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 Mila or La Pedrera is another example of Antoni Gaudi's architectural genius. My husband and I…read morevisited on a Saturday morning with GetYourGuide tickets in hand. It was actually easier buying it on GYG because the official website kept refusing my credit card. We chose the 11 am timeslot and arrived at the house on time. We were given audio-guides on the way in and spent our time going through each floor of the house. We even explored the attic and the rooftop. The view on a clear day are fantastic. As we moved through each area, we were provided information via audio-guide during our wanderings. The house is beautiful and was a marvel when it was completed in 1912. The curvy lines and the columns give it the modern feel that is still unmatched to this day. If you're a Gaudi fan, this house should be on your list. This was my second visit to Barcelona but my first visit inside Casa Mila. I'm so glad I got to see it from the inside.

I felt like stepping into another world by walking into Casa Milà. It's designed by Antoni Gaudi…read moreand every room has its own character, from the flowing shapes and colorful details to the clever use of natural light. We took our time exploring the apartments, courtyards, and attic, and it was fascinating to see how far ahead of its time the design was. Even if you're not an architecture enthusiast, it's easy to appreciate the creativity behind every corner. My favourite part was the rooftop; the famous chimney sculptures and panoramic views over Barcelona were beautiful and there were plenty of photo opportunities. The audio guide was helpful and explained the history and design very carefully and clearly. If you're planning to visit, booking your tickets in advance is a good idea since it gets quite busy, especially during the summer.

Great museum to visit during your stay in Barcelona. It describes in pictures, sculptures, drawings…read moreand videos the erotic history of the world. Very well organized, lit and with descriptions in most languages. You can get a discount if you use the Barcelona Card and you can get audio guides for your visit. It is right across the Boqueria Market Entrance on Las Ramblas. Well worth seeing!

I've seen better in other cities, but it made for fun photos so there's that. Price does appear to…read morebe a bit steep, but it's a tourist attraction in a tourist area, and we were tourists. It did the job, but left much to be desired (see the Sex Museum in NYC!)

This is an incredible experience once you navigate the hundreds of stairs to get to the top. It's…read moreworth it. We came on the first Sunday of the month and it was free. Bonus! There were lots of people here, to be expected. The art is beautiful. It's nice to see all the different time frames. Some of the art we saw from the 1400s was very special. We feel so fortunate to not only have enjoyed the museum, but also the restaurant at the top with a view. Definitely a great way to spend the afternoon in Barcelona. Most of the rooms are air-conditioned and that helps too.

Hard to miss and it's huge Beautiful museum…read more It's Catalonian which Barcelona has this divided populations and language and even politics and laws But nonetheless it's a great place to wander around

As an amateur world historian , I appreciate this display as none before…read more The depiction of human habitation from 5000 BC and then the layer upon layer of history through the ages is unsurpassed. Previously, Pompeii was the world standard for me . This depicts history in a different, probably more typical, way for a metro area. For anyone interested in western civilization, this should be on the list of sights to take in on a visit to Barcelona. The audio guide was especially effective.

Amazing museum, a must see! The layout is essentially 2 sets of the museum. One upstairs on…read moreseveral floors and one downstairs with the ruins. Staff super friendly and accommodating...with wheelchair accessible exhibits and loan. The layout and design flowed wonderfully, through Roman and current events. Great discussion of the various periods and history of Barcelona. Included contemporary demographics with nice visuals. The ruins were fascinating as well. Spent 2 blissful hours exploring and would come back!

An entire exhibition was closed so out of the 3 floors our experience was reduced to about 75% lol…read more The art was very nicely exhibited though, but I only provide a lower review because of the entire floor that was missing, the ridiculous heat, and the protest that was occurring outside. Honestly had I gotten a chance to really read the signs being written outside I wouldn't have gone in, for those that don't know, MACBA is currently still expanding and currently destroying a part of the plaza that has been used by residents and skaters alike. It's always a shame to see community and areas for gathering being destroyed for the sake of expansion of an exhibit meant to promote artists just like them.

Probably a mixed experience depending on what's showing. Ok if you have an hour or two to spare…read more A couple of shows spread over several floors. Not large per se but enough space to wander and discover. I found some great exhibits and some big misses. That's contemporary art I guess. Still a nice, well maintained museum. Apparently an expansion is in the works for MACBA.

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!

The Gothic Quarter is exactly my kind of architecture. This is where the Catedral de Barcelona…read moresits, and it was so beautiful in person. I wish I had more time to actually learn about the cathedral and its history. Great place to take pictures obviously. Even though there were a lot of people around, we were still able to get shots without anyone in the background. Probably because we went there around evening, but it was still rather bright at night. Highly recommend!

The Cathedral of Barcelona, which is also called the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia,…read morewas built in the Gothic style from 1298 to the 15th century. It is an active church that provides masses, confessions, and other sacraments. It also provides tours for 16 euros and up (as of the time of this review). I understand that some people think that a church should be free to enter, but I also understand that many tourists are not practicing Catholics and that the church needs to bring in revenue to pay its bills. My tour guide took my husband and me to the exterior of this church and explained its architecture and history. We did not pay for an interior tour. It is a lovely church to see.

The Maritime Museum of Barcelona is located in Drassanes Reials de Barcelona, the Royal Arsenal of…read moreBarcelona. It is dedicated to shipbuilding between the thirteenth to eighteenth centuries. Construction of the Royal Arsenal started in 1285 with Peter III of Aragon. Additions continued over the next four centuries in the Catalan Gothic style. From the inception, the purpose of the shipyard was to build the galleys for the Aragonese Armada to help control the Mediterranean Sea. So amazing to be able to visit the beautiful reproduction of the 1571 Royal Galley of John of Austria from the Battle of Lepanto. It is a full-scale replica. You can view it from platforms looking over the beautiful, ornate carvings and from below the hull. The museum is free to all on Sundays from 3-6 PM. It is located at the Port Vell stop on the Hop on Hop Off Bus tour which is also the stop for the cruise shuttle. Great for a quick stop to see the Royal Galley or for a longer stop to explore the Spanish maritime history.

We came here unplanned on our last day in Spain. Ticket price was a bargain compare to other places…read morein this touristy city. The museum is housed in a former ship yard. They even had a section on Spain's role in the slave trade in the Americas, very informative and a somber reminder of the cruelty endured by millions of people. The day we came here was the day before El Día de los Reyes Magos, so we also saw the boat parade by the dock and a festive parade from inside the museum later in the night.

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