DK Travel : Barcelona : History & Culture

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Castell de Montjuïc & Museu Militar

The first stone of this Baroque-style castle, which still dominates Montjuïc’s hill, was laid in 1640. It was for many years a symbol of terror as a prison and torture centre for political prisoners. Today the castle houses a military museum that displays ancient weaponry and is to be converted into a peace museum. There are arresting vistas, especially of the port below, as well as enchanting gardens littered with ancient rusty cannons.
Centre de Cultura Contemporània & Foment de les Arts Decoratives

Housed in the 18th-century Casa de la Caritat, the CCCB is a focal point for the city’s thriving contemporary arts scene. It hosts innovative art exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and more, including multimedia and technology fairs during the popular Festival del Sónar (Top 10 Music, Theatre & Art Festivals). A medieval courtyard is dazzlingly offset by a massive, angled glass wall, which has been cunningly designed to reflect the city’s skyline. Nearby, Foment de les Arts DecorativesGalleries & Design Shops is an umbrella organization of art and design groups, founded in 1903 and housed in the restored, Gothic-style, 16th-century Convent dels Àngels. Here you’ll find exhibits, lectures and debates, and a smashing café-restaurant. See Museu d'Art Contemporani & Centre de Cultura Contemporània .
Club Apolo

An old dance hall, with velvet covered balconies and panelled bars, this place has reinvented itself as one of the city’s leading nightclubs. It attracts the latest in live techno and dance music.
Club Fellini

This cosmopolitan club offers three very different spaces: the Mirrors Lounge with chic house music, the Bad Room with electronic sessions, and the Red Room, the perfect space for flirting.
Conjunt Monumental de la Plaça del Rei

In the heart of the Barri Gòtic is the beautifully preserved, medieval Plaça del Rei (Perfect Squares), presided over by the 13th- to 14th-century Palau Reial (royal palace). The impressive palace complex includes the Saló del Tinell, a massive hall crowned by Gothic arches, where Ferdinand and Isabel welcomed Columbus after his 1492 voyage to the Americas. The medieval Capella de Santa Àgata has a beautiful 15th-century altarpiece by Jaume Huguet. A visit to the Museu d`Història de la Ciutat gives access to the Palau Reial and to one of the largest underground excavations of Roman ruins on display in Europe.
Església de Sant Pau del Camp

Deep in the heart of El Raval is this Romanesque church, one of the oldest in Barcelona. Originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in the 9th century and subsequently rebuilt in the following centuries, this ancient church reveals a peaceful, 12th-century cloister.

Cloister, Església de Sant Pau del Camp
Església de Santa Maria del Mar

The spacious, breathtaking interior of this 14th–century church, designed by architect Berenguer de Montagut, is the city’s premier example of the austere Catalan Gothic style. The church is dedicated to Saint Mary of the Sea, the patron saint of sailors, and an ancient model ship hangs near one of the statues of the Virgin. Dubbed “the people’s church”, this is the city’s most popular spot for exchanging wedding vows.
Estadi Olímpic

The Olympic Stadium was first built for the 1936 Workers’ Olympics, which were cancelled with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1975: Civil War & Franco). Today, the original Neo-Classical façade is still in place, though the stadium was entirely rebuilt for the 1992 Olympic Games (1992-Present Day: The Olympics & Beyond). It is home to Espanyol football team. See Top 10 Spectator Sports & Events. The Galeria Olímpica holds mementos illustrating the importance of the games for Barcelona.
Ferdinand the Catholic

King of Aragon and Catalonia (d.1516), he married Isabel of Castile, paving the way for the Kingdom of Spain’s formation and the end of Catalan independence.
Filmoteca

The Catalan government’s repertory cinema runs three VO shows daily.