CosmoCaxia - Science Museum of Barcelona

Museums in Barcelona are one of the attractions that take people to the different planet in the world. Known as a thing to do for kids in Barcelona, CosmaCaxia is a place where both children and adults learn and have fun at the same time. CosmaCaxia Museum was opened in 1981 as Science Musuem of Barcelona for the first time then it closed in 1979 for renovation. When it was renovated, the museum was reopened as CosmoCaxia Museum in 2004. 

Attractions in Barcelona are numerous and for travellers who are going to visit Barcelona city, a good city plan can be better if you don't want to waste time and miss out the best places to visit. So here Barcelona city guide is trying to present places to visit in Barcelona city day by day. 

So what can you do in CosmaCaixa Museum? There are forests similar to Amazons, planetarium, aquarium, a science museum where kids and adults can do some small experiments. You can experience how wind and rain occur and watch the ants' ordinary day in a transparent wall. All physics principles are shown on a tv and you can have chance to feel the space while watching the documentary. CosmoCaxia is a five-floor building and it has got spiral structure and visitors can reach the top by walking. There are lots of activities and parts in the musuem to see so you had better arrange your day as it takes at least 4 or 5 hours to visit completely.

Entrance fee is 4€ per person. The museum is a little bit out of the city but you can reach CosmoCaxia Museum by bus called Avinguda Tibidabo. In this musuem you will be in touch with science, archaeology, physics and nature. It is a dreamy world everyone must see. All the videos are in Spanish, Catalan and English.

Apart from these facilities, you can have a rest at the cafe, drink something and eat your meal. The building is outside seems a little old but when you enter this fascinating world, you will come across with a modern building. If you like magical world then CosmoCaxia is the best place you should visit in Barcelona city. For musuems in Barcelona you can check our other posts about museums. For the video, we would like to thank Felipe. 

Gothic Quarter - A District With Historical Landscape

Discovering a new country or city means that you are going to meet the historical look and life of the city. Barcelona city is one of these places with lots of historical buildings or places. So we highly recommend you to wander around in Gothic Quarter on your holiday. What you see and face will make you feel you reveal the history, the background and the city life slowly. While you are walking in the district you will come across many narrow lanes which include many small shops and cafes serving tapas and sangria. When you get tired you should have a rest at these pretty small cafes and may be drink coffee. All the lanes are somehow connected to a square which hold small cafes.

If you really understand what is going on in a city that you don't know, then you should wander around narrow alleys. You can bargain at shops, have a rest and observe the local people about their eating and drinking habits or how they become together at cafes and how they socialize. To know better about the customs of a city these squares and lanes are the best places to visit. Gothic Quarter is important place to be added to your list as it presents many examples from Romans time. All the basilicas have been protected well. Gothic Quarter makes you feel as if you live in 16th century with millennium opportunities. Experiencing the now and then. That's the coolest feeling ever. 

Gothic Quarter is in the heart of the city. It is like the back streets of Las Ramblas but not a cliche back street. The streets are safe and all local and tourists spend their most of the time in this magical area. As being the centre of the old city, you will feel yourself as local and native in Barcelona. At the same time it is a part of Ciutat Vella so it is the heart of the city. We must warn you about the pickpockets in this area. As the district is so hectic, this problem is inevitable. So you can be more careful while wandering around Gothic Quarter. While you are planning your holiday, you may want to add this place in your list as tourist attractions in Barcelona. We will write about many places to visit in Barcelona so please stay with your Barcelona city travel guide. Have a nice tour at our site. 

Palace of Catalan Music

Are you in love with art? Or maybe you are passionate for music? Then Palace of Catalan Music is a must see place in Barcelona city during your trip. Palace of Catalan Music is one of these places in 10 top list places in Barcelona city. While listening a relaxing classical music you can have your meal or you can attend a fantastic classical music concert by Orfeo Catala which is a choral society in Barcelona and founded in 1891 by Lluis Millet and Amadeu Vives. The Palace of Catalan Music is a building that embodies art and music at the same time. This art nouveau building attracts the visitors at the very first time. 

