Things to do

Barcelona is planet museum. Its 10 km-long list includes but is not limited to: Miro, Picasso, Dali, ceramics, paleontological artifacts, decorative arts, open air architecture, holography, archaeological, ethnological, zoological, botanical, geological, history of medicine, wax, bullfight, music, perfume, textile, slot-machines, funeral, shoes, military soccer, etc.

Then there are mythic mountains, pilgrimage sites, cathedrals, palaces, historic hospitals, historical and pre-historical replicas, buildings, nature parks, ad nauseam. Below are a few of the myriad noteworthy mentions.

The Nou Camp stadium is one awesome place to watch a match at.

Barcelona breathes Gaudi. To have gone there and not immerse, or at least wade through Gaudi’s monumental works of art would be to miss the Eiffel Tower while in Paris, or the fly at the tip of your nose. It would be difficult to miss anyway as many of his most extraordinary works are planted around the city.

Antoni Gaudi, one of Barcelona’s great offspring, was one of the most important modernist style architects worldwide resound throughout the planet. These are a few of his masterpieces in Barcelona: Finca Güell (1884-1887), the portal of Finca Miralles, Passeig Manuel Girona, Bellesguard (1900-1909), landmark of Catalonia, Colegio Teresiano (1888-1889) , Ganduxer 87, Casa Vincens (1883-1888) , Carrer de les Carolines (18-24, his first architectonic work, and a milestone in his career), Passeig de Gràcia 92, Casa Batllo (1904-1906) , Casa Calvet (1898-1900) , Carrer de Casp, Palau Güell (1886-1889) , Carrer Nou de la Rambla 3-5, Sagrada Familia (1883-1926).

Maremagnum

Monument a Colom – tribute to Columbus, the discoverer of America. It is also a new shopping and free time area with 12 cinemas, the Imax, and a wide variety of restaurants, pubs and discos. It is a rave teenage hangout.

Universal's Mediterranea

An impressive amusement park in Tarragona, a 1-hour train ride from Barcelona, noted for its higher, faster, and loopier rollercoaster than anywhere else in Europe, and its 5 thematic parts: China, México, Polynesia, Mediterránea and the Far West.

L'Aquàrium

The Acuarium of Barcelona, Europe’s largest, a unique experience to be enveloped by Mediterranean fauna and flora, and marine tropical water.

Montseny Natural Park

A UNESCO-declared Biosphere Reserve situated 40kilometers from Barcelona, the only one of its kind in Catalonia. Watch live boars, genets, dormice, heaps of bird species, the Holm oak, cork oak, oak, beech and pine groves.

Montserrat

60 kilometers from Barcelona, depicts the “spiritual center and guardian of the souls“ of Catalonians and has earned a mythical, mystical reputation. Here you’ll find the Benedictine Monastery, a 16th century basilica housing the 12th century Romanesque image of La Moreneta, patroness of Catalonia.

Barrio Gótico

A visit to the past, this Gothic Quarter is one of the oldest and most interesting parts of Barcelona. Here you’ll find the square of Sant Jaume, a Forum from Roman times, the portal of Plaça Nova, the Palacio de la Generalitat and Palacio del Ayuntamiento (townhall), an old millstone from Iberian tribes.

Las Ramblas

This 2-kilometer boulevard stretch embodies the quintessence of Barcelona: people of all social classes and ages, street-theaters and some of the great theaters of the city, flower and vegetable stands, big business galleries, shoe shine boys, cafeterias, terraces. Here lies the Academia de Sciencias (Academy of Science) with its giant 1868 timepiece, the gothic-baroque church de Betlem, and the stupendous Palacio de Moya that is often an exposition venue.

The Mercado de La Boquería

The most important and most visited market of Barcelona, while Pla de la Boqueria was the old town center.

El Ensanche

Barcelona’s modern center, built between 1870 and 1936, was planned by architect Cerdá as a posh bourgeoise district, with rectangularly criss-crossing streets, a rarity in European town planning. Its best known monuments are Gaudí’s cathedral Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Palacio Güell, Casa de los Punxes and Casa Amatler de Puig i. This square is modified continually, a Barcelona penchant for constant innovation and change.

Montjuic

The venue of the World Exposition of 1929, and of the 1992 Olympic Games. Atop of the mountain, amid beautiful parks is a 17th century fortress, and the Palacio nacional de Motjuïc that houses a collection of Catalonian art from the gothic and Romanesque periods, including extraordinary wall-paintings and wood-carving.

Tibidabo

One of the most famous and spectacular amusement parks of Europe on a mountain top.

One can grow old just listing them all. Make your life easier and check out the links:

http://www.viator.com/Barcelona-tours/Air-Helicopter-and-Balloon-Tours/d...
http://www.bcn.cat/english/ihome.htm http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/index.html
http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/tour.html
http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/gaudi.html
http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/museum.html
http://www.aboutbarcelona.com/barcelona/interest.asp
http://www.aboutbarcelona.com/barcelona/theaters.asp
http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/sight.html
http://www.okspain.org/specialinterest/artarchitecture.asp
http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Arte+y+Cultura/?Language=en
http://www.okspain.org/specialinterest/hikingbiking.asp
http://www.okspain.org/specialinterest/onhorseback.asp
http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Arte+y+Cultura/?Language=en
http://www.justspain.org/