Top 10 Free Things to Do in Barcelona

Barcelona is a wonderful city to visit and it needMontjuïc with permanent and visiting
not be expensive. There are free gardens,exhibitions and housed in a beautiful building that
exhibitions and galleries, and discovering the city'sincludes a café bar and terrace. The
ancient quarters, markets, boulevards andpermanent exhibition has details of the Caixa
churches is completely free - you just need toForum building itself, its architect and other
know where to look. So here are my top tencontemporary artists of the Art Nouveau style.
free things to do in Barcelona.Reach the Caixa Forum by metro or bus from
1. Parc Güell.Plaça Espanya.
Designed by Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona's6. Old Port and Barceloneta.
celebrated architect, the park is just outside theFrom the bottom of Las Ramblas, walk across
centre, situated on a hill overlooking the city.the wooden footbridge to Mare Magnum, a
Designed originally as a residential park, it's a joycomplex of shops and restaurants looking out
to visit and you can easily spend several hoursonto the World Trade Centre and port. This area
there.houses the aquarium and Imax cinema and you
The park includes extraordinary houses, wonderfulcan continue across the port to Barceloneta.
structures, mosaic designs and fantastic viewsBarceloneta overlooks the old port and is full of
over Barcelona to the sea. To reach Parcfish and seafood restaurants. Step into the
Güell take the metro (green line) or bus,narrow streets and you will find restaurants with
followed by a 10 - 15 minute uphill walk.a cheaper menu. Keep walking and you will arrive
2. Las Ramblas.at the beach, where you can stroll to Port
Las Ramblas is the famous boulevard which runsOlímpic beside the sea.
from the old port to Plaça Catalunya7. Parc de la Ciutadella.
through the centre of the old town, and is linedParc de la Ciutadella is open from 10am until dusk,
with café terraces and plane trees.it includes the zoo, Museum of Zoology, Parliament
Mid-way along Las Ramblas you will findbuildings, Natural Science Museum, as well as a
Barcelona's opera house - Gran Teatre del Liceu.lake where you can hire a rowing boat. There are
Directly opposite is Café de l'Opera, thepicnic areas, a children's cycle park, play areas and
perfect place to stop for a drink, either on thebars.
terrace or inside where you can enjoy a typicalThe largest colony of grey herons in Catalonia live
Catalan atmosphere.in the park, and every year between June and
A little further is La Boqueria, a vast, bustling foodSeptember there is a jazz programme. Jazz
market with architectural displays of fruit andstarts at 10pm on Wednesdays in July, and
vegetables. Sample inexpensive meals from theWednesdays and Fridays in August.
fresh produce at one of the restaurant stalls.8. The Cathedral.
3. Barrio Gótico.Barcelona's cathedral is an impressive gothic
The gothic quarter is the oldest part of Barcelonabuilding situated in the old town, and features large
and its maze of narrow streets are full of ancientbell towers, gothic arches and a beautiful carved
buildings, shops, bars and restaurants, which openwooden choir. Records of a religious building on
on to small squares with market stalls sellingthis site go back as far as 925, but the current
crafts and foods.building dates from 1298.
Plaza Real is one of the grandest squares, greatThe cloister, which always contains 13 geese, is a
for eating al fresco, and is full of bars and clubs atbeautiful part of the cathedral with a garden of
night. Plaza Jaume houses the impressive townorange, magnolia and palm trees. The free hours
council buildings, including the Palacio de laare: 08.00 - 12.45 & 17.15 - 19.30.
Generalidad.9. Free Entrance Days.
There are several beautiful churches, most ofOn the first Sunday of every month many
which are free to enter. Santa María del Pi,museums and art galleries open for free. They
one of the best, dominated by its large circularinclude the Picasso Museum; the Museu
window, is located in Plaça del Pi, and somed'Història de Catalunya; Museu Nacional
of the most historic buildings, dating from the 14thd'Art de Catalunya; and the Natural History
century, are in Plaça del Rei.Museum.
4. Montjuïc.The Maritime Museum has free entrance on the
Montjuïc is the large hill to the south offirst Saturday of every month after 3pm, as long
Barcelona overlooking the city, and has manyas that Saturday is not a public holiday. The
gardens, parks, buildings and attractions. To reachMACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona)
Montjuïc the most dramatic way, take thehas free entry for exhibitions on their first day of
cable car from the old port, or approach fromopening.
Plaça Espanya between two huge Venetian10. Passeig de Gràcia
towers - this is the area of the magic fountains,Passeig de Gràcia is a grand boulevard
which perform in the evenings during the summerrunning from Plaça Catalunya to Avinguda
months.Diagonal. It's a wide tree-lined street of beautiful
As well as gardens, there are several museums,buildings, decorative iron street lamps, shops (it's a
an olympic stadium, Montjuïc castle datingdesigner shopper's paradise) and smart
from the 17th century and the communicationsrestaurants. Two of Gaudí's most famous
tower.buildings adorn Passeig de Gràcia - Casa
5. Caixa Forum.Milà (La Pedrera) and Casa Batlló.
The Caixa Forum is a free art gallery close to