Being the only concert hall in this style, the Palace of Catalan Music building was listed as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 4th December 1997. This relaxing and full of life place makes you feel the social and cultural life of Catalan people also. So what is the aim of this musical place? Of course from the name we can understand that Palace of Catalan Music has been trying to foster the music since 2012. Especially for young visitors, the Palace has various educational programs. If you want, you can subscribe the foundation also and if you are under 30, it means you can get a great discount for the educational materials. So with this aspect of the Palace, it has got an aim to provide educational shows for music lovers. 

As a tourist in Barcelona we highly recommend you visit and feel the atmosphere of this artistic building. You can tour at Concert Hall. Any traveller in Barcelona city has right to visit that magical place. It offers visitors an unforgettable moments and takes you to the stars during your tour. Apart from this part of the Palace, you can visit Lluis Millet Hall which has a balcony with columns symbolizing different kinds of flowers. Lastly you should see the organ of Palace that will go with you on your music voyage. 

At Palace of Calatan Music, there is a restaurant on the ground floor so you can enjoy your lunch or dinner while listening to good music. Besides, you can attend lots of music concerts and enjoy the Catalan music. Flamenco music is the best here. So don't forget to buy a ticket beforehand and don't miss out a magical performance in Palace of Catalan Music. Here below there is a video for quick tour at the building. Enjoy your holiday in Barcelona city and don't forget to follow your Barcelona city guide. 

If you would like to see where the Palace of Catalan music in originally the Palau de la Musica Catalan, you can check the map below. You can make your reservations at www.palaumusica.cat Here is the address of this magical place.
C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6
08003 Barcelona
Phone: 93 295 72 00

Parc Guell in Barcelona - An Antoni Gaudi Work

In Barcelona city, you may come across many tourist attractions and may be sometimes your agenda will be full during your stay in Barcelona. In this article we tried to give information about an engineering marvel located in Barcelona. Park Guell in Barcelona city is one of these most fantastic places to see when you are on holiday. As we told before Antoni Gaudi is the greatest architecture of Catalan world and Park Guell is an artisanal project again belongs to Antoni Gaudi. Park Guell is located on the hill of El Carmel in the Gracia district of Barcelona. Earlier, the park wasn't intended to be a park.

When we have a look at the history of Parc Guell we see that actually this area was thought to include many residential garden village similar to English model including sixty-single houses. Eusebi Guell one of Antoni Gaudi's friend asked him to carry out this project. Gaudi started building the houses in this area until 1914 when they understood that this project was totally a failure as Guell couldn't sell a single house. The project was carried out 14 years. After this failure Gaudi wanted to buy a house with his savings which was built by one of his collaborators. Gaudi and his family with his father lived in this park until 1926. That's why there is Gaudi House Museum in Park Guell.

After 1922, Park Guell was opened to public visit and since then it's possible to visit Gaudi House Museum, the houses and the park itself. There are magnificient mosaic constructions in Park Guell. The park offers you a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere while wandering around. As in all Gaudi's work, he incorporated many religious, nationalism, mysticism and ancient poetry to the park. Gaudi was a real Catalan architecture. Stairs and pavilion parts of the park were designed by Gaudi. The parts of pavilion look like Hansel and Gratel's house. The houses in the park remind you wandering in a fairy tale. The stairs on the entrance of the park were designed by Gaudi and lizard figure became symbol of the Park and Barcelona city also. Here on the stairs you will see a marvelous trencadis ceramic patterns. They are worth to see while you are in Barcelona city travel.

To be able to visit the park area and houses you don't have to pay anything but if you would like to visit monumental area of the park it's necessary to pay around 8€. Please remember that if you visit Sagrada Familia Basilica, too you can buy economical ticket to visit both Park Guell and the basilica. There are two houses which were completed during Gaudi's time for housekeepers and visitors.

