Tibidabo, Barcelona's mountain

The mountain of Tibidabo is the highest point of the Collserola hills, in Barcelona, it hosts an amusement park. Everyone in the city remembers its fantastic grottoes, the dizzying experience of the Talaia, the Hall of Mirrors with its grotesque reflections, the excitement of the Aeromàgic, the fascination of the old fair of automatons. Sensations which can now be rediscovered by young and old.

Summer hours: noon-10pm weekdays, until 1am on weekends

Off-season hours: noon-6pm on weekends only, with varying closing times depending on the weather

Tel (+34) 93 211 79 42

Entrance fees: €22 full admission; €11 for limited access to rides; €19 with youth ID; €9 senior citizens; €9 children

With rides dispersed over the slopes of the Tibidabo mountain, Barcelona's amusement park provides a wonderful excuse to ascend Barcelona's highest peak for ample views of the city, the Pyrenees, and even the Baleares Islands on a nice day. You can enjoy attractions as diverse an an antique fairground and rides from the 1920s to modern roller coasters.

The FGC To Avinguda Tibidabo (last stop on the Tibidabo line) will drop you right at the gates of the Tibidabo Amusement Park. On weekends and holidays you can take the antique tram service up the hill.

You should come and rent an apartment and enjoy this fabulous attractions park.

Montserrat

About 40 km northwest of Barcelona lies the mountain of Montserrat, with a beautiful Benedictine monastery perched atop its eastern peaks. Its oddly shaped rocks, rich history and religious significance make Montserrat one of Catalonia's most interesting destinations.

The Montserrat monastery, which houses "La Moreneta" (the Black Virgin), Catalonia's patroness, is a magnet for tourists and pilgrims the world over. The legend of the Black Virgin dates to the 9th century, when the monastery's first chapel was constructed. Jump to the 20th century and you find the monastery of Montserrat playing an important role in the Catalan nationalist movement. The first Catalan bible was published here during Franco's rule (1939-1975) and it was an important anti-Franco stronghold during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
Tip: visit the Montserrat monastery at 1pm on weekdays or noon on Sundays to see its phenomenal boys choir is chanting the Ave Maria.

How to reach Montserrat from Barcelona

By Train

FGC trains towards Manresa leave hourly from Plaça d'Espanya and take aproximately 50 minutes to the "Montserrat Aeri." That's where you have to get out to take the "Aeri" cable car, which leaves about every 15 and drops you on a terrace just below the monastery. It's a breathtaking trip! Alternatively, you can stay in the FGC train until the next stop, "Monistrol de Montserrat." From there hop on the " cremallera," the mountain railway, which leaves every 20 to 60 minutes. Prices: €11.80 - €35.50, depending the combination of transport you choose.

By Bus
Cheaper than the train, but for sure lacking the thrill factor, is the daily morning bus service from Barcelona. Ask for "Julia Tours"at the Barcelona tourist office (Plaça de Catalunya). A one-way bus trip costs about €7.

By Car

Take the A2 motorway as far as Martorell, and then follow the N11 and C1411.

Penedes Wine Country Tour

Just south of Barcelona lie the green valleys and rolling hills of the world renowned Penedès, Spain wine region, the perfect place for a day escape side trip. Known as “cava country” due to being the biggest and best producer of Cava (Spanish champagne), this Spanish wine region boasts many notable red and white wines, as well. The hills of Alt Penedes can be your destination for this wine excursion, where you can enjoy exclusive visits to the vineyards and cellars of small wine and cava makers producing the most innovative and high quality wines in the Penedes wine country.

Catalonia Wine Country

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, about 35 minutes from Barcelona, is the city's closest vineyard. If you're interested in Catalan sparkling wines, this is your spot.

Vilafranca del Penèdes, on the other hand, is Catalonia's most important production area for still wine. It's been an important trade center since the 11th century and holds a small musem and church in addition to wineries.


Getting to Catalonia Wine Country

"Rodalies" trains depart every 30 minutes from Barcelona Sants or Plaça de Catalunya to Sant Sadurní (€2.25) and Vilafranca (€2.75). Travel time is approximately 45 minutes. If you decide to go by car, head west along Avinguada Diagonal and get on the AP-7 motorway.

Dalí Museums

At least two days are needed to enjoy the visits to the three Dalí Museums properly. The distance between the three Dali Museums means that you have to allow for journeys of at least 40 kilometres if you want to go from Figueres to Portlligat (Cadaqués) and another 40 kilometres from Figueres to Púbol (near La Bisbal d'Empordà, heading in the Girona direction).

Theater-Museum Dalí in Figueres

The Dalí Theatre-Museum, the largest surrealistic object in the world, occupies the building of the former Municipal Theatre, a 19th century construction which was destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War. On its ruins, Dalí decided to create his museum.The Dalí Theatre-Museum of Figueres offers a unique experience of being able to observe, live and enjoy the work and thought of a genius. As Dalí himself explained: “It’s obvious that other worlds exist, that’s certain; but, as I’ve already said on many other occasions, these other worlds are inside ours, they reside in the earth and precisely at the centre of the dome of the Dalí Museum, which contains the new, unsuspected and hallucinatory world of Surrealism.”

House-Museum Dalí in Portlligat

The present Portlligat House-museum was Salvador Dalí’s only fixed abode from 1930, the place in which he normally lived and worked up till 1982 when, upon Gala’s death, he took up residence at Púbol Castle.

