Barcelona Self-Guided Activities
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Las Ramblas
Explore one of the most romantic and dynamic streets in the entire world. Shops, restaurants and entertainment venues hum with activity at all hours at La Rambla. A stroll along this boulevard, shaded by the trees that line it, is sure to yield a boon of souvenirs and gourmet dining experiences. The name rambla means, in Catalan, but also in Spanish, an intermittent water flow, and is derived from the Arabic 'ramla' which means 'sandy riverbed'.
La Sagrada Familia
World-renown architect Antoni Gaudi began construction of this monumental basilica in 1882, and it is not expected to be completed until 2026. When finished, La Sagrada Familia will feature 18 soaring towers - several expected to be among the tallest church towers in the world.
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L'Aquarium
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is the most important marine leisure and education centre in the world concerning the Mediterranean. A series of 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species, an underwater tunnel 80 metres long, six million litres of water and an immense Oceanarium, the only one in Europe, turn this centre into a unique, reference leisure show that has already been visited by more than 14 million people.
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Montserrat Mountain
The mysterious jagged peaks of this mountain range, just outside Barcelona, have attracted admiration for centuries. It is the site of a Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary and which is identified by some with the location of the Holy Grail in Arthurian myth. Travel to the abbey by way of the Aeri de Montserrat cable car or the Montserrat Rack Railway. The summit of Montserrat is called Sant Jeroni (Saint Jerome) and stands at 1,236 meters (4,055 feet) above sea-level. It is accessible by hiking trails which connect from the top entrance to the Sant Joan funicular, the monastery, or the base of the mountain.
Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum)
The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is a key reference for understanding the formative years of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through the more than 3,800 works that make up the permanent collection. Furthermore, the Museu Picasso, opened in 1963, also reveals his deep relationship with Barcelona: an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, and continued until his death.
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