You will need to pay for Gaudi House Museum but it's worth to see while you are in Park Guell. You may feel Gaudi's life a little bit as he and his family lived in that house between 1906 and 1926. The house was designed by another architecture called Francesc Berenguer. In the museum you can see some Gaudi's furniture and drawings. 

From the Park there is a fantastic Barcelona city scenery which offers you a panoramic view. You can access Park Guell by metro or touristic buses but when you get off the metro ( Lesseps metro stop) you need to walk for a while and go up the hill. There are escalators to access the upside of the park so it won't be hard to wander around. Due to its unique design, Park Guell was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1984. In Park Guell, you will see library, a playground for children, cafe and fountains. You can bring your dog with you if you like. The Park is open all year from 8.00 am to 21.00 pm. 

While you plan a Barcelona city travel try to find out best places to visit. As there are lots of things to do in Barcelona city we suggest you follow a real Barcelona city travel guide so that you will have a great and unforgettable vacation in Barcelona city. When we discover a new place it's good idea to see all the structures, monuments or art of works which symbolize the city itself. As Antoni Gaudi is one of the best symbols of Barcelona city, it may be necessary to see all works of him. Here is a great video explaining every little detail about Park Guell so after you watch that video you may want to visit Park Guell much more:). Enjoy watching...

La Sagrada Familia Travel Tips

If you visit a city or country, it's better to know the travel tips beforehand. This will make you save time  and money. Every  place has its own travel tips. In this article we will give tips about visiting La Sagrada Familia. These are our suggestions but we think that you will like when you read the tips. Barcelona city is beautiful in every season but if you plan Barcelona travel especially in summer then this tip is really suits you.

La Sagrada Familia Tips:

1) Especially in tourist season like summer times , there is a long queue in front of the basilica. It's likely to wait for long hours ( sometimes 2 hours) to enter into La Sagrada Familia so you had better buy the entrance tickets online and you won't wait in the queue. 

2) If you don't have chance to buy the tickets online then don't forget to take water and umbrella with you and also put on some suntan cream so you won't get sunburnt.

3) If you stay in the centre of Barcelona city, La Sagrada Familia is not far away from the city centre so you can access there on foot if you like walking in 20 minutes. So don't get cheated if you are told it is too far. Of course you can get there by metro or taxi. This is just a suggestion:) 

If you would like to add any Barcelona city travel tips please do not hesitate to  make your comments. We would really appreciate your ideas.

The Montserrat ( Mountain) Monastery

Spain is a country one should discover when h/she has a chance. Especially Barcelona city is famous for its magnificent mountains to walk and climb. One of this mountain that we recommend you to see is Montserrat Mountain. Here we will try to tell Montserrat Monastery which stands facing Barcelona city. Montserrat is a magical place and many Catholic pilgrims come to see Black Madonna in the monastery. Montserrat mountain is at 1236 meters above the valley floor. It has got inexpressible scenery during the sun rise and most people in Barcelona city appreciate this view and do lots of overnight hikes. Montserrat is nearly 30 miles away from the centre of Barcelona city and it's easy to get there by train or private car.

The History of Montserrat Monastery
So what makes Montserrat Monastery so important? Why do many Catholic pilgrims come to see Black Madonna? What is the history of Montserrat Monastery? When you discover the magic of the mountain you will be more enthusiastic about seeing the mountain.

In the past while shepherd children were wandering around the mountain, they saw a magical light over Montserrat. At the same time, the children heard the angels singing. After some time, they hurried to their home in order to tell this inexplicable and magical moment. Firstly, their family couldn't believe that but parents' trust for their children made them believe this magical light and they went to Montserrat mountain to be able to see it with their own eyes. According to some people living near the mountain, they saw the bright light, too. So, after that event, they believed it came from God as signal and this mountain became religious place.