House-Museum Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol

The Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol, open to the public since 1996, allows visitors to discover a medieval building in which Salvador Dalí lent material form to an exuberant creative effort with his mind set on one person, Gala.

How to reach Figueres and the Dali Museum

By car, take the E-15 / A-7 motorway (Barcelona-France), exit at Figueres Nord or Figueres Sud and follow signs to the city center/ museum. About 1.5 hours from Barcelona.

Trains from Barcelona to Figueres (Barcelona-Portbou RENFE line) leave hourly from Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gracia. The Dali museum is about a 10 minute walk from the train station; follow the posted signs. About 2 hours from Barcelona.

The SARFA bus company also runs routes to Figueres.

Sitges

Sitges: summer home to Barcelona's chic society and gay community, hot spot for party-goers, magnet for sun and beach lovers... all in all and the place to go if you want to party 'til you drop. Since Sitges is such a popular beach resort, it can be expensive, crowded and touristy, especially during the high season and on weekends. If you don't mind braving the hordes, though, you're guaranteed a great time at night and wide, sandy beaches during the day.

Sitges is also renowned as a gay hotspot. The gay community comes out in full force during carnival time, throwing one of Spain's wildest seasonal parties (Feb-March).

Beaches in Sitges

There are 15 different beaches in Sitges along more than 3km of coast in the city center, plus 7 beaches located in the municipial district. The latter ones are quieter and more relaxed whereas the city beaches offer all types of beach activities and services, such as boat rental, sport activities, chair rental, life guards, public toilets, etc. The water and sand are of high quality and significantly nicer than beaches in Barcelona. Sitges's Passeig Marítim is a great promenade with restaurants and bars -- daytime beach action is concentrated around here, so be prepared for quite the scene.

How to reach Sitges from Barcelona

During the high season (May-October) you can catch a "rodalies" train from the Barcelona Sants station. No need to buy tickets in advance, since as many as 4 trains leave every hour. Alternatively, hop on a "rodalies" train at the Passeig de Gràcia metro station towards "Vilanova / St Vicenç." It will take you approximately 25 minutes to reach Sitges beaches by train. The last departure from Sitges to Barcelona is around 10:30 pm.

Sant Antoni Market

Here’s another food market, similar to La Boqueria except larger and without all the tourists. Also don´t do what I did and go in August as you will find most of the stalls closed. However all the stalls that were still open were doing very good trade, and even the small tapas bar in the middle of the market was full of locals having a bite. The stall owners are very friendly and helpful, and there is a lovely deli counter just on the left as you go in the main entrance if you want to buy something nice to take home with you.

On Sunday from 08:00-15:00 just outside the market there is a book and coin market for all the collectors out there. You will find a tremendous assortment of old books, magazines, comics and postcards.

Boqueria Market

It's the biggest market of Europe and, probably of the whole Occidental world. La Boqueria's market, located in the emblematic Ramblas of the city, is an obliged visit for the tourists and has been converted in one of the symbols of Barcelona today.

The market was constructed with the current metal framework in the year 1914, but the first documents of the market's existence date form back to the 13th century. It's the most famous of the 41 markets that exist in Barcelona. It has a whole of 6.000 m2 where there are located more than 300 booth (of vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, specializations ...) that are the real grace of the market. It's importance takes root in offering a great assortment of fresh products and a great explosion of colours, people and movement that makes it unique in the world. There is a popular expression that says: if you don't find something in La Boqueria, it can't be found in any other place.

The popular name is La Boqueria but it's official name is Sant Josep's Market because the Sant Josep's convent that was burnt in 1835 was placed there. This fact was very important for the reconstruction and consolidation of the market. It's architecture is harmonious, but remains hidden under its iron construction; it is necessary to emphasize that the window and the medallion of the entry are of modernist style.

The market has suffered some architectural changes. In april of this year the works of reconstructions have been finished, which have liberated the squared porch and have supposed the recovery of the perimetrical column. The most important is that the market has wan in lighting and it has been opened to the street.

The services that La Boqueria offers have been extended with small places where we can eat and drink. There are 10 establishments of two different classes; the newsstand - bars to take a coffee, a refreshment or an appetizer, and small bar - restaurants to sit down in stools and to savour the economic menus or the most typical plates, without leaving the market. Between all these mini bars we find the Universal newsstand to take a recommendable menu of the day, the Pinotxo bar with the amiability of Juanito, the owner's bar and key personage in La Boquería throughout the years, which tells us the market has gained with it's reconstruction. We prune to take some tapa's (snack) in Quim's bar or eating a good chocolate with fritters in the Sant Josep's bar. At the end of the market, in the Garduña's place, we find a restaurant that takes the same name, reformed with the last works in the market. This restaurant offers Mediterranean and Catalan food to different prices, and the day's menu costs 8,25 euros.

We recommend to eat in the places that we have named above, but if in case of preferring to eat with carte, the Boqueria's market is surrounded by well-known restaurants where to choose plates of Mediterranean food. It's the case of the Turia restaurant, http://www.barcelona-on-line.es/elturia, in Petxina's street that offers renewed and varied plates, such as fish, seafood and an economic menu of 9,60 euros that is very good. We also outstand The Convent, in the Jerusalem street, specialist in Catalan gastronomy, and La Palmera restaurant that offers market food, located behind La Boqueria.

La Boqueria's market is located in the Ramblas number 101 and opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 8:30 p.m.