5 Best Sights in La Ciutadella and Barceloneta, Barcelona

Once a fortress designed to consolidate Madrid's military occupation of Barcelona, the Ciutadella is now the city's main downtown park. The clearing dates from shortly after the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century, when Felipe V demolished almost 1,300 houses in what was then the Barri de la Ribera to build a fortress and barracks for his soldiers and a glacis (open space) between rebellious Barcelona and his artillery positions. The fortress walls were pulled down in 1869 and replaced by gardens laid out by Josep Fontserè. In 1888, the park was the site of the Universal Exposition that put Barcelona on the map as a truly European city; today it is home to the Castell dels Tres Dragons, built by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the restaurant for the exposition (the only building to survive that project, now a botanical research center, not open to the public), the Catalan parliament, the city zoo, and two subtropical plant houses.  Be very careful with your belongings, particularly mobile phones, inside the park; keep all bags on your person. 

A defunct Poblenou movie theater rescued and reimagined for the digital age, the IDEAL space combines 360-degree projections with virtual reality and cutting-edge light and sound effects for an immersive experience. Recent shows have brought to life the story of Tutankhamun and the works of Monet, Gustav Klimt, and Frida Kahlo.

Catalan for “greenhouse,” this striking, plant-filled iron structure was originally built by Josep Amargós i Samaranch as a reception and lecture hall for the 1888 Universal Exposition. Despite being one of the outstanding moderniste buildings of Ciutadella Park, it bumbled along as a restaurant before falling into disuse in 2006, then inevitable disrepair. In December 2023, following months of restorative TLC, it opened to the public once again; becoming the first completed project in a vision to turn Ciutadella Park and its surroundings into a science and heritage hub.

While most of the 34 levels in the shiny, gherkin-shape tower that pierces Barcelona’s skyline are out of reach (the Jean Nouvel--designed building is now a business center), the exception is a 30th-floor observation deck. You’ll find the expected panoramic views—and they do delight, especially during the pink hues of dusk. What you won’t expect is a multiplatform, suspended art installation that you can scramble up to feel eerily airborne: nerves and agility, withstanding. Called Cloud Cities, it’s a truly unique experience, as is the basement exhibition of real-time big data on the city, from air quality to how many planes are overhead.

This eye-catching center for design is home to six permanent collections covering textiles, historical clothing and haute couture, ceramics (with pieces by Miró and Picasso), decorative arts, and graphic design. The product design and modern and contemporary furniture collections are particularly outstanding. Temporary exhibits run the gamut, with recent shows devoted to the graffiti art of Banksy, Balenciaga's exquisite hats, and women in design. The building itself, by MBM Arquitectes (Oriol Bohigas, doyen of the firm, was the prime mover in much of Barcelona's makeover for the 1992 Olympics), juts out like a multistoried wedge into the Plaça de les Glòries.