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We enjoyed our Barcelona Spain Family Vacation during the Spring Break of 2024. Barcelona is a metropolitan city with lots of amazing architecture to see and things to do. We were also impressed by the fresh & tasty oysters we devoured at the La Boqueria Market (Las Ramblas Market).
- Dinner at Nuria, Placa de Catalunya {Catalunya Plaza}
- Cooking dinner at Barcelona apartment
- Ordering Burger King in Barcelona, Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau {Sant Pau Modernist Complex Hospital}
- Coffee/Pastry Shop close to La Boqueria Market, stopped for coffee & pastry
- Walk around Barcelona, taking metro & bus
- Quick lunch tapas at Can Placa, next to VistaOptica {close to Placa de Catalunya} who wonderfully fixed our glass frame
- The sidewalk near Park Guell
Sagrada Familia {圣家堂 Sheng Jia Tang}, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 1
Sagrada Familia may not be the largest church, but undoubtedly the most artistic one. The meticulous artistic work put into this place is unimaginable.
This is one of Antoni Gaudi’s famous projects, also his last one. Gaudi took over the project in 1883, one year after the project started in 1882. Gaudi poured his passions for architecture, nature, and religion into this masterpiece. For instance, each of the columns is uniquely crafted as if it were a one-of-a-kind tree in the forest. The natural lighting is also breathtaking.
Sagrada Familia is still an ongoing project. Gaudi designed three facades – the Nativity, the Passion, and the Glory. The first two were completed and the last facade {the Glory} is scheduled to be completed soon.
I was simply in awe of the magnificent artwork. The level of detail is unthinkable. I can look at one facade for over one hour.
Casa Mila {La Pedrera} 米拉之家 {Mi La Zhi Jia}, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 2
Casa Mila is one of Gaudi’s well-known residential projects, known as La Pedrera. La Pedrera in Spanish means “the stone”. Perhaps refer to its stone-looking exterior appearance. It was built between 1906 and 1912 and was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1984.
Naturally, Gaudi applied his passion for nature including curved lines and natural lighting to this iconic residential building.
While it is quite impressive to enjoy various rooms, the courtyard, etc., the most amazing part of Casa Mila is its rooftop. Each chimney/ventilation outlet becomes a stunning statue.
We bought the extra virtual experience.
Casa Batllo {巴特罗之家 Ba Te Luo Zhi Jia}, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 3
Casa Batllo is the other Gaudi residential project. Maybe slightly less known compared to Casa Mila, but worth visiting for sure. The tour is a well-organized flow. It starts with an immersive audio/video experience and ends with another impressive immersive experience.
I continued to be awed by how much detail Gaudi has put into his work, combining function and art.
Park Guell, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 4
Park Guell is another of Gaudi’s masterpieces. In 1886 Gaudi was commissioned by entrepreneur Eusebi Guell to build a residential complex with innovative/modern design. The complex was never completed, but what has been built became an iconic park.
Park Guell is one of the most popular tourist destinations. I highly recommend you buy the tickets beforehand, through the official website.
Palau de la Musica {Barcelona Concert Hall}, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 5
Barcelona Concert Hall is such a one-of-a-kind concert hall, essentially an artwork. In Catlana, it is called Palau de la Musica, which means Palace of Catalan Music.
Lluis Domenech i Montaner designed the concert hall and the construction occured between 1905 and 1908, a similar era to Gaudi. Like Gaudi, his work is also part of the Art Nouveau movement, which emphasizes the natural way.
The magnificent details of the artwork are simply breathtaking.
Hospital de Sant Pau {Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau}, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 6
The former Hospital de la Sant Pau or Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul is another amazing place that combines spectacular art and architecture. The same architect Montaner who designed the Barcelona Concert Hall worked on this project.
The most astounding thing about this former hospital is how it thrived to provide a natural positive environment for the patients to recover quickly & pleastantly. Such idea was way a head of its time. Beautiful rooms with natural light and a courtyard with plenty of trees and flowers are just two examples. Even the orange from the tree in the courtyard can turn into marmalade for patiens and staff to enjoy.
La Boqueria Market (Las Ramblas Market}, Barcelona Family Vacation Must See 7
Almost each coastal European city has a fresh market. We’ve been to the ones in Venice and Copenhagen, for example. When Lisbon’s Timeout Market became a disappointment, I really lowered my expectations before visiting this one. What a nice surprise, the La Boqueria Market turned out to be a real deal!
There are all kinds of ready to eat food here, salami, seafood, chicken, fruit, juice, pastries, just to name a few. You can also find places that can cook the fish and serve at the sit-down counter. There are also all kinds of grocery including seafood, meat, vegetables you can buy and cook at home.
We were mostly impressed by the oyster. So many of them and so fresh and tasty. We initially visited this place for lunch, but we loved the oyster so much that we came back late afternoon for more. LOL.
