Art Nouveau Prague

Municipal House

Since the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1991, Prague has become one of Europe’s - and the worlds - most popular tourist destinations. As in London, Paris, and Rome, visitors flock to the gorgeous buildings and monuments that grace the streets of Prague, entranced by structures ranging from Gothic and baroque to cubist and neoclassical. And while hundreds of thousands stroll over the Charles Bridge and gaze up at the St. Vitus Cathedral each year, far fewer venture away from the crowds to seek out the countless gems of art nouveau peppered throughout Prague.


Smetana Hall


Obecni Dum - Municipal House

Significant Art Nouveau sites include the Municipal House, the Wilson Railway Station, the Grand Hotel Europa, and works by sculptors František Bílek, Ladislav Šaloun, and Stanislav Sucharda. There are large numbers of remarkable buildings in Art Nouveau style in Prague that remain unknown to the tourists since they pay attention mostly only to the Castle and the Charles Bridge.





The Art Nouveau style appeared in the early 1880s and vanished with the first gun-shots of the First World War. It was a brief but brilliant art movement and style of decoration and architecture characterised by intricate patterns of curving lines. In Prague at this time you had a burgeoning middle class and a unique Czech, Germanic and Jewish culture. With this prosperity there was a desire to redevelop the Josepfov, the Jewish Quarter which was overcrowded and subject to flooding. As we have seen elsewhere in Europe in Riga and Barcelona Art Nouveau was adopted as a sign not just of new prosperity but as sign of a new nationalist identity, in this case closely identified with Slav nationalism and incorporating symbolism and references from Slavic folklore and history.




Three Turks

Pařížská Avenue was laid out as the centrepiece of this redevelopment of Central Praque. In the first years of the 20th century Pařížská was laid out between Old Town Square and the Čech Bridge. It has always been one of the city's most prestigious addresses, and today it is lined with upscale boutiques, coffee shops, and airline offices. It's a sharp contrast to the gloom and despair of the Jewish ghetto that existed before. Designers used neo-Renaissance, neo-Baroque, and Secession elements. Facades are enlivened with richly decorated windows and balconies while above the eaves rise extravagant gables, attic windows, towers, and turrets. Originally named Mikulášská (St. Nicholas Street) because of the presence of St. Nicholas' Church at the Old Town Square end. In 1926 Pařížská was given its present name, which is best translated as Boulevard de Paris, to pay tribute to France for helping to free the Czechs from Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I.





The first important principle of the Art Nouveau movement was a desire to get rid of the distinctions between high and low art or major and minor arts. For many artists the essential thing was for art to affect and unify the lives of the people, not just in expensive oil paintings on rich people's walls or in institutional salons, but in the essential objects of their daily lives—their homes, furnishings, cups and saucers, advertisements, wall hangings—everything from door handles to lamp posts and sewer gratings and toilet seats. Even purely functional objects now largely machine made and mass produced should be shaped by the decorative powers of art. Hence we see many Art Nouveau artists, and Mucha in particular, demonstrating an astonishingly wide range of artistic interests (in his case from posters and paintings to lottery tickets, jewellery, police uniforms, designs for money, stamps, wall hangings, and so on).


New Town Hall



This emphasis on uniting beauty and utility was at the heart of the most important social “message” of the new art (something which earned it the name Art Social in some quarters). It was inspired, in part, by a strong reaction against the ugliness of much of the manufactured material which was increasingly dominating people’s lives and making the very idea of the traditional artist-craftsmen obsolete (a response very strong in the English Arts and Crafts Movement in the 1860’s, inspired by John Ruskin and William Morris, who looked back with delight to the ideal guild craftsmen of the Middle Ages).



Art Nouveau artists were well known for their scrupulous eye for detail. Inspiration came from nature. Under Art Nouveau style even an insect was beautiful and admired. Art Nouveau means in French “New Art”. Nowadays it may sound a bid odd calling something „new“ when it stands for a style in art, architecture and design significant for the turn of the 19th and 20th century. However, for some people – including myself – it is one of the most beautiful and fascinating styles ever and in Prague you have the chance to see a lot of this unique style.






Art Nouveau was an international movement and style of art, architecture and applied art - especially the decorative arts—that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905). The name 'Art nouveau' is French for 'new art'. It is also known as Jugendstil, German for 'youth style', named after the magazine Jugend, which promoted it, and in Italy, Stile Liberty from the department store in London, Liberty & Co., which popularized the style. A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly-stylized, flowing curvilinear forms. Art Nouveau is an approach to design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life.




Tesla Shop

The movement was strongly influenced by Czech artist Alfons Mucha, when Mucha produced a lithographed poster, which appeared on 1 January 1895 in the streets of Paris as an advertisement for the play Gismonda by Victorien Sardou, starring Sarah Bernhardt. It was an overnight sensation, and announced the new artistic style and its creator to the citizens of Paris. Initially called the Style Mucha, (Mucha Style), this soon became known as Art Nouveau.




Alfons Mucha - Poster design & stained glass window

In France it’s called Art Nouveau, in England it’s Modern Style or Yellow Book Style, in Germany it goes by the name of Jugendstil or Secession. Whatever you choose to call it, the style has left an impressive impact on Prague. First of all, Prague is the home of the famous Alphonse Mucha (1860 – 1939) – Art Nouveau artist who is most widely known for the posters he created for Sarah Bernhardt, one of the greatest actresses of that time. But even if his name says nothing to you, you should visit the Mucha Museum. It is in Panska 7, Prague 1, which is close to Wenceslas Square or Powder Tower. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In museum shop you can buy gifts with Alphonse Mucha motifs. His work included, apart from sculptures and paintings, costumes and stage decorations, designs for magazines and book covers, wonderful jewellery and furniture and numerous posters.





