Travels in Spain, Barcelona and Its Architecture

We have been to Spain a number of times and enjoy everything about the country; its beauty, its charm, its food and its people. Of all the towns we’ve visited, I think Granada, Seville and Barcelona are my favorites, but I loved the Basque Country and the Costa del Sol too. If I could only recommend one place to visit, however, it would be Barcelona.

Modernista Architecture

Whimsical Barcelona is a playground of funky Modernista architecture, winding Gothic alleyways, sandy beaches, and copious amounts of tasty little dishes.

We have been to Barcelona three times, staying once on the Ramblas, once near Plaça de Catalunya and once on the beach in the Port Olímpic area. The first two are more convenient locations, but Port Olímpic has its benefits as well; it is quieter yet still an easy walk to the old quarter, restaurants and metro stops.

If flying into BCN airport, an airport bus goes to the centrally located Plaça de Catalunya where the old city and the newer 19th century Eixample (expansion) meet. From there it is an easy walk, metro or taxi ride away to all of Bacelona. Of course taxis are available directly from the airport to anywhere.

Barcelona is becoming overrun with tourists and the locals, rightly so, are getting a bit tired of us. Going off season reduces the crowds and provides visitors with better weather and easier access to the sites. It is important to be respectful, polite and mindful of local customs, we are, after all, guests in their city.

Park Güell

Barcelona is part of Catalunya, and its residents are Catalan before they are Spanish. Like their neighbors to the north in Basque Country, they have their own culture and language. Most everything is printed or displayed in both Catalan and Spanish, with Catalan appearing first.

English, however, is widely spoken but it is always a good idea to learn some basic words and phrases before setting out to any non-English speaking country. At a minimum, one should learn the courtesy words of hello, goodbye, please and thank you. A little effort goes a long way.

The one thing that sets Barcelona apart from every other town is the fanciful Modernista (Catalan Art Nouveau) architecture. One person stands out as having the most influence on this 19th and 20th century movement, Antoni Gaudí.

Sagrada Familia

Gaudí derived inspiration from the popular neo-Gothic and organic styles of the time. He created some of Barcelona’s most iconic structures, such as the incredible Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà and Park Güell. His love of nature influenced his designs, a number of which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.

We found Park Güell to be pure whimsy. The actual park is huge, but the area containing the Gaudí structures is smaller than we had thought from photos and films we had seen. Originally designed as an upscale housing community, the project failed. What stands today is a Disneyesque adventure through a creative, colorful mind. Best to buy timed entry tickets online, the park is a bit out of town and people can be turned away or have a long wait to enter if they don’t have tickets.

Light Dancing Across the Sagrada Familia

There are plenty of Gaudí sites to visit, but the most impressive, and downright awe inspiring, is the Sagrada Familia (the Holy Family) Cathedral. Gaudí worked on the Cathedral for 43 years, from 1883 until his death in 1926. The construction goes on to this day, with a completion target of 2026, the 100th anniversary of the creator’s death.

We stopped by all three times that we visited the city and saw a marked difference in progress between visits. It is a beautiful and mesmerizing place; one could spend hours just observing the changing colors from the sun that pours through the stained glass and dances across the magnificent walls, ceiling and towering columns. Like tickets for Park Güell, timed entry tickets should be bought well ahead of time online.

There are more buildings from Gaudí, like Casa Milà, and other Modernista architects to explore, but the city is also blessed with some very good museums. I will talk about some of them in my next post.