El Cap de Barcelona was created by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona…read more The gigantic sculpture is so eye catching. Its style blends Lichtenstein's statement pop art with glazed ceramic tiles as a nod to the great Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. Great curves in this piece. The sculpture is clearly an abstract woman's face. Love the grid of red mosaic tiles. The piece almost reminds me of Lichtenstein's iconic Brushstrokes sculptures in her eyes and eyelids. Bringing pop art to Barcelona. Perfect for a quick stop or enjoy the view from the Barcelona Turistic Bus.

This work is by American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, think comic strip print work…read more My husband and I ran past it a couple times during our morning runs towards Barceloneta. How amazing is it to see great works of art + the sea while running...I heart Barcelona. When viewed from different angles, you can spot a face or head poking out from a background of red dots in relief. The shape of the monument seems to emerge from its colourful, sweeping brushstrokes. . The monument is a tribute to the city that hosted the 1992 Olympic Games and its famous architect, Antoni Gaudí. It can be found in Barcelona's Port Vell.

We enjoyed it a second time - 10 years later!…read more We first toured the Picasso Museum in 2016. We enjoyed it then and felt it was time to visit it again and this time, spend more time reading and listening to the audio guide. I have to admit that art museums like this have never been my thing, but I went in 2016 because my wife wanted to go. What made this museum interesting to me is the detail on all of the wall signs next to each piece of art, and at various stages of the museum, large information signs about this period in Picasso's life or his art journey and details learned in the audio guide. What was new for me 10 years later? Audio guide via smartphone. We purchased the audio guide. My wife used the more traditional "handset-style" that's provided by the museum and that you hold up to your ear. I carry my Apple AirPods with me all the time to quiet a room, like in noisy restaurants and such. With the audio guide via smartphone, I used their WiFi to access their own hosted HTML-based site with the information linked there. Perfect for me! I also slowed my roll this time. I read nearly all of the small informational wall signs next to each piece of art and all of the larger information signs as we passed into different periods of Picasso's life. So I really got more out of it the second time. Fun fact - you ARE allowed to take pictures here. Of anything of the art! So I did. Now I can go back and more carefully study the art after reading the info about it and do so at my leisure. Our cost today was 12 Euro per person (senior rate).

Lovely lovely lovely museum downtown Barcelona. Not overly…read morepriced. Wonderful art. Great museum store. Pre order tickets, it's easy. Really a place to go!

Casa Batllo is a work of art! This is Antoni Gaudi's most…read morefamous works, located in the heart of Barcelona & became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. This house was originally intended to be a luxury apartment building, with the owner & his family residing in the lower level, the "Noble Floor", and tenants living in the upper levels. We got tickets from GetYourGuide & decided to do the Gold Tier the night live music experience on the rooftop terrace. This came with an audio guide, augmented reality tablet, Dome experience, concierge room access, front row seats for the concert, & glass of cava wine. The whole experience was lovely! Entrance time was 8pm & we arrived 20 min before, which a line had already formed. I loved the augmented reality tablet; it shows you what the rooms looked like with furniture, when the family lived there 120 years ago. We did this experience on the first day of arriving in Barcelona & was a great way to start the trip! We honestly were expecting a group of performers but it actually ended up being one singer, who was amazing! I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to visit Casa Batlló. We were also able to get a photo on the top floor, looking out of the window which was super cute. The experience was ~2-2.5 hrs overall.

Very very popular tourist spot. We snagged tickets on get your guide with the gold tier ticket…read more Lining up we were in the shorter line with priority access to the house tour of Batlló. We showed up for our time slot, waited about 20 min early, staff came out and handed us tokens and wristbands. Token is for a drink included (champagne). Gaudi had a wild mind. The architecture was definitely... different haha not my taste but i appreciate the vision he created. I'd probably go crazy if I lived in such a house but the place is huge, so many rooms and floors with so many hiding spots, boy hide-n-seek would slap. I do love me some history, so seeing all this and listening to the headset on the self guide was enlightening. We grabbed tickets that included a show on the rooftop and it was nice. We ordered some drinks and snacks and enjoyed our live performance. Super cute for date night!

Finca Guell might be the orginal example of trencadis, Gaudi's inventive mosaic technique using cut…read moretiles (from the Catalan verb, trencar, meaning to break). Guell was a rich patron who became Gaudi's friend, this was his first commission that would develop into an important lifelong relationship. The garden that's left is often closed but the most remarkable part of it is the gate that is always visible. It depicts the legend of Ladon, the dragon which guarded the entrance to the Garden of the Hesperides, in tribute to the Catalan poet Verdaguer and his epic poem "'Atlantida." It's pretty cool, I'll bet you've never seen anything like it. Not far from the Finca Miralles Gate.

**December 2022: Wednesday Evening Visit**…read more Despite how you may feel about Columbus and his legacy this monument is pretty cool. The structure is 197ft tall and has many different carvings throughout the tower and at the base. I only got to look at it from the outside, but it's an iconic landmark to take photos of.

