Barcelona is the perfect weekend holiday destination. In a couple of hours you could be enjoying a fantastic Spanish dinner, or a stroll around the winding streets exploring the boutiques. Barcelona boasts stunning buildings and exciting nightlife, so with something for everyone, it is definitely a great city to visit.
Barcelona is a historic city with some of the most exquisite architecture in Europe. You can access the city using a variety of convenient methods, such as the Bus Turistic which is an open top, double decker which tours the city on a regular basis.
It carries information in audio form in ten different languages which makes it accessible for any visitor. Alternatively, you could use the public buses or metro service to travel around the city.
A must see attraction is the Parc Guell. Originally a housing development, this is now open as a beautiful municipal garden containing famous buildings such as the house of the Catalan architect, Antoni Guadi. Also worth a visit are more of Guadi’s masterpieces – Casa Mila, Casa Batllo and Sagrada Familia.
In addition, a trip in a cable car can take you to Monserrat where you can see the amazing monastery. If you’re looking for more natural scenery, then you should take the Tramvia Blau (the old tram) to Tibidabo. This hill overlooking the city of Barcelona provides you with breathtaking views that you can savour with a loved one.
Finally, there’s also the possibility a visit to the Magic Mountains of Monjuic which combine water, music and lights from 9.30pm to 11pm at weekends from October until May.
In terms of entertainment, Barcelona has as much to do at night as during the day. There a vast selection of restaurants, some better than others, but it would be wise to get some recommendations. Two to mention would be Con Gracia and Igueldo.
Both these restaurants offer value for money, excellent examples of local cuisine and great service. Con Gracia in particular offers an exciting surprise menu with seven unseen courses. For great bars, take a stroll down to the El Born district or to Port Olimpic.
Getting to Barcelona from the UK is very easy with plenty of fights from easyjet, British Airways, Ryanair and Monarch.
Barcelona is a wonderful mixture of the old and the new with ancient architecture and lively bars. It makes for an enjoyable holiday for young and old; it should definitely be on your holiday wish list this year.