If you haven’t decided yet in which time of the year you’ll visit Barcelona, then we’ll give you a tip: go there on the 23rd of April!
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Yes, because the 23rd of April is when throughout the entire Catalonia and especially in its capital city (Barcelona) Saint Jordi is celebrated. Jordi the knight, who once used to serve the emperor Diocletian, refused to persecute the Christians and was therefore martyred and executed by decapitation; this is how the cult of the martyr began, although other imaginary legends have been told, such as the legend of the princess.
According to the legend there was a cruel dragon in the village of Montblanc, which oppressed the townspeople. In order to appease it, the inhabitants began to randomly choose a person to be offered as a sacrifice to the monster. One day, the name of the King’s daughter was selected. The girl faced her dreadful fate and along her way she met a young knight called Jordi, who offered to take her place and confront the dragon. When he finally decapitated it, a rose garden with red flowers bloomed from the blood of the beast. Since then, Sant Jordi is considered the patron saint of Catalonia.
The anniversary is known across the world as the “Catalan or Spanish St. Valentine’s Day”, but whereas Valentine’s Day is the lovers’ feast day, Sant Jordi carries a wider meaning: it conveys a broader sense of love, even among friends and family members.
On the same day the Book Day is celebrated too, in memory of two great authors who died on the 23rd of April 1616: Cervantes (author of Don Quixote of La Mancha) and Shakespeare (considered to be the greatest English writer).
This is the reason why, according to tradition, on Sant Jordi’s day women receive a rose from the men and vice versa the latters buy them a book. The best place to celebrate Sant Jordi in Barcelona is La Rambla, every year full of booksellers and florists, while the most awaited events take place in some very important places of the city: the Sagrada Família, the Gaudí House Museum in the Park Güell, the Casa Batlló, the Columbus Monument and the Pedrera. Thousands of roses and books decorate the roads and all the Barcelonians take to the streets to celebrate this tradition, which is really considered a must-see!
Worth a visit
Barcelona is always beautiful, regardless of the season, the following list is just about the places we decided to visit.
- The Sagrada Família
- Las Ramblas
- Casa Batlló
- Parc Güell
- Gaudì House Museum
- Where to spend the night
- Interesting facts
- Tips
The Sagrada Família
One of the symbols of Barcelona, the masterpiece of the architect Antoni Gaudí. Due to the large numbers of tourists, we recommend that you buy online tickets in advance in order to avoid endless queues. Before getting in, just take a moment to admire it from afar. Pay close attention to the Nativity Façade: in the cave at the entrance there are some sculptures that recall the most dramatic events in the life of Jesus.
Coming into the cathedral you’ll have the feeling of being in a wood of very tall columns, since this is the outcome Gaudí wanted to achieve to show the greatness of God.
There is a large crypt under the cathedral, where the tomb of Gaudí is preserved. Together with the Nativity façade, they have been Unesco heritage since 2005.
The Museum’s collection of drawings of the original projects, photographs, sketches, scale models and much more that can help visitors understand how the architect had conceived it. Only two façades have been finished for now (the project provides for three of them). The construction site, always open to continue the works and to carry out routine maintenance, has become itself a tourist attraction. Sure enough you’ll see teams of workers and sculptors hanging onto the steeples while working on this great temple dedicated to the Holy Family.
You’ll then reach the elevator, but remember that in order to take it you’ll need a special ticket you should buy before entering the cathedral. The lift goes up to the tall, open towers. From here you can not only enjoy a breathtaking panorama, but you also have the chance to take a close look at the details and manufacture of the other towers. Get ready to go down, since in this case no lift has to be expected. You’ll find yourself walking along a winding and beautiful spiral staircase.
Las Ramblas
This long boulevard a few steps from the sea leads from Plaça de Catalunya to the Columbus Monument and it will give you the chance to enjoy the street artists, markets, many buildings, squares and monuments along the street. The most well-known market is the Boqueria, because of the bright colours of the displayed fruit and it is located halfway down the boulevard.
Going on walking down Las Ramblas you’ll reach the Liceu underground stop and here you’ll see the Gran Teatre of Liceu, which is right next to Joan Miró’s tile mosaic. A little farther you’ll see Plaça Reial, a beautiful square worth a visit, especially in the evening. On the left there is Palau Güell and, next to it, one of Gaudí’s projects. In the southernmost area, opposite the Wax Museum, you’ll find the underground stop Drassanes and the Christopher Columbus Monumentopposite Port Vell (cargo and passengers ships harbour), as if there to enclose the boulevard.
Casa Batlló
Casa Batlló is another masterpiece of the architect Gaudí, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and one of the seven wonders of Barcelona since 2007. The outside of the house changes its colour over the day, as the natural light
The upper facade recalls the blood vessels and muscles of a body, while the roof has been given a scaly effect comparable to the tail of a huge dragon. Gaudí decided to turn the building roof into a dragon’s tail to represent the legend of Saint George and his dragon.
The entire building is decorated in blue colours, recalling marine life, and all these characteristics led to its two most popular nicknames: House of bones and House of the dragon.
House Batlló is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Barcelona and the line to enter can be really long, so arm yourself with a lot of patience or buy online tickets. in advance.
Parc Güell
Parc Güell is another one of the great marks the architect Gaudí has left as a testimony of his presence here. Before talking about the park, it’s important to know that it is split in two areas, where one can be entered for free and the other upon payment. The massive tourist flow often makes it impossible to enter the paid area, since it has to be closed when the maximum capacity is reached. Our suggestion is to go early in the morning or at lunch time, so you won’t run this risk. If you’ll buy an online ticket, useful both to avoid queues and the risk of not getting in, you’ll have to specify the day and the time of your visit while booking online.
