Visit Barcelona in 3 days - 2nd Day: the Modernist Barcelona




Today we will explain the modernist route of Barcelona, to discover the amusing imagination of the best-known Catalan artist: Antoni Gaudí, and another works of the Modernism.

By seeing this marvelous architectonic works, we will walk through the emblematic district of Eixample. Over there you can admire various modernist buildings that are fabulous.

Hospital de Sant Pau
We start our day on top of Eixample, discovering the Hospital de la Santa Creu and Sant Pau, designed by Lluís Domènech I Muntaner, the same ideologue of Palau de la Música that we visited yesterday. In 2009 this hospital became a museum and a cultural centre. It has been declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

Sagrada Família
From there, we will walk until the best-known building of Gaudí: the Sagrada Família. It is very interesting to look at everything around the basilica: there are lots of details in its structure. It is also important to focus the attention on the bronze door of the Passion crane or on the dramatic scenes of the Birth crane.

You can choose the visit inside the basilica for 13 € without guide. If you prefer a guide or an audioguide the price will be 17 €.

La Pedrera or Casa Milà
At mid morning we recommend you to have a walk in Passeig de Gràcia. There is another of the marvels of Gaudí: La Pedrera or Casa Milà. This surprising building was ordered by a Catalan and rich family. It is impacting because of its curve crane, its arcade windows, its strange chimneys and its balconies, made of wrought iron. We recommend you to visit its roof, where you could take pictures of all the exceptional views. You can also go inside of an apartment that will make you feel like if you were living in the past. And, finally, in the Espai Gaudí, you can understand a little bit more the fabulous world of the architecture of Gaudí.

Casa Batlló
On the other side and further down, there is the Casa Batlló, very important in the modernist architecture. It was built by Gaudí between the 1904 and the 1906, and it has an original, charm and fantastic crane, full of imagination. The house is a dialogue with light and colors.

This marvelous ornamental design is one of the most important architectonic works of the Manzana de la Discordia.

Tapas
Before continuing the route, we recommend you to stop and enjoy some tapas and a cold beer in a terrace of Rambla Catalunya or Passeig de Gràcia. You need to choose the place carefully, because you are in one of the upper town of the city. Anyway,  if you choose carefully you can eat for 15-20 € per person.

Parc Güell 

With the Parc Güell, we are sure that you will be absolutely astonished by Gaudí. To get in Parc Güell you can use the metro (L3) until Lesseps and have a walk of 10 minutes until the entrance of the Park. The alternative is going by bus from Passeig de Gràcia.

The project of this extravagant park was paid by the eccentric businessman Eusebi Güell, who wanted to create a little city for the richest citizens of Barcelona. But it was never finished.
Cheer and enjoy its marvelous gardens and its terraces with mosaics and sculptures. Do not forget to queue to take a picture of the iconic lizart in the main entrance. From the park you can also admire excellent views of the entire city.

Quarter of Gracia
After your relaxing afternoon in the park, now is the best moment to know the most bohemian part of the city. It is the preferred place of lots of citizens and it is plenty of original shops and little bars and restaurants.
Before the unstoppable growth of Eixample, that connected both zones, Gracia was a little village independent from Barcelona. Because of that, it maintains the essence of a little busy city with an active social life in all its squares.

We recommend you to choose one of these lively squares to finish your route eating something and remembering all the architectonic marvels you discovered during all day.

Do you want to continue with the Day 3? Let’s know Barcelona from the heights!


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