Only have a short time to visit Barcelona? Let me start off saying it’s impossible to get a full grasp of the wonder of Barcelona in just a few short hours, but it’s also possible to see many important sites in just a five hours. The transit system is fantastic and cheap. It’s easy to see a lot in a small amount of time.
I live just an hour from Barcelona. Trains leave every hour from my city to Barcelona. It’s really easy to make a day trip to Barcelona. One day, a friend and I decided to take a short trip to the city to pass the time. After dealing with a screaming toddler for the duration of the train trip, we arrived in a cold and rainy Barcelona.
Gaudí’s Parc Masterpiece
First, make your way out to Parc Güell. It’s a large and scenic park that offers views over the entire city of Barcelona. It was designed by the renowned architect Anotoni Gaudí as a private estate, but after the death of the owner, it was converted to a public park. You may have seen pictures of Parc Güell with the famous mosaic tiles and gingerbread houses.
Take the Green Line (L3) and get off at Lesseps. Be prepared. It’s a long way up the mountain. However, if you aren’t up to the challenge of a thousand steps, there are escalators on the sidewalks to take you up to the top. Entry used to be free, but now they charge. It was nice when you didn’t have to pay, but it was too crowded and people couldn’t move. Now you have to pay a fee and get an entrance time. If you buy your tickets online, you can save a euro.
Apart from the mosaics and gingerbread houses, there are also gardens and trees that surround the main area. There are beautiful trees, whimsical structures, and beautiful birds-eye views. I think it’s actually better than the main area and would be a fantastic place for a picnic.
The Magic Fountain
The Font Mágica is another cool place to see. It’s near the Plaça Espanya and near Parc Güell. At night, there are fountain shows. But during the day, it’s still a pretty place to see. In the background is the National Museum of Catalan Art. For me, it’s a beautiful combination of the architecture and the fountains. I’ve never been inside, but the outside is gorgeous.
If you do have some time in Barcelona, I definitely recommend coming back at night. There is a fifteen minutes (or so) water and light show that happens ever few hours. I went with my parents at Christmas and they played Christmas music and had the fountain show. Very cool!
Olympic Park
If you go up the escalator and walk around the back, you can see the Olympic Park from 1992 Barcelona Olympics. You can see the Palau Sant Jordi (home of the basketball tournament) and the Estadi Lluis Companys (the main stadium of the Olympics). Both venues continue to be used to this day as concert and athletic venues.
I always love these kind of places, especially Barcelona’s Olympic Park. I was born the day after the end of ’92 Olympics. My dad said he watched the closing ceremony and a few hours later I was born. For that reason, it holds a special place in my heart. I also just really love sports, so I loved being able to see the place where Carl Lewis won his medals and see where the Dream Team dominated the field.
Bullish Architecture
In the Plaça Espanya, there is a shopping mall that is quite unusual. In 2012, a ban on bull fighting took place. The bull fighting ring in Barcelona was converted into a high end mall instead. It’s pretty cool to look at, and even cooler on the inside. I’ve only been when it was closed, but the inside remains open and it looks like an awesome place to shop. Outside, you can pay a few euros to go up an elevator and take a look of the city from the top of the mall.
UPDATE: The bull fighting ban was lifted in October 2016. I doubt they will hold any major bull fights in Barcelona and their main arena has now been converted to a mall that probably brings in a lot more money than bull fights do.
There are a lot of good restaurants located in the area. You are sure to have a good time no matter what. This is only a small portion of Barcelona, but it’s still full of must-see things. I think you need a few days to really see Barcelona, but this is a good start.
Disfuteix Barcelona!
