3 Must-See Attractions While Staying in Barcelona

Barcelona Vacation Ideas

 

If you’re going on holiday to Barcelona, you definitely need to visit these must-see attractions. They truly make the city shine.

The outside of the city

There are lots of amazing places you can visit while you’re there, but outside of the city limits you really have to visit the Sagrada Familia (La Sagrada Familia) to understand what the Sagrada Familia actually is. When EC (European Common) Day 2011 rolled around, I realized I’d never seen photos of this amazing cathedral before and really wondered what it would look like. When my hosts explained to me that it was much more than a pretty stone structure, I was even more impressed. Although the exterior is breathtaking, I think the inside of the church is even more spectacular. Consider it this way: the inside of La Sagrada Familia has more space for peace and quiet, as well as gorgeous mosaics and a soothing entrance music. If you visit the church, do note that you will need tickets if you want to climb the still active steep climb inside the church.

The Olympic Stadium

For those of you who have ever seen the film “Cool Runnings“, the scene in which Michael Landon Nelson dives on and off of the ice at the Olympic Stadium is something you have to see yourself. Otherwise, whenever you take your Barcelona vacation, you might not ever forget it. The ice at the Olympic Stadium is a mixture of ice made by more traditional means as well as a newly created type of ice. This ice is still used today and is used for most of the events that are held at the Olympic Stadium.

If you plan on visiting the Olympic Stadium, be sure to get tickets early (some events are still held on the grass at the stadium itself). Otherwise, you might end up missing the event if you arrive late. The Olympic Park (or the “Parc de Olympic de Barcelona“) is located on El Roulette Square (El Portuñol). All you need to do is walk across the square to reach the entrance of the park. There are tickets available to enter the park when instructed by the harpist (an usher dressed in opera attire). If you’d like to walk to the park, you can find tourist maps around the stadium area. At the time of writing, it’s a bit of a walk from the seating areas, so make sure you’re there well before the start of the event. Also ask at your hotel for tickets.

The Olympic Museum

This museum is located just outside the Olympic Stadium. It is divided into three sections: the Archaeology Hall, the Equipment Room and the Sports Hall. The Archaeology Hall displays tools and objects that were discovered at the Olympic Stadium. There are several other museums around Barcelona for tourists to visit. The two main museums are the Museum of unitary Aid (Museu Laboratorio al Independencia) and the Museum of Sustainable Development (Museu SOEDAM).

The Barcelona Olympic Stadium

The Barcelona Olympic Stadium is located on the northeast of the Plaça Catalunya and is the largest sports stadium in the world. It was officially completed in 1992 and is designed in the shape of a giant jellyfish. This is not the only thing that resembles a jellyfish, mind you. The stadium is also surrounded by a ecology park. Some of the events held in the stadium have included the Tour de France and the Commonwealth Games. The park is also the place were the Olympic Flame (which is only flame) periodically sets off. Some of the venues are open to the public and you can also buy a ticket.

Fundacio Joan Miro

If you’re staying in the area around the Olympic Stadium, Fundacio Joan Miro is an establishment run by nuns. While nuns may not have a great deal of presence in the area, they do run a soup kitchen, school and orphanage. They also run a hospice, apparently the first one in the country. The building itself is nothing to sneer at. It was built in Gothic and designed by Joan Miro himself by using machine tooling.

Once you get inside, you’ll find a gargantuan building. If it’s inside your line of sight, you’re probably looking at a nun. Or a Catholic priest. If you can manage to get inside, the building is interestingly decorated with medieval motifs, including nuns doing battle with demons. The interior is just as incredible as the building itself. There are Gems in every corner, literally. A lot of the interiors were newly redressed and many of the original rooms were converted to other uses. As for me, I didn’t mind the wait.

Visiting Other Areas

I tried to visit other areas of the city during my short stay, but as this short article is already rather long, I decided to write about the Olympic Stadium and the City Hall.

 

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