Montserrat Monastery hosts Virgin of Montserrat which is a statue of Virgin Mary and infant Christ. Virgin of Montserrat is the most beloved saint of Catalans and the statue is located in the sanctuary of the Mare De Deu de Montserrat. It's also one of the Black Madonnas of Europe. There is a legend about the statue that Benedictine monks couldn't move the statue which dates from 12th century to construct their monastery so they built it around the statue. As we conclude from all these magical stories that Montserrat Mountain Monastery really deserves being a religious and holy place. So to Her honor, 50 choir boys sing Gregorian chants everyday but by monks on Saturdays.

Places to Visit in Montserrat Monastery

Montserrat Museum: If you are fond of art and want to see the different works by Dali, Picasso or Caravaggio then it is a must do activity. The museum has six permanent collections and two temporary ones. The works of art in the museum are more than 1300 pieces and these works consist of broad historical period. Some private citizens donate these works of art to the museum and the Monks of Montserrat Monastery think that opening these works for the sake of public is their duty for transmission of cultures. It is a place you can have chance to see the collections from Egypt, Middle East samples to pieces of art of 20C.

What about eating?

In Montserrat Monastery there are some places to eat like cafeterias. You can find many kinds of food choice and you can have a break as a daily full Montserrat Monastery trip takes at least 4 or 5 hours! If you have only one day to visit this magnificent mountain then you should take the chance of staying at the mountain for long hours. On the right side through monastery, there are displays where many kinds of diary and honey goods are sold. You can taste before you buy and get some local souvenirs for your family and friends.

Where can you stay in Montserrat?

If you plan a short trip to Montserrat mountain for both hiking and culture trip then we can say that Montserrat is a friendly and safe town to stay. There is a hotel in Montserrat called Hotel Abat Cisneros and an apartment called Abet Marcet. Accommodation in Montserrat is easy and comfortable to stay. In Hotel Abat Cisneros, there are facilities for people who are in need special assistance. Please note that you had better call the reservation desk beforehand for disabled facilities to check the services. 

What to Do in Montserrat?

If you have a plan for Montserrat Mountain trip then one should go for a hiking in the valleys of Montserrat mountain. The highest summit of the mountain Sant Jeroni and stands at 1.236 meters above the sea level. It's easy to get there by hiking trails connecting from the top to the down or Sant Joan funicular. Also there is another mountain which is popular among climbers called Cavall Bernat.

How to Travel to Montserrat from Barcelona?

There are various ways to access Montserrat but the popular one if you don't have your own car is getting on the train. You can get on the train at Espanya rail station. It's a little bit confusing station for the new comers but we suggest that you take the one door randomly and then look for the train information to the Montserrat mountain. You can take Line R5 to Manresa. There are two ways to access the monastery. You can buy a ticket for Cable Ride or Cramellera Funicular ride to the monastery. You have to make up your mind for the ticket you would like to buy as you can't use it mutually. Both the tickets prices are the same. As the train from Espanya station goes to only foot of Montserrat mountain you have to choose the right ticket according to your wish as you need to get off and change the stops with the tickets. These two tickets are called Trans Montserrat Ticket. You can check the updated time schedule and prices for the Montserrat tickets.

For your Barcelona city travel guide please keep on following us. If you have any questions about this article or any other places please feel free to contact us. We will continue to write all about Barcelona city. You cand find the more Montserrat Mountain photos at Gallery part of our site. Enjoy your travel.

La Sagrada Familia Basilica

Even one hasn't been to Barcelona yet, h/she may hear about this unbelievable fantastic basilica in Barcelona city. La Sagrada Familia cathedral welcomes you standing in the middle of the city with its unique towers. 
The words are not enough to describe this sacred place and we hope many Barcelona lovers have the chance to see La Sagrada Familia. I hope we will be able to describe this unfinished basilica of Antoni Gaudi.

