Spain, Valencia & Barcelona
Spain, Valencia & Barcelona - June 09 - 20, 2024
Our initial flight with Air
Canada through Montreal was cancelled and they rebooked us with Air France
through Paris. The flight from Paris to Barcelona was also delayed but we
managed to change our Alsa bus tickets for a later time. After we landed at
Barcelona Airport we embarked on Alsa bus for our trip to Valencia. The bus
trip was four hours and we arrived in Barcelona around 9 pm. We were waited at
the bus station by our friends, Tatiana and Jose, who picked us up, took us to
a grocery store and then dropped us to our hotel. The next morning, we started
our journey to discover Valencia.
Must see attractions in Valencia
Gateway to the Sea Valencia (Puerta del Mar)
Flowers Bridge (Puente de las Flores), and
Exhibition Bridge (Puente
de la Exposition)
This art gallery is the
second largest in Spain and houses over 2,000 art works by famous artists. The
many collections of great Valencian and international authors and the free
entrance make the museum one of the main attractions in Valencia
Close to the museum we
found this quaint garden, with landscaped hedges and full of flowers.
Mountain Towers (Torres de Serranos)
Considered the largest city
gateway in Europe, they were constructed in Gothic style during the 14th
century as part of the city fortifications. The fee to enter and go up in the
towers is only 2 Euros.
The portal was built into
one of the ancient Muslim walls and used to be an entrance to the wealthy area
of the medieval city. Today it is a spot visited by many tourists, for a
picture.
Plaza de la Virgin (Plaza de la Mare de Deu)
Located in the heart of
Valencia, the plaza is one of the oldest and most beautiful squares in Valencia. The place
is surrounded by historical buildings and in the center lays Turia Fountain,
representing Turia river and depicting the God Neptun, holding the horn of
plenty, an iconic symbol of the city.
The visit to this beautiful
Gothic-style building was similar to a visit to a museum. Among the treasures
found inside are the Renaissance frescoes of the main altar, one of the most
important works of the first Spanish Renaissance. Included in the ticket, the Cathedral’s museum
had more than 90 works of big artists. One of the many chapels of the cathedral, the Chapel of
Saint Francisco de Borja displays paintings by Valencian painter Maella and
also by Goya. Not the least, one of the supposed Holy Chalices can be found in
one of the cathedral’s chapels, considered by many historians to be the true
Holy Grail. The entrance fee to the cathedral was 9 Euros and was well worth
it. For additional 2.5 Euros, you can climb the 207 steps to the Miguelete
Tower, a gothic style bell tower.
Queen’s Square (Plaza de la Reina)
Located next to the Cathedral,
it is one of the busiest and oldest squares in Valencia.
This square is a unique
tourist attraction because of its round design. The square is surrounded by
merchant stalls, souvenir shops and tapas bars.
Colon Market (Mercat de Colon)
Located in a beautiful
building, this old food market was converted to a shopping centre with cafes,
restaurants and bars where people come to enjoy Valencian and Spanish cuisine.
Built in the 18th
century, it was inspired by the Roman architecture such as Colosseum in Rome.
Located next to the
Valencia Bullring in Plaza del Torros, the North Station is Valencia’s main
train station. The building's stunning architecture has Gothic influences, colourful
mosaics on ceilings, walls and floors and wrought iron grilles.
Town Hall Square (Plaza del Ajuntament)
It is the largest square in
the city, with a beautiful fountain and imposing buildings around such as the
City Hall of Valencia or the Palace of Communications.
More than just the
administrative office of the city, this building was declared a National
Historic and Artistic Monument and can be visited by the public. A visit took
us up the grand marble stairs to the Crystal Room and Historical Museum and
also to the balcony that offered very nice views of the Town Hall Square.
The museum has the largest national
collection of ceramics, famous art pieces and rooms that show how wealthy
Valencian families lived in the past. It is housed on the second floor of the Palace
of the Marques de Dos Aquas. The Palace building has an impressive architecture
with an beautiful alabaster carved entrance. The ground floor displays the old
ceremonial Carriage of the Nymphs of the Marquises de Dos Aquas. On the first
floor, there are luxurious halls, such as the Hall of Illustrious Men, the
Skylight Room, the Far Eastern Hall, Oratory or the Dining Hall. They are all
nicely decorated with beautiful paintings, marbled floors, tapestries and gorgeous
furniture.
Is a beautiful Gothic-style
catholic church built in the early 13th century.
This market is the perfect place to try
traditional Valencian products, tapas, snacks and drinks or the famous
authentic horchata with fartons, a sweet soft drink made from ground tiger
nuts, water and sugar.
