is La Rambla. This wide, tree-lined street has been romanticised as the heart of Barcelona, but it is now little more than a tourist trap, specialising in overpriced restaurants and some of the city’s seedier spots. It is here that pickpockets – the warning given to everyone who goes to Barcelona – operate.
La Rambla is convenient as the starting point for a wander through the nearby Barri Gòtic and Jewish quarter, a maze of narrow streets with tiny squares and bigger monuments, such as Barcelona’s cathedral, currently undergoing refurbishment.
Losing yourself in this area can yield a different experience of Barcelona – the shops, cafes and bars are charming and less tourist-orientated than their neighbours a few blocks over. A cloudy day during our visit prompted us to spend hours here, stopping at bars for tapas and mojitos, all the while enjoying the slower pace of life in this part of the city.
While Barcelona, as Spain’s second-largest city, is undeniably a hub of activity, it is also a beach-lovers’ destination, with miles of blue-flag sandy beaches. The area near the main beach is Barceloneta, an avenue of shops, seafood restaurants and bars.
The beach itself is remarkably clean and equipped with anything a sunbather could want. From here you can see down to the Olympic Village, the most notable landmark being the Frank Gehry-designed Peix d’Or, a glittering fish-shaped architectural sculpture along the seafront.
Definitely a city of the night, Barcelona has numerous bars and restaurants that open long after midnight, when the streets are still full of music and of people circling the city, soaking in the atmosphere. Plaça Reial, off La Rambla, is one such area. Sidecar, a popular haunt for Barcelona’s student and artist population, opens until 2am every night, with a nominal entrance fee for the club downstairs if 5am seems like a more appropriate bedtime.
If dancing until dawn does not appeal – it takes energy to sightsee, after all – then a night of traditional Catalan music at Palau de la Música Catalana, considered one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls, might be just the ticket for absorbing some culture and preserving some beauty sleep.
Barcelona is a city in constant flux, always trying to better itself and its cityscape. Its combination of beach and artistic beauty is a break from the sun-holiday norm often associated with Spanish destinations.
** barcelonaturisme.com
Where to stay, where to go and where to eat during a break in this Mediterranean city
5 places to stay
Marina View BB. Paseo de Colom, 00-34-666-463991, marinaviewbcn.com. The Marina View BB is ideally located at the seafront of the city, within easy reach of the centre. The rooms are modern, comfortable and equipped with everything one might need after a day in the city or on the beach. Rooms from about €110 per night.
Urbany. 97 Avenue Meridiana, 00-34-932-458414, barcelonaurbany.com. A modern take on a traditional hostel, Urbany is close to the Sagrada Família. En-suite double rooms cost about €50-€60 a night, depending on the time of year.
Petit Palace Opera Garden Hotel. 10 La Boqueria, 00-34-933-020092. This small boutique hotel is in the Gothic quarter, close to La Rambla and other city-centre attractions. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, and cost about €120 per night in high season.
Ciutat Barcelona Hotel. 33-35 Carrer Princesa, Barcelona, 00-34-932-697475, ciutatbarcelona.com. Centrally located in the Born quarter, this light-filled hotel has a small pool on the roof terrace – perfect for cooling down after a day of sightseeing. Double rooms €90-€130.
Hotel Omm. 265 Rosselló, 00-34-934-454000, hotelomm.es. If you like luxury, then Hotel Omm could be perfect. Featuring a lively bar where the people of the city come to play, and an award-winning restaurant, Moo, there’s every danger of arriving in the hotel and never leaving. Rooms are not cheap, through, ranging from €240 per night to more than €500.
5 places to eat
Els Quatre Gats. 3 Carrer Montsió, 00-34-933-024140, 4gats.com. A landmark for more than a century, this restaurant specialises in traditional Spanish cuisine. Though it is sometimes more about the history of this former cabaret bar than the food, it is nonetheless worth a visit for the inexpensive food and the atmosphere.
Les Quinze Nits. 6 Plaça Reial, 00-34-933-173075, lesquinzenit.com. This restaurant attracts the crowds on busy nights, so expect to wait for a table. The menu is a mix of seafood and meat dishes. It is incredibly good value: a three-course meal with wine will set you back less than €25. Try the traditional Catalan custard for dessert.
Taxidermiste. 8 Plaça Reial, 00-34- 934-124536, xidermista.com. Don’t let the name put you off: the food is great and completely lacking in stuffed dead animals. There are three menus here, which can get a little confusing. The bistro menu is the best value. If you want to sit on the terrace you must order tapas – also good value – but the à la carte menu is on the pricey side.
La Paciencia. 72 Sant Pau, 00-34-934-415387. This is a small bar that does tasty tapas and excellent cocktails. The tapas menu is extensive but small enough for you to know it’s being freshly made. Feast on patatas bravas, croquettes, chorizo and everything in between while watching the world go by.
Quimet and Quimet. 25 Poeta Cabanyes, 00-34-934-423142. This tiny family-run bar is home to the best and most adventurous tapas around. Standing with one of the many choices of wine in hand, you can sample any number of Spanish meats and cheeses.
5 places to go
Parc Güell. Avenue del Santuari de Sant Josep de la Muntanya. Take a trip to the park and you can spend a wonderful day exploring its many hidden gems. It also contains Casa Museu Gaudí (casamuseugaudi.org), exhibiting artefacts from the artist’s life. When the sun is shining there is no better place to enjoy Barcelona.
La Pedrera. 92 Passeig de Gràcia, 00-34-934-845900, lapedreraeducacio.org. Casa Milá, or La Pedrera to the natives of the city, was one of Gaudí’s most successful experiments in modern architecture. For €9.50 an audio tour guides you through the building to the roof and museum in the attic. A fascinating journey into the innovative mind of the artist.
Mercat de Sant Josep. Plaça de la Boqueria, 00-34-933-182017, boqueria.info. Situated on La Rambla, this is Barcelona’s biggest and best-stocked fruit and vegetable market. It is well worth visiting to take in the sights and sounds of the city – especially handy if you’re self-catering.
Palau de La Música Catalana. Sant Pere Més Alt, 00-34-902-442882, palaumusica.org. A beautiful concert hall that hosts national and international acts, always conscious of the preservation of the Catalonian musical tradition. The concert hall itself is a beautiful building, worth visiting if only to marvel at the impressive auditorium.
Barri Gòtic. Containing a Roman trail and the Jewish quarter, the Barri Gòtic is a district of the city not to be missed. It is rich in museums, churches, shops, restaurants, plazas, bars and anything else a tourist could want for. Stop off on Plaça del Rei and see the former residences of the kings of Catalonia and Aragon (museuhistoria.bcn.cat).
Hit the shops
Plaça Catalunya. One of the main squares in the city has everything a shopaholic could need – and more. The streets off the plaza contain the usual high-street names, and the plaza itself is home to El Corte Inglés, Spain’s most prominent department store. elcorteingles.es.
Hot spot
Sidecar. 7 Plaça Reial, 00-34-933-021586, sidecar.es. A small bar with movies projected on to the wall, beer starting at €2.50 a bottle and an indie-rock soundtrack that makes this one of the busiest spots in the area. The club downstairs, open most nights until 5am, is deservedly popular with locals and tourists alike.
Go there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies to Barcelona from Belfast, Cork and Dublin. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin and Shannon to Girona, and from Dublin to Reus, both of which are about an hour by bus from the centre of Barcelona.