La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished basilica in Barcelona city. It's known that La Sagrada Familia is a work of art of one of the greatest architecture in the world Antoni Gaudi. That's truly right but the first building of this cathedral was started to build by diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar on 19 March 1882. At the end of 1883, the building of this wonder of art was assigned to Gaudi. He carried his work until his death which happened in 1926. This unique symbol of Barcelona city has still been tried to be finished with the donations from Barcelona people. That's why it's getting hard to complete this basilica. Of course, there is another big reason about going on building work like today's technology is still trying to understand the idea and style of  Gaudi's architecture but it's not the issue for the people living in Barcelona city as they see this basilica as a work in the hands of God and will of the people who have contributions with their donations. 

The Nativity Façade of this church shows the celebration of the Jesus and it also symbolizes Life of Joy or Christmas. The Passion Façade refers to passion of Jesus which means the death, the pain or the sacrifice. This passion façade faces in the west and so it takes the sunlight before sun goes down and this represent the symbolic effects of darkness and shadows. This passion façade has got three entrances which symbolizes hope, charity and faith and has got four towers representing apostles St James the Less, St Bartholomew, St Thomas and Philip from left to right. On the Nativity Façade over 40 different animals are represented.

Picture above shows the Glory Façade of La Sagrada Familia. It's called so as it represents the situation of the man within the general of creation like origins, problems and the road he should take and the purpose at last. When this amazing basilica is finished, this glory façade will be the main entrance to the church. 

When we enter we come across with Apse Façade which was devoted to Virgin Mary. A number of sculptures represent the founder of religious orders like St Antony, St Benedict or St Scholastica. Here for this fascinating there is a saying of Antoni Gaudi '' A church is the only thing worthy of representing the feelings of a people, for religion is the highest thing in people. When you walk inside of the basilica you will see many columns built in tree shapes which make you think you are in a forest. Inside the basilica there are stairs consisting of many steps which are enchanting! You can ride the elevator up to towers and the scenery is splendid but you have to walk down! That can make you a little dizzy but atmosphere of this sparkling basilica already enchants you before you rise the sky. When the church is finished it will have 18 towers; 12 towers will be dedicated to apostles, 4 to evangelists, one to Jesus and one to Mary. On the bell towers the words Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus and Hosanna in Excelsis can be seen which represents praising the Lord when people read them.

Inside La Sagrada Familia you can pray everywhere. There are many symbols and areas to pray. On the door placed in front engraving two doors of Passion Façade welcomes you. There are two doors look really statuesque. On the engraving doors there are words taken from Bible representing various languages including Catalan of course. Some words are highlighted with gold. It is really worth to look for the words referring sacred parts of the life. 

It's important to know the some details about this Barcelona historical place La Sagrada Familia entrance terms. First of all you should know that you may wait in the ticket queue nearly two hours! Yes, you heard right. If you plan Barcelona travel in summer then be sure that you have some water and suntan cream with you. Of course there is another way to buy tickets beforehand your visit to La Sagrada Familia. Here click on to buy online tickets. 

If you would like to buy your tickets from the counter below find ticket fee for the entrance to La Sagrada Familia.

Sagrada Familia Visit with a guide:

19,30€

17,30€ ( students and retired)

Sagrada Familia Visit with audio guide:

19,30€

16,30€ ( students and retired)

Sagrada Familia and visit to towers:

19,30€

17,30€ ( students and retired)

Sagrada Familia and Gaudi House Museum:

18,30€

17,30€ ( students and retired)

Sagrada Familia:

14,80€

12,80€ ( students and retired)

Visit Hours:

October to March 9.00 to 18.00 h

April to Spetember 9.00 to 20.00 h

25 and 26 December -1 and 6 January 9.00 to 14.00 h

How can you access to La Sagrada Familia? It's in the center of Barcelona city. If you like walking and staying in Plaça de Catalunia then you can walk and it takes around 20 or 25 minutes. It can be a good idea to see the around and Barcelona streets by walking. If you would like to take metro, there is a metro station in front of the Basilica. You should take Blue Line L5 and Purple Line L2. 

Finally we should inform that there are two shops in the Basilica; one is on the Passion Façade and the other is on the Nativity Façade. You can buy some souvenirs related to La Sagrada Familia and can find many photo books or historical publishing.