DK Travel : Barcelona : History & Culture

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Palau de la Música Catalana

Domenèch i Montaner’s epic Modernista gem regularly serves up the best in jazz and classical music. It has lost some of its prestige to the Auditori, but it still hosts the annual guitar festival and attracts many visiting world music artists. (Palau de la Música Catalana).
Palau Güell

For an artist, a wealthy patron spells survival. The luck of young Gaudí turned when count Eusebi Güell recognized his talents. In 1886, Güell commissioned Gaudí to build a mansion that would set the count apart from his wealthy neighbours. The result is the Palau Güell, one of Gaudí’s earliest works. An imposing façade gives way to an elaborate interior of lavish pillars and carved wooden ceilings, while the rooftop has a melange of mosaic chimneys.
Palau Macaya

Designed by Puig i Cadafalch (1901), this palace is a fine example of the Neo-Gothic style in Modernista architecture. A magical, white façade is broken up by engravings and two towers. Of note are the decorative sculptures by Modernista sculptor Eusebi Arnau. The palace belongs to the Centre Cultural de la Caixa and, unfortunately, is closed at the moment; it is, however, worth a visit to see the outside alone.
Palau Nacional & Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

The Palau Nacional is home to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya which exhibits Catalonia’s historic art collections. Boasting one of Europe’s finest displays of Romanesque art, the museum includes a series of breathtaking, 12th-century frescoes, rescued from Catalan Pyrenean churches and painstakingly reassembled in a series of galleries here. See Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya .
Palau Reial de Pedralbes

This majestic palace, once the main Residence of Count Eusebi Güell, was donated by the count to the Spanish royal family in 1919. Open to the public since 1937, the palace now houses the Museu de Ceràmica and the Museu de les Arts Decoratives. The former has a fine collection of Catalan and Moorish ceramics, including works by Miró and Picasso; the latter has period furniture plus a number of artifacts dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. The magnificent gardens include stands of bamboo, a fountain designed by Gaudí and some particularly pleasant strolls.

Museu de les Arts Decoratives, Palau Reial
Palau Sant Jordi

The star of all the Olympic installations is this spaceship-like, steel and glass indoor stadium (Palau Sant Jordi) designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Holding around 17,000 people, the stadium is the home of the city’s basketball team (Top 10 Spectator Sports & Events). The esplanade – a surreal forest of concrete and metal pillars – was designed by Aiko Isozaki, Arata’s wife. Further down the hill are the indoor and outdoor Bernat Picornell Olympic pools (Activities in Barcelona); both open to the public.
Palau Sant Jordi

The star of the Olympic buildings, this stadium is normally home to Barcelona’s basketball team (Activities in Barcelona). It doubles up as the city’s main arena for macro-concerts, which have included Madonna and U2. (Palau Sant Jordi).
Parc de Collserola

Beyond the peaks of Tibidabo mountain, this 6,500-ha (16,000-acre) natural park of wild forest and winding paths is an oasis of calm. It is great for hiking and biking (Parc de Collserola), with sign-posted paths and nature trails.
Parc del Laberint d’Horta

In 1802, the Marquès d’Alfarràs hosted a huge party in these wonderful Neo-Classical gardens to celebrate the visit of Carles IV. Designed by Italian architect Domenico Bagotti, they incorporate a lake, a waterfall, canals and a recently restored cypress-tree maze.
Parc d’Atraccions del Tibidabo

Take the 100-year-old funicular up to the top of Tibidabo’s 517-m (1,695-ft) mountain to visit this traditional amusement park, which first opened in 1908. Although there are a couple of stomach-churning, white-knuckle rides, the real attractions are the quaint, old-fashioned ones, including a beautifully conserved carousel and a Ferris wheel. Here also is the Museu dels Autòmates (Top 10 quirky museums/Monuments), with automatons, mechanical models and a scale model of the park.