The statue of Christopher Columbus is here, in this area. It's a congested area with pedestrians…read moreand vehicles and it's close to a main bus and train station on the water. Just like many other areas and things in the city, vandals have tagged portions of it with their nasty graffiti.

Coming from the west coast of the US, one can only take so much local Spanish music. I love my…read moremetal so it was nice to have a place to have a cocktail, shoot some pool and be with fellow metal heads. What I lived the most, is almost everyone represented their favorite bands by wearing concert T-shirts. Loved it! Bartender was welcoming and respectful.

Hell Awaits is a bad ass Heavy Metal bar with the wickedest decor so much to see and a wide…read moreselection of metal music! Moi has a great collection the owners Moi and Hiroshima a cute couple to say the least and they fit the bill of Metaleros with a passion of what they built here. I can't wait to come again next year

Review for only the self-guided tour of the Palau itself, we did not see a show. Phenomenal design…read moreand accents in this colorful, mosaic-covered masterpiece. Easily as worthy as its many heritage counterpart structures in this bountiful city of wondrous architecture, it still seems like a hidden gem that gets overlooked amidst multiple world heritage sites. It is not just a beautiful building, it is one of the most photo-worthy UNESCO sites in town. Gorgeously preserved seats, wood, sculptures, stained glass, historic cafe, and don't miss those yummy balcony columns outside! There is much to love here, but if you are short on time and can only snap photos and move along, you can see it all in 20 minutes. Squeeze it in. It's one of the most beautiful buildings you've never heard of.

This place is absolutely stunning -- the architecture, the colors, the detail... just wow…read more Definitely one of the most beautiful buildings I saw in Barcelona. I was a little disappointed that during the night performance, the patio area with the famous mosaic columns was completely closed off. It's one of the highlights of the building, and I was really hoping to see it lit up at night. Apparently, it's only open during day tours, which is kind of a bummer if you're only going for a show. Also, heads up -- the main photo you see everywhere is taken from the upstairs balcony seats, so if that's the view you want, book accordingly.

It is a very large, beautiful museum, indoors, and outdoors. Well worth the trip! If you have the…read moreopportunity make it part of your time in Barcelona

Came here on an atypical rainy day in Barcelona recently…read more Located on the top of a hill overlooking parts of Barcelona, I cannot imagine a better space to dedicate to the life of Joan Miro. During my visit, there were a few featured exibits including the 50th anniversary of the museum, as well as a feature of Miro in his time in New York. What I fully appreciated about the museum was the architecture and layout of the building, the key pieces from Miro's career, and, stemming from his time in New York, his relationships with key US artists such as Rothko, Calder, Pollock, and others. It was a beautiful way to watch Miro as well as his peers' artwork evolve and, in some ways, influence each other, as many US artists were inspired by Miro. I fully appreciate also the work that the foundation does to promote local artists in hopes of creating the next Miro. If it weren't for the investment in the arts and centers like these, we wouldn't be able to celebrate artists like Miro in the first place. My only small critiques of the center are that I was hoping for a bit more of Miro's expansive work, and the line to buy tickets was incredibly long and slow (see rain above). Several key bodies of Miro's artwork were represented, but I felt that more could have been displayed to show the evolution of his career.

Wow - what a cool place…read more This is the second time we've toured the Sagrada Família. The first time was 10 years ago in 2016. We returned to see what had changed in the last 10 years. From a casual glance, it was the same. But looking closer, much has happened on the outside. Some new towers have been completed and new feature pieces have been set atop several towers. We bought tickets online, several weeks before our arrival. Entering was easy. We went through external security by showing our ticket. Then inside, we placed anything we brought with us into a plastic bin, much like at an airport. It all got scanned, we got it all back and we got our tickets scanned for entry. We purchased the audio guide that uses your smartphone. That was great as we were able to use our own earbuds and not have to hold anything up to our heads. So we self-guided ourselves through the place, following the numbers corresponding to the Audi guide tracks. We stopped to rest, we stopped to take pictures and videos, to read placards of information and just to take in the sheer awesomeness of this place. I took 383 pictures that I'm still winnowing down and editing. While we don't plan to return to Barcelona, it's my feeling that no trip here is complete without taking in the Sagrada Família.

An absolute must when visiting Barcelona. La Sagrada Família is one of those places that genuinely…read morestops you in your tracks! The intricate architectural details are stunning at every turn and the way the sunlight filters through the stained glass windows inside is something else entirely. Truly breathtaking. My biggest recommendation is to book a tour guide. There is so much rich history behind this cathedral that you simply can't absorb from just admiring the architecture alone. Having a guide really brings everything together and makes the whole experience so much more meaningful. One practical note worth mentioning: the dress code enforcement here can feel inconsistent and as someone with a bigger bust, I experienced that firsthand. I wore a modest, relaxed maxi dress with minimal cleavage showing and was turned away at the entrance, while other women in similar or more revealing styles were waved right through. It seems the same outfit reads differently depending on your body type, which is worth being aware of. If you're curvy, bring a shawl as a precaution to avoid any unnecessary stress before your tour. I found one at a nearby shop and made it in just in time, but a little preparation goes a long way