Winding back roads of the Gothic Quarter
by surferob
For a great, get lost without worrying type of ramble, try the myriad of streets between Via Laietana and La Rambla (aka Las Ramblas). You can start with a quick tour of the old Cathedral on the Laietana side and then just head west toward La Rambla from there. Don't go in a straight line, follow the twists and turns of the awkwardly linked streets and alleys. All will be filled with locals, tourists, shops, vespas, cafes and any number of other temptations.
Barcelona Tip
by coeur.chaud
Fundació Joan Miró. Naturally I loved this place since he's one of my favorite artists.
You can find the Fondació in Parc de Montjuic, a large parc which, among other things, consists of the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 games.
Ornate decor on the walls.
by scottishvisitor
After looking at the caged birds in Las Rambla I spotted the free pigeon (no charge) so stopped to take a photo, at first I didn't notice the beautiful patterns on the buildings. Take your time in Barcelona and really admire the ornate buildings with their lovely art work in glorious colours.
Bracafe
by jorgejuansanchez
This is a lovely café close to the Plaza Cataluna. Apart from the ground floor and the terrace, they also have an underground hall for groups. The cafeteria was founded in 1929 and serves the best coffee of Barcelona. In the walls you can read many phrases of historical personages who loved coffee, Spaniards and foreigners. One of them reads: “I know that coffee is a poison, but it kills slowly and I am not in a hurry to die. I am drinking coffee every day 80 years so far and have not experienced any sickness because of it, so I will continue drinking coffee until the end of my days”.
Calle Caspe 2
Montserrat: the spiritual centre of Catalunya
by Belsaita
Montserrat is not meant to be a tourist hot spot but more of a place for quiet serenity and spirituality. For many people it is a place for pilgrimage and prayer. In that respect I think you can appreciate more of the beauty of the monastery and the area. For many others is a well an amazing place for hiking and enjoy the nature.
Montserrat as well is one of the symbols of Catalunya. Even for non-Catholics, as this place played a key role of the preservation of Catalan culture, language and traditions during the dark times of the Franco's dictatorship (1939-1975)
No need to get a tour to go there, it's easy to go there by public transport, and you can organize you trip on your own way. Tours tend to loose a lot of time having lunch or shopping. BTW, nothing especially interesting to buy there apart from religious items and the delicious local "mel i mató" (kind of cottage cheese, traditionally served with honey)
About Montserrat and how getting there:
www.montserratvisita.com
Apart from visiting the monastery (and if you're into art, the museum, one of the best of the region), I highly recommend you to take the racktrain to Sant Joan's peak. The views are impressive. You can return with the racktrain again, or can walk down the monastery. It is a very nice, not difficult but long walk (about 3 hours). If you're fit enough, you can walk as well till the highest point of the Mountain: St Jeroni. This one is a more difficult walk, but really scenic. There are as well other nice mountain paths, but you'll need more than a daytrip to full explore the area.
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Eixample
Part of the Large Lobby Area
NAVARRA -interior
Companyia de Gas Lebon, Carrer Balmes, 17-19
