Barcelona - Catalan beauty

By Anna Cardenas

Barcelona encompasses everything that is most appealing about Mediterranean cities: lively streets, appetizing dishes, endless sunny days and compelling cultural and architectural jewels, and with Air Serbia all this is only two and a half hours away from Belgrade. Its wide assortment of architectural displays vary from Baroque churches, over Gothic façades to modernistic buildings. An afternoon spent admiring the architecture can only be topped off by experiencing a sunset on the famous Barceloneta city beach, before heading off to dinner at one of the many tapas bars in Carrer Blai, the tapas street of Barcelona.

Everybody with a passion for travel and a love of food who is searching for a positive city vibe must pay a visit to Barcelona. Part of what makes it such a tourist magnet is the broad range of things to do and see. There is something for everyone: kids, adults, thrill seekers, and people in search of peace and quiet. As for the atmosphere in the city itself you can feel the liveliness whether you're exploring the architecture or simply sitting in a restaurant: the Spanish are hedonists in spirit and character, which can be seen in the crowded bars and gardens in one of the city's busiest streets, Passeig de Gracia, a lovely avenue in the heart of Barcelona. It is lined with boutiques, high-end international retailers, restaurants, cafes and attractive classic buildings. When you find yourself in Passeig de Gracia, make sure to head down to the tree-lined street that runs parallel (Rambla de Catalunya) for additional shops, great architecture and pedestrian paths with benches to sit and relax, and that take you straight to the coast.

Of course, you can’t be in Barcelona without experiencing Gaudi’s influence everywhere you go. However, don’t limit yourself to the most famous landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia or La Casa Mila. Pack your backpack and head to Jardins Artigan, the Artigas Gardens. It does take a while to reach the gardens, but the effort is amply rewarded. It is a small space where you can spend hours discovering every aspect of this little wonder.

Like Gaudi’s other works, Jardin Artigas is a paradigm of originality and imagination visible at every corner. But unlike his famous Park Guell, the Artigas Gardens show a sobriety of colour. Another work of Gaudi’s you cannot miss is the Teresian College, a female boarding college and study house for nuns, built between 1888 and 1890. It’s interesting that this was Gaudi’s most austere project since Enric D’Osso, the founder of the Teresian Congregation, set the conditions: a tight budget in line with the order’s vow of poverty.

Apart from Gaudí's architectural works, other must-sees in the city are Camp Nou Stadium, the Barcelona History Museum, Montjuïc Castle, La Boqueria market, and around an hour's train ride away is the town of Figueres and the Dalí Theatre-Museum. If you have a passion for music, you must also visit Palau de la Música Catalana, a historical and contemporary stage for great concerts and recitals. If all the roaming around exhausts you, be sure to sit and freshen up with a granizado: orange or lemon juice, or coffee with ice crushed in large centrifugal machines. Sweetened, frozen and not expensive! If you decide to take a longer break from all the walking, you should visit the Casa Lola, a restaurant famous for its large selection of Sangria and its delicious risotto with truffles.

Miguel de Cervantes once said: "Barcelona: archives of courtesy, shelter of foreigners, hospital of the poor, fatherland of the brave, vengeance for the offended, pleasant correspondence of firm friendship, and in site and in beauty, unique." It won’t take you long to fall in love with Barcelona.