Barcelona

 

Miramar viewpoint

This is where you arrive by a harbour cable car. Marvelous place in the spring, full of roses and fountains. Entrance to the cactus garden is nearby.

The Montjuïc Castle

Provides a beautiful panorama view over the rest of the city. The Montjuic Castle is in the Montjuic Mount. From the Montjuïc Castle, take the harbor cable car to Barceloneta for more splendid views.

Telefèric de Montjuïc

cable cars (http://www.tmb.net/en_US/...). Newer analogue of the harbour cable car that opened after total renovation in May 2007. Runs between Montjuic Funicular Parc Montjuïc station and Castell Montjuic Castle. Open hours: Apr, May and Oct: daily 10AM-7PM; Jun-Sep 10AM-9PM; Nov-Mar 10AM to 6PM. Adult: one-way: €6, round-trip €8.30. Child 4-12yrs: one-way €4.70, round-trip: €6.30.

Montjuic Funicular

(http://www.tmb.net/en_US/...). Runs from Metro Parallel to Joan Miró Museum.

Plaça d'Espanya

Once used for public hangings, Placa d'Espanya was created for the 1929 World Exhibition. The fountain in the center of the square is a great attraction and plays music during the summer. Plaça Espanya is located at the base of Montjuic mount.

FC Barcelona

(http://www.fcbarcelona.ca...). If you're a football fanatic, then you can't miss a visit to Camp Nou, the home ground for Barcelona's biggest and most popular team and one of Europe's greatest footballing 'cathedrals'. FCB is the only major football club in the world that does not sell advertising space on its strip, and because the club does not want to spoil the aesthetics of its famous red and blue jersey. While they now have a logo on their jersey, they pay for the privilege of using it—FCB contributes millions of euros a year to UNICEF. During the Franco era, FCB was the only way that suppressed Catalans could vent their anger against his dictatorship. Because of that, it became and still is a symbol of Catalan identity. Camp Nou is the biggest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 98,600 people, with shops and a museum of the club's history. Match tickets start at about €42 and games hardly ever completely sell out, unless it is a match against the hated rivals Real Madrid a match commonly dubbed El Clásico, one of the other top teams currently Valencia or Sevilla or in the Champions League. With the quality in the current team, there are always a few goals, and it is nearly always a resounding win for Barca. Stadium tours are not fantastic, and the audio tour is not really worth it also, but for a quick recent history of matches played there, consult the backs of the doors in the cubicles--most have a lot of graffiti championing the team that played there. It is also unfortunate that the home team changing rooms are not open to the public, only the somewhat dated away dressing rooms, which are not that impressive.

FC Barcelona Tickets

Barcelona Football Club (http://www.barcelona-foot...). Official Ticket agent for FC Barcelona Tickets. It is a little overpriced than in the stadium but you skip long queues and are assured with the seats you want, and the tickets will be sent to the hotel. Tickets can also be purchased online from a number of websites, such as fc barcelona tickets - (http://www.fcbarcelonatic...) and Spain Ticket Bureau (http://www.spainticketbur...).

FC Barcelona basketball

FC Barcelona has professional teams in many other sports, with the most notable being their basketball team (http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/basquet/index.html). Barça's basketball section has boasted countless Spanish and international stars, and it regularly contends for top honors in both the domestic ACB and continent-wide Euroleague. Note that unlike Barça's football team, the basketball team does have a sponsor's name on its jerseys, namely Spanish insurer Regal. FCB basketball plays at Palau Blaugrana, next to Camp Nou; tickets range from €12 to over €60, depending on the quality of seats and desirability of the match. FCB members receive discounted prices. Barça provides basketball ticket information in English here.

Botanical Garden

past the stadium.

Harbour Cable Car

The 1450 metre long harbour aerial tramway with red cars connects Montjuic and Barceloneta. It starts in Barceloneta on the top of the 78 metre tall Torre San Sebastian tower, which has also a restaurant at its top accessible by an elevator. It has an intermediate stop at Torre Jaume I tower close to Columbus monument, which can be reached by elevator from ground--107 metre tall tower, the second tallest aerial tramway support tower in the world. The final point of the tramway is Montjuic. Overall, the tramway is quite old built in 1929, and the car is packed with tourists during the daytime--particularly sensitive for a stroller or a wheelchair. Plan your route wisely as the capacity is limited. It can be up to 1-1.5 hours from the moment you join the queue to the moment you get in the car. Currently, the Torre Jaume I tower in Barceloneta is temporarily closed for renovation, while two other stops work as usual. The facility doesn't accept credit cards, it's cash only.

other districts

Tibidabo

Located on the mountains of Barcelona farther north from Gracia and offers a spectacular view of the city 532 m high. This is a place where according some legends, the Devil tempted Jesus Christ offering him the whole world in exchange for his worship. At the top there is an awesome church, which offers panoramic views of the city. The church is almost completely surrounded by a big funfair. You will also find an observatory and an ascendable communications tower nearby. To get there, take the metro L7 to Av. Tibidabo Station, then the "Tramvia Blau", and then the Funicular up to the mountain. It takes a good hour or more from Sants, and a little longer from the center. The beautifully scenic walk down is lined with some un-missable Spanish architecture for your photo album. You can not take photos very well from the tram, but the walk is wonderful. The cafe con leche at the cafe near the church is terrible. Try at the bottom of the funicular.

Monestir de Pedralbes

Baixada del Monestir, 9. A beautiful Gothic monastery near the university, there are a picture gallery the Thyssen Bornemisza Collection, a museum which depicts the monastery life, a church, and a marvelous chapel covered with medieval frescoes.