The Silk Exchange ( La Lonja de la Seda)
La Lonja is situated in the
centre of the city, in front of Central Market. It is one of the most famous
civil gothic monuments in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
building used to serve as a trade hall for commercial transactions in Valencia
during the silk trade times. Inside you can visit its famous Hall of Columns, a
large room with eight columns supporting the vaults and divided into three
naves, also the Hall of the Consulate of the Sea, a room with an impressive
sculpted wooden ceiling. Outside is the Orange Courtyard, an inside garden with
a nice Gothic style fountain. The ticket cost is only 2 Euros.
This church is probably one of
the most beautiful churches we have seen in Spain and is famous for its fresco
paintings of scenes of the life of Saint Nicholas and Saint Peter Martyr. It is very often called by experts the
Valencian “Sistine Chapel”. The entry ticket was 11 Euros.
Quart Towers (Torres de Quart)
They were built as
defensive gates for the city. The entry fee was 2 Euros and we could go up in
the towers for some nice views of the city.
A hidden gem in the Barrio
del Carmen neighbourhood, built on the wall of the Carrer del Museum and used
by the local cats to enter or exit the museum premises.
On our afternoon walk we
passed by the Public Library and went inside for a quick look.
The Kingdom Bridge (Pont de la Regne)
This interesting
bridge is ornated with monumental statues of winged gargoyles at its two entrances. The
bridge passes alongside Gulliver Park, a park where a giant Gulliver lays in
the middle, designed with slides, ropes and stairs for the enjoyment of the
children. Unfortunately, a clear, full picture of Gulliver cannot be observed
from the street level.
The City of Arts and Science (Ciutat de les Arts I
les Ciencies)
One of the top attractions
in Valencia, this cultural and architectural complex of buildings is one of the
12 Treasures of Spain. The buildings that make up the complex are:
L’Hemispheric-designed to resemble a giant eye, features and IMAX, a planetarium and
a laserium.
The Science Museum- resembling the skeleton of a whale
L’Umbracle-a
structure built around a landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to
Valencia
L’Oceanographic-the largest oceanographic in Europe, built in the shape of a water
lily
Queen Sofia Palace of Arts-with 14 stories above ground and 3 stories
underground, it is the tallest opera house in the world. The building is
covered by two laminated steel shells and has a metallic feather roof.
L’Agora-a
space for concerts, exhibitions and other events, a building with a blue outer
shell, designed as an ellipse with pointed ends
The Dam of the Gold Bridge (l’Assut de l’Or)-a white single-pylon cable-stayed bridge
Valencia Marina and Seafront Promenade
The Seafront Promenade
stretches from the Valencia Marina to Malvarossa Beach. We took a stroll along
it enjoying the good weather and the sight and smell of the Mediterranean Sea.
We visited the park thanks
to our Valencian friends, Tatiana and Jose, who greatly recommended it and took
us there. Albufera Natural Park is a protected natural area and a freshwater
lagoon, connected to the sea through multiple channels. We stopped first in El Palmar, a picturesque fishing village surrounded by extensive rice fields,
where we tried some of the local delicacies at Albufera Restaurant. Then we
visited a traditional barrack (barraca), a typical house of Valencian farmers,
symbol of Valencia fishing heritage. And we finished our visit with a sunset
boat ride on Lake La Albufera, a natural bird reserve of great biodiversity.
Various pictures from Valencia
Top attractions in Barcelona
This majestic arch was the
first Barcelona attraction we came across after we arrived by bus, as Barcelona
North Bus Station is really close to it. The arch was built as an entrance to
the Barcelona World Exposition in 1988.
Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi
The church built
in 13th century is situated in the Gothic district. The admission
fee is 5 Euros but we got there after 6 pm and the entrance was free.
La Boqueria Market is the
most famous market in Barcelona and the place to shop and taste all the Catalan
delicacies. Stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, cheese and
dairy or tapas bars attract many tourists and locals.
A pedestrian street that stretches from Plaza de Catalunya to Columbus Monument at Port Vell, close to
the sea. This lively street is filled with terraces, bars and souvenir shops and
is considered one of Barcelona’s unique landmarks.
This nice building,
adjacent to Casa Batllo, is an example of Modernist style architecture designed
by the Catalan Josep Puig I Cadafalch, a contemporary to Gaudi.
Casa Battlo is one of the
masterpieces designed by Antoni Gaudi. Our hotel was close to it, so we passed
by it almost every day being able to admire its facade during day and evening.
Gaudi created this house full of symbols and fantastic imagery, leaving his
work to be interpreted by each individual to own imagination.
Located in Plaza de Torros,
it is a large bullring built with a Moorish and Byzantine façade. The last
bullfighting event was in 2011, when the sport was banned. Even though the ban
was overturned in 2016, there were no bullfights taking place since 2020.