At the main entrance there are two eccentric mosaic houses that look like they belong in Hänsel and Gretel fairy tale, conceived to accommodate the park keeper.
In this side of the park you’ll find the famous lizard staircase surrounded by two terraces forming kind of a cave. Coming down the staircase you’ll meet the statues of the Goblins, symbols of Catalonia, and the famous mosaic lizard.
Once you’ll have reached the top of the staircase, you’ll find the Doric Temple, which is made up of 88 twisted columns that look like originating from the roots of the trees. This characteristic had been projected to serve as a market. Going on walking, you can admire the Banc de Trencadis, another symbol of the park, which stretches out along the perimeter of Plaça de la Natura, a large terrace surrounded by benches covered in ceramic mosaic tiles. Here you can enjoy of the best views over the city.
The free area inside the park is characterised by the Carrer d’Olot, the rustic city walls where you can spot various pottery medallions with Parc Güell written on them.
This area of the park is full of paths, hills, staircases and monuments. You’ll often meet many likeable street artists. Here you’ll also find a well-known colonnade, useful as a shelter to take cover from the sun, and then you’ll reach the famous Gaudí House Museum, where the architect lived between 1906 and 1925. In 1963 the house was turned into a museum and it can now be visited by paying the entrance ticket.
Gaudì House Museum
As already mentioned, the Gaudí house museum was the architect’s residence from 1906 until 1925 and some pieces of furniture and objects designed by the architect himself are still preserved there, as well as a collection of personal belongings that will help you see Gaudì’s life and attitude more clearly.
The house was built inside Parc Güell asa sample to be shown to potential buyers of what should have become the 88 lots of the park projected by Gaudí and Güell. Park Güell had initially been conceived as a project of urban development and, despite what commonly thought, the house was not designed by Gaudí. The task was given by Count Eusebi Güell to the architect Francesc Berenguer i Mestres who, not being an architect yet, had Gaudí sign the project.
The house, built on a sloped land, has three floors, a basement and a tower at its top. The chimneys and the roof of the tower are covered in Trencadís, ceramic tiles typical of Catalan modernism. Gaudí moved here in 1906, together with his father Francesc and his niece Rosa Egea i Gaudí. His father died in October of the same year, while his niece in 1912. Gaudí stayed in this house for over 20 years, until 1925, when he moved to the Sagrada Familia construction yard.
Right after Gaudí‘s death, in 1926 the house was bought by the Italian merchant Francesco Chiappo Arietti, who immediately moved in the house. Under Gaudí‘s will, the proceeds from the sale were given to the building of the Sagrada Familia, while his personal belongings were scattered. The merchant left things in the house as they were, since he was a fervent admirer of the Catalan architect. When the couple died, the heirs sold the house to some friends of Gaudí, who decided to transform the house into a place open to the public, where to exhibit things belonged the architect. It was these friends who made the dream of a house museum come true, leaving it later to the Sagrada Familia foundation, linking so the house collection to that of the Sagrada Familia museum.
Where to spend the night
Barcelona is full of all sort of accommodation and has a very well developed public transport network, so choosing where to stay won’t be a problem. You’ll find luxury and historic hotels, cheaper ones, guesthouses, hostels, student residences, apartments, rooms to rent, B&Bs, campsites and apartment complexes. Depending on your budget, you’ll find the most suitable accommodation for you in every area of the city.
We stayed in one of the many pension on the Rambla, in secondary roads of the Barrio Gotico and El Raval and in the Plaça Reial area. However, there are really all types of accommodation in the city centre. As for the costs, hotels prices are almost the same as in all the most important European cities. For those who want to spend less, you’ll find various youth hostels, which will be very crowded, especially in summer. If you’ll visit Barcelona in high season, from March to September, you’ll have to book your accommodation in advance, since hotels, guesthouses and hostels are often fully booked. Between October and March, indeed, some hotels offer special rates and reductions. You could find this link useful https://www.barcellona.org/dove-dormire-barcellona/
Interesting facts
Gaudí was a sickly child and for this reason he had to spend long rest periods among the mountains of Riudoms, where he could contemplate the secrets of nature for hours and hours. This helped Gaudí rediscover the essence and meaning of architecture as following the prototype of nature. He used to say: “Originality consists of returning to the origin”. In 1878 he completed his studies at the School of Architecture and the director of studies Elies Rogent stated: “I do not know if we have awarded this degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell”.
Gaudí died on the 10th of June 1926 hit by a tram while he was reaching, as he did every evening, the Sagrada Família. After the impact he fainted and nobody even thought that shabby, elderly man without any ID could be the famous architect. He was transferred to the Santa Croce hospital, where he was later recognized by the priest of Sagrada Família. The funeral was officiated two days later in the Sagrada Família and a huge crowd of Barcelonians took part in it to bid a final farewell to Gaudí, the most all-encompassing architect the city had ever had.
Tips
Everything in Barcelona should be seen looking upwards, the buildings are often decorated with representations of dragons in honour of the patron saint, and the constructions themselves are incredible pieces of art.
A weekend is not enough to visit all the wonders of this beautiful city, unfortunately you’ll have to make a selection. What we told you is what we have decided to visit, but don’t take it as being the truth because there are so many other attractions that we are sure shouldn’t be missed.
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