Barcelona’s rise from pre-Olympic obscurity has been breathtaking. If you want to get beyond its hotspots, take an innovative tour exploring the art, culture and cuisine of the city’s more colourful ’hoods.
It was the Olympics, 25 years ago, that transformed Barcelona into one of the world’s great destinations. The city emerged proud and self-assured, unveiling a formidable cultural landscape: one of the best-preserved medieval quarters in Europe; eclectic and art nouveau (‘modernista’) architecture stamped by genius; the Ramblas, a broad boulevard to rival those in Paris; a football team that’s the envy of all Europe; and a nightlife that’s entered clubbing folklore. Of course, this was too good to last without some consequences. Barcelona, like London, Paris and New York, has become a victim of its own success; tourists can overwhelm the Ramblas, and iconic landmarks, like Casa Milà, have turned into extravagant backdrops for hordes of travellers to congregate in front of and take selfies. However, it’s the mark of a great city that there are always new places to discover.
Gràcia
Orwell and Picasso thought his work was ‘hideous’, but with eight of his buildings declared UNESCO World Heritage sites, Antoni Gaudí is having the last laugh. Each year a whopping 3.7 million tourists visit his unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, with donations funding work to complete the cathedral by the centenary of Gaudí’s death in 2026. Another 2.7 million visit Park Güell’s dreamlike kaleidoscope of parabolic arches, and hallucinatory ceramic decorations.
This story is from the July / August 2017 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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This story is from the July / August 2017 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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