On our way to visit Sagrada
Familia we walked close to Glories Tower, a spectacular skyscraper and a symbol
of the contemporary Barcelona.
Sagrada Familia is probably the most popular attraction in Barcelona. Designed by Gaudi, it is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, with a long and tumultuous history. Gaudi started work on the church in 1883 but after his death in 1926, the construction was put on hold and restarted many times. Final completion date is announced to be in 2026. The entrance fee, without a guided tour and without visiting the towers, was 26 Euros.
Currently home of the
National Library of Catalonia, this 15th century former hospital and
hospice, of an impressive Catalan modernism architecture, was a full
functioning hospital until 2009 and the old part of the building complex is now
a museum.
This is one of the major
squares in Barcelona, connecting many major arteries of Barcelona from all
directions. The plaza is surrounded by impressive buildings and structures,
such as the Venetian Towers or Arenas de Barcelona, a former bullring converted
into a shopping centre. In the middle of the square rises a monumental fountain
that marked the gateway to the avenue leading to the 1929 International
Exhibition.
The two towers were built using
the bell towers of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, as models. They stand at the
foot of Montjuic Mountain and are the start of the grand avenue leading to the
National Art Museum of Catalonia.
National Art Museum of Catalonia
The museum is housed in the
impressive building of the Montjuic National Palace. To get to the entrance of
the museum, you will pass by the Magic Fountain, situated just below the
National Palace and which, in normal times, displays amazing water and light
shows. At the time of our visit, the fountain was temporarily closed due to the
drought that affected the city. The museum houses the largest collection of
Romanesque frescoes and many art works of Catalan, Renaissance, Baroque or
Gothic artists. The museum roof top terrace can also be visited. Here we had
one of the best panoramic views of the city. The tickets to the museum cost 12
Euros but every Saturday from 3 pm the entrance is free. We planned our
visit on a Saturday to take advantage of the free tickets.
A cultural centre
located near the Art Museum and housed in the former textile mill Casaramona, this nice building was designed by Josep Puig I Cadafalch, same artist that designed
Casa Amatller.
The museum has an extensive collection of more than 4,000 artworks of the famous artist Pablo Picasso. The ticket cost is 12 Euros. We visited the museum for free as free tickets are available online for every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 7-9 pm but reservations need to be made in advance.
While walking downtown, we
passed by this roman cemetery, part of the Barcelona
History Museum.
A narrow pedestrian street
downtown, very popular with tourists.
A small, quiet square with
a small fountain in the middle, taking its name from the Church of Sant Felip
Neri located in this plaza.
Plaza de Ramon Berenguer the Great
This small plaza, near the
Cathedral, and flanked by the Chapel of Santa Agata offers a glimpse into the
medieval and Roman Barcelona.
The square, located near
La Rambla in the Gothic Quarter, hosts many restaurants and bars and is very
popular with tourists, coming to life especially at night.
El Born Culture and Memory Center
It is an archeological site
of Barcelona of 18th century.
This stunning cathedral,
was built between 13th and 15th century and is the seat
of the archbishop of Barcelona.
Montjuic Castle is a former
military fortress built on Montjuic hill, one of the best spots in Barcelona to
have 360 degree views of the city and of the sea. The Castle houses a
military museum and its grounds are suitable for nice walks along the
perimeter walls. To get to the castle we took the Montjuic Cable car but the
trip can be easily done by walking up the scenic paths. The entrance ticket to
the Castle cost is 12 Euros. We visited on a Sunday after 3 pm when the entrance was free.
From the Montjuic Castle we walked downhill for about 2.5 km to get to the Maritime Museum. We
wanted to take advantage of the free entry on Sundays after 3 pm, the same as
for Montjuic Castle. Regular ticket cost is 10 Euros. The museum has a
nice collection of exhibits that illustrate the maritime culture and history of
Catalonia and of Spain. The highlights of the museum’s permanent collection are the Royal Galley, used by Juan of Austria and Santa Eulalia Schooner that we
saw while walking down by the Barcelona Marina.
One of the best day trips
from Barcelona is one to the Montserrat Monastery. We purchased the tickets
online in advance for 18 Euros per ticket. We got the ticket “Visit Montserrat”,
which included a visit to Montserrat Museum, entry to the Montserrat Basilica
and timed entry to see the Black Madonna, found in the Sanctuary of the Virgin
Mary of Montserrat, inside the basilica. To get to Montserrat we took the train
from Plaza d’Espanya. First we purchased return train tickets from a ticket
machine. The train tickets can only be purchased on the same day, from the
train station. Then we took the R5 train (destination Manresa) to Aeri de
Montserrat train station. The train ride was one hour.
