Monday, February 10, 2014

Enjoying Barcelona Paintings And Other Attractions

By Jayne Rutledge


Barcelona is one of the most fabulous Spanish cities that you can visit. Whether you have have weeks of vacation available, or only a few days to spare, you will surely find plenty of spectacular attractions to keep you busy. If you are particularly interested in art, there is an abundance of Barcelona paintings to be enjoyed. The several popular art galleries in the city include the Galeria D'Art Manuel Barbie, Galeria Brok and the Francisco Godia Foundation.

All of the Spanish art galleries just mentioned are filled with interesting works of art, sculptures and pottery. Antique furniture can even be bought at the Galeria Brok, located at Pau Claris 167. Most of the art galleries are open to the public from about nine in the morning to eight in the evening during the week and on Saturdays, but their times do vary and therefore it may be best to get a guidebook with the details.

Many of the main attractions are within walking distance, and therefore walking tours are available for tourists. They are nice because they are led by an English guide who is knowledgeable regarding the history of the sights. It is best to book a walking tour early, from one of the tourist offices. You will find the main place of information in the Placa Catalunya.

If you are not sure which attractions to go to, getting some tickets for the tourist buses are a great idea. They go past all the major attractions in the city, and are 'hop-on and hop-off' buses. This means that when your bus stops at a particular attraction, you can get off and stay for as long as you like. When you are ready to leave, you simply hop on to the next bus that comes past. The buses will run from a certain time in the morning until a certain time in the evening.

The architecture of some of the buildings in the city have been influenced by Gaudi, a well-known person in Spain's rich history of artists and architects. His buildings include the Casa Vincens and the La Sagrada Familia as well as several others. The Parc Guell is another place of Gaudi, with the Hundred Columns Room. Parc Guell is considered a UNESCO world heritage site.

For animal-lovers, the city boasts a large aquarium and a zoo with a diverse range of animal species. There are sharks among many other sea creatures at the aquarium, as well as a sea life center that has facilities for children. The aquarium is also a rather unique, transparent building. At the zoo, you can meet Snowflake, the only albino gorilla in captivity, along with over 7,000 other animals.

When the weather is warm Barcelona's beautiful beach is the place to be. There are actually a couple available, including Bogatell and Nova Mar Bella. All of them have facilities. Under two very high buildings, you will find the Olympic Port, known for its ample places of entertainment.

Interesting as well is the Ramblas de Canaletes, a walkway in Les Rambles. From kiosks along the walkway you can buy newspapers from around the world. The Museo Picasso is also hugely popular, filled with the most wonderful Barcelona paintings and ceramics done by Picasso.




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