JaceyRight

I am going to be in Barcelona for 3 days in May. What sights are not to be missed? and what should we see if we have extra time?

Thanks

missypie

Go to your local bookstore and buy the DK Top 10 Barcelona book. By the end of the weekend, you'll have a list of about 6 days worth of stuff to see.

Nikki

For a short trip the bus turistic is a good way to see sites that are scattered around the city. It is a hop on and off bus starting at the Placa Catalunya. A two day ticket is much less than twice as much as a one day ticket. Good views and photo opportunities from the open top deck.

Get ideas from the Barcelona guide you can download at www.maribelsguides.com.

More ideas right here on Fodor's under Destinations. There are itineraries for three and five days.

In my three days there last summer I don't know if everything I saw was "not to be missed," but I did have fun seeing whatever I saw. And I'm going back this month for a longer stay of six days to catch some more and to go back to some of the things I want to share with my husband, who didn't come last summer.

I did enjoy the great views of the city from Tibidabo on one side and Montjuic on the other. Tibidabo can be reached by tram and then funicular, and Montjuic can be reached by a very scenic cable car across the port.

I loved the Boqueria market, but I just love taking pictures in open markets wherever I go. And it was fun having lunch in the market at the
Pinotxo counter restaurant.

The curvy moderniste buildings from the turn of the last century are unique to Barcelona. I didn't get into any of them except the Sagrada Familia cathedral last summer but I am planning to rectify that this time and visit the Gaudi buildings along Passeig de Gracia.

Of the things I did last summer, one that was probably missable was the Poble Espanyol. Created for a world's fair, it was a little disneyesque, but still had some nice craft shops.

sweet_polly

Barcelona is fabulous! The main city promenade, La Rambla, could keep anyone entertained for hours or days on end. Lined with restaurants, bars, shops, outdoor cafes, etc., it is a wonderful place to start in your exploration of Barcelona. A great place for people watching, as well as for being watched yourself. The action never stops, and the street is filled with people at all hours. Port Olimpic (the site of the 1992 Olympic games) was also beautiful, and studded with terrace restaurants overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Barceloneta, also, is a lovely seaside area, near the marina. It is an older area, but laden with charm. Its restaurants are not as flashy or tourist oriented as many in Port Olimpic, but you will enjoy a bona-fide retro Spanish experience if you have the delightful opportunity to frequent one of them. Barri Gotic is one of the older parts of town, with tight, shadowy winding streets and lots of character. Then, there's the Exiample, the upscale part of town, where you'll find incredible moderisme-style buildings, beautifully kept old apartments on scrupulously clean tree-lined streets, and the crowning glory, Gaudi's Segrada Familia. The many distinct and different areas of Barcelona combine to create an unforgettable mosaic.

Don't Miss: Segrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Battlo, Parc Guell, or anything else created by Gaudi. It is all FANTASTIC! We also really enjoyed both the Palau de la Musica and the Maritime Museum. We took a bus tour to the Torres winery, Reus (for more Modernisme architectural viewing) and Tarragona (a 2,000 year old city which is a former provincial capital of the Roman Empire). Tarragona was fascinating, but the other two stops were a waste of time. The tour company we used, Catalunya Busturistic, is not recommended. They basically shuttled us to the locations, handed us a map, and told us when to be back for departure. No guided tours or narrative along the route were provided.

Also, don't miss a visit to La Bouqueria, one of the world's 10 best gourmet markets, located on La Rambla. It is absolutely amazing....there is no food which can not be purchased there, from exotic meats and cheeses to boutique candy, from fois gras to emu eggs, from candied fruits to the most beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables you have ever laid eyes on, from wine to coffee...I could go on and on. Not to be missed if you are a foodophile.

Enjoy! Barcelona is very cool...my favorite city of all I've visited so far.

koreaprincess

Here's my contribution: Go to a restaurant called "The Seventh Port", for the best paella I have ever had! I met a woman who was going to Barcelona and I started babbling about this restaurant and before I could get the name out, she knew what I was going to say. Have fun!