To get up to the Monastery we chose to go by Aeri de Montserrat cable car for the nice views we could have from it. The return ticket cost was 13.50 Euros per person and the ride is 5 minutes. Alternately, people choose to go up by the Rack railway which will cost about the same.
Once we arrived up, we strolled to the Stairway to Heaven monument (or the Stairway of Understanding) a sculpture of concrete blocks stacked in a spiral-like manner and representing the subjects of creation: stones, flames, plants, beasts, men, heaven, angels and God on the highest spot. While walking to the monument we passed many spots perfect to enjoy the scenic views. For hiking lovers there are also numerous trails of different degrees of difficulty. We hiked first to the St Michael’s Cross, a short trail of 1.2 kilometers but a very rewarding one. The views of the mountain and of the monastery from the cross are just stunning. From there, we continued up for another kilometer to another nice viewpoint marked by another cross, the Creu dels Escolans.
The museum, located within
the Abbey of Montserrat, contains more than 1,300 artworks in six different permanent
collections of archeology, iconography, goldsmithery and painting, displaying
masterpieces of very renowned artists: Dali, Picasso, Monet, Degas, El Greco
and more.
We had timed tickets to
visit the statue of Black Maddona, so we started our basilica visit with it.
After we stayed in line, we were granted access to walk by Black
Madonna which sits above the altar. Called also “the Virgin of Montserrat”, the
statue represents a symbol of Catalan identity and faith. Montserrat Basilica
is a beautiful Gothic church with some elements of Renaissance and Catalan
architecture. Throughout the church there are a lot of ornate hanging candles
in the Catalan style after the Spanish War, all of them donated by Catalan
towns and associations.
Our return to Barcelona was made easy by the fact that the train tickets were not for a specified time and we just got on the first train after going down with the cable car. A lot of people are booking organized day trips to visit Montserrat Monastery but in our opinion going by ourselves allowed us more freedom to do everything and it is really and easy trip from Barcelona.
A masterpiece designed by
Gaudi and commissioned by two wealthy business owners, Pere Mila and his wife.
The building, known for its undulating façade, was built on Passeig de Gracia
(same as Casa Batllo), a famous boulevard in 1900s.
House of Spikes (Casa de les Punxes)
A beautiful building with
six conical towers that end in spikes, designed by the Catalan Josep Puig I Cadafalch
and inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.
Town Square of Gracia (Plaza de la Vila de Gracia)
A quaint small square which
is the administrative center of the district of Gracia and whose main element
is Gracia Bell Tower standing in the centre of the square.
This was the first
masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi, built as a summer house for the Vicens family,
currently a museum home.
Located at the south end of
La Rambla, the 60-meter monument was dedicated to Columbus, who stands on top
pointing at the sea
Barcelona Marina and Promenade
This is a nice part of the
city to relax and take in the sea breeze. People come here to take long walks
along the waterfront, perform sports or enjoy the beach.
The most beautiful park in
Barcelona, with a great choice of attractions: Barcelona Zoo, the Green House,
Museum of Natural Science, boat rides on the artificial lake, strolls through
the park or feeding the green parrots. The park is dominated by the impressive
La Cascada Fountain, designed for the Universal Exhibition of 1888 to resemble
to some extent Trevi Fountain of Rome.
The only surviving church
in the Catalan Gothic style, was the place of worship for merchants and ship
builders of 14th century Gothic Barcelona.
The park is the largest
green space in Barcelona. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, there are many unique
attractions throughout the park: the Greek Theatre, the Hypostile Room, the
Austria Gardens, Escalinata monumental staircase, the Serpentine bench on the
terrace. There are also many terraced roadways, pathways, relaxation areas and
viaducts, all for the enjoyment of visitors. The ticket cost was 10 Euros.
Tibidabo is the largest mountain
in Barcelona and the best place to see Barcelona from above. To get to the top
we took the Tibidabo Funicular. The cost is 12 Euros but we were able to buy
Super reduced tickets for only 3.5 Euros (for people over 60). Tibidabo main
attractions are the Amusement Park, the panoramic views of Barcelona and
visiting The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
A must see destination in
Barcelona, the beautiful church is proof of Barcelona's rich cultural and
religious heritage. On top of the church stands a huge bronze statue of Jesus.
Walking from Tibidabo
Funicular back to downtown we passed by Bellesguard Tower, another modernist
house designed by Gaudi.
This nice building with a green and red exterior façade that makes a striking contrast is
located in Sant Gervasi neighbourhood, a location not well known by tourists.
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and one of the world biggest tourist destinations. Known for its art and architecture, famous for its world known attractions, such as Sagrada Familia church, Barcelona is a place to immerse in authentic culture, experience authentic cuisine and feed your soul with art, scenery and lively atmosphere.
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