Ah..
Barcelona… Estrella, the football team, Gaudi, paella, crema catalane and
more..
Living
two years in Barcelona (for studies) were not enough to see everything. Believe
it or not I am so angry to myself for not visiting ALL the places Barcelona has
to offer. Well, I must not be too strict to myself, I’ve done a lot.
This
post covers all the basics of Barcelona plus some secret places and awesome
stuff to do from my point of view (this means that you will find almost all the
things I liked about BCN).
I will
try to make it as interesting and clear as possible, categorizing the places
into the different areas.
**Spoiler Geek Alert: Contains Comic Book stores!**
**Spoiler Geek Alert: Contains Comic Book stores!**
Judging from my pace, it will take me a lifetime to complete this guide; I will be posting it in parts.
Beginning from the basics: Ciutat Vella
Interesting Places:
·
La(s)
Ramblas – The popular street, with pavement in the middle, offering hundreds of
visible and hidden shops. Just stroll along both sides, from Placa Catalunya to
the port and back. You can find different kiosks offering ice cream, flowers
and tickets to different attractions. You will get annoyed by people selling
something like a flying helicopter or something that makes noise when whistle
with it.
·
Av. Portal de l’Angel – The parallel street to Ramblas
full with shops. Stroll down all the way and don’t bother getting lost in the
alleys on the left and right. (image)
·
Placa Catalunya – The starting point, the head of
La Ramblas. A large square, usually filled with people and.. pigeons!
Surrounded with El Corte Ingles from one side and El Triangle from the other.
Both are acceptable shopping centers, having clothes, food and more. You can
also find the Hard Rock Café of Barcelona, or grab a Hop on Hop off Buses
(price) Metros nearby: L2, L3.
·
Mercat De La Boquería – The big and various open market.
From exotic fruit to tapas. Try not to get lost, use a map (http://www.boqueria.info/mercat-mapa.php)
·
Plaça Reial – A the royal square filled with
life! Occasionally events are held here usually during night times but you can
enjoy live Jazz music accompanied with your drink or if you are a music player
you can grab a guitar or piano and play!
·
Palau Güell – An old palace that was turned
into a hotel. The outside is filled with dragons made by Gaudi.
·
Museo de Cera (Museum of Wax) – If you like wax statues and
stuff, this is a place to visit. Bonus: El Bosc De Les Fades (Forest of
fairies) is beautifully designed bar inside the Museum of Wax which opens at
night creating a fairy atmosphere to enjoy a couple of drinks!
·
Alley
to Universitat (Carrer
dels Tallers) – Heading from Placa Catalunya to the port there is an alley
(next to Pans And Company) that leads to Universitat (A square that lies the
University of Barcelona. The great thing about this alley is that you can find
Music and Record shops, punk and rock
themed shops. It’s worth the time!
·
Catedral de Barcelona – It’s a magnificent cathedral
worth of visiting at least from the outside. The easiest way of getting there
(the way I did it), is all the way down of Av. Portal de l’Angel, until you
reach Carrer de la Portaferrissa (a good street for shops), and then turn left.
Go straight and you’ll reach the square Placa de la Seu. Take photos next to
the big letters forming “Barcelona”.
·
Statue of Colom – At the ending point of Ramblas,
there is a roundabout with a statue of Christopher Columbus pointing.
·
Maremagnum – A shopping center at the end of
Ramblas, past the statue of Colom and the bridge. Go to the second floor and
enjoy your coffee looking at the sea.
·
Aquarium – Next to the shopping center lies the
Aquarium of Barcelona. It’s a nice place for families
·
Museu Maritim – The Maritime Museum of Barcelona
also known as Barcelona Royal Shipyard. It has a collection of old ships from
the military and if you are a ship lover this is a must.
·
Petritxol
– An alley filled with different tastes of chocolate. Try churros at Granja
La Pallaresa.
·
Mercat de Sant Antoni – The closed market in Sant Antoni
the area near Universitat. If you have been in Boqueria, this is optional.
·
Ronda de Sant Antoni – The street from Universitat to the
market, filled with outlet shops and cheap electronics. Worth a visit. Don’t
miss the second hand shop CashConverters in Carrer de Floridablanca, 143
Restaurants:
·
La fonda – For starters this place has good paella for
quality and price. Worth a visit, the restaurant looks like Italian from the
inside, and always full with queues waiting outside.
·
Dionysos
– Quick Greek amazing food. On the same road as La fonda, keep up straight
until you reach a square with a statue in the middle. Search around and you
will find Dionysos.
·
Ovella Negra – Cool bar with plenty of beer and
sangria. The special thing about this place is that you can drunk yourself to
death with 5lt of Sangria or Beer in a bottle with little taps on the side for
group enjoyment.
·
O Vall d'Ouro – Famous for their tapas. If you
sit inside, you can see photos of the owner (I think its him) with plenty of
celebrities.
·
WOK – Asian restaurant that can cook the raw
seafood or meat you choose for the buffet immediately. You pay a price per
person and all you can eat. Challenging!
·
Maoz Vegetarian – Barcelona offers a great variety
of vegetarian restaurants. Maoz is a franchise of restaurants more like fast
food in which you can enjoy a falafel and add extras for free any time
(actually you end up eating the extras).
Nightlife:
·
Polaroid – A bar with movie retro theme. Very cool to
pay a visit and enjoy some of the themed cocktails.
·
Bollocks – A rock bar with the corresponding theme and
music. That street has a couple of bars also, worth visiting (like Sweet Rebel
Bar)
No comments:
Post a Comment