The influence of Alfons Mucha was felt in Prague and Moravia (part of the modern Czech Republic), whose style of Art Nouveau became associated with the Czech National Revival. Fin de siecle sections of Prague reveal modest buildings encrusted with leaves and ladies that curve and swirl across the facades. Examples of Art Nouveau in the city, along with the exteriors of any number of private apartment and commercial buildings, are the Hotel Pariz, Smíchov Market Hall, Hotel Central, the windows in the St. Wenceslas Chapel at St. Vitus Cathedral, the main railway station, Grand Hotel and the Jubilee Synagogue. The Olsany Cemetery and the New Jewish Cemetery are also important examples of Art Nouveau.




Prague Main Railway Station by the architect Jozef Fanta


Hotel Pariz

Obecní Dum, Prague’s Municipal House, is more romantically known as the Palace of the People, and this is a fitting title for a building that abounds in architectural diversity providing a cultural experience for all tastes. The sumptuously decorated, pale ochre facade and glazed copper dome of Prague’s Municipal House contrast with the sombre stonework of surrounding buildings. Architects Antonín Balšánek (1865-1921) and Osvald Polívka (1859-1931) were responsible for Municipal House’s design and so many of Prague's foremost art nouveau artists and sculptors collaborated on its embellishment. The portal gives a foretaste of the delights to come, with filigree metalwork, jewel-like encrustations, allegorical figures, and a mosaic, the Apotheosis of Prague, by Karel Špillar (1871-1939). The gilt inscription around it is from ‘Hail to Thee, Prague!’ a poem by Svatopluk Cech (1846-1908).






Municipal House Cafe with Art Nouveau light fittings and coffee cups

Even the most hurried visitor should sit for a while in the sumptuous surroundings of Municipal House’s cafe and absorb the atmosphere of the classic Prague coffee house of long ago. A meal in the refined Francouska restaurace is one of Prague’s best gastronomic experiences, while music lovers can attend a concert in the Smetana Hall, the home of the Prague Symphony Orchestra. It is here that the Prague Spring music festival is launched, with a rousing performance of Smetana's Má Vlast (My Home). The designers of Prague’s Municipal House have paid great attention to its functional spaces and fittings, and it's worth admiring such features as stairways, elevators and even the cloakroom.

Prague Art Nouveau architecture adopts all of its foreign morphology. You will find bright colour which was brought by the Spanish Art Nouveau, dynamic curves of the French and Belgian Art Nouveau, the floral and animal designs as well as selected materials which were promoted by the Arts and Crafts movement. Undoubtedly, the Municipal House by the architect Osvald Polívka makes a prominent representative of the Prague Art Nouveau architecture. Numerous artists of both the older and the younger generation participated in its ornamentation – Alfons Mucha as well as Jan Preisler.



An equally prominent piece of architecture is the building of the Prague Main Railway Station by the architect Jozef Fanta. Numerous reliefs are to be found in here, above all of girlish and female figures. A set of female mascarons (grotesque masks) is unique, with each of them original. There are several Art Nouveau buildings and structures worth mentioning, such as the villas by the outstanding architect Jan Kotěra – the Trmal Villa, for instance, Kotěra’s own villa in Vinohrady, a Prague district, or the villa with a studio built for Stanislav Sucharda.


Sun Dial House


Bílek Villa

The Bílek Villa is a unique construction built in the Symbolist style, with a range of extra-ordinary symbols and allusions to be found such as stylized ears of corn. Three constructions stand out from the typical housebuilding: The Topič House and Hotel Prague in Národní třída and the House “U Nováků“in Vodičkova Street, whose mosaic was designed by Jan Preisler.



Prague has always been the centre of Mittel Europa, the crossroads like Krakow between North and South, East and West, the centre of the Holy Roman Empire, the font of Slavic Nationalism in opposition to the Hapsburg’s Austro-Hungarian Empire and from 1918 to 1938 the only democracy in Eastern Europe until the world acquiesced to its betrayal and destruction in the Munich Agreement. As mentioned it was the birthplace of a unique Czech, Germanic and Jewish culture and the naturalism and craftsmanship of Art Nouveau allowed all traditions to embrace this style from gravestones in the New Jewish Cemetery to the stylish apartment blocks along Pařížská Avenue to the stylish villas overlooking the Vltava it helped to unify and renew this unique city. Despite all that has happened since, today 20 years after the Velvet Revolution, it is still celebrated by the inhabitants of this unique place, the Golden City of Prague.




See also Art Nouveau in other European Cities;


Barcelona, Catalonia.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/11/antoni-gaud-and-barcelona-modernisme.html

Glasgow, Scotland.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/07/charles-rennie-mackintosh.html

Riga, Latvia.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/09/art-nouveau-district-riga-latvia.html







For more on Architecture and Design see ArchiBlogs in the Blog sidebar.

On yer Bike in Europe!

Boris on his bike

On the recent visit to the City of Light I was impressed at the racks of smart bikes which are part of the Vélib scheme which makes it possible to cycle around Paris without worrying about having your bike stolen or indeed to get home late at night where there are few other alternatives. In August 2007, the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone ordered a feasibility study into a scheme which would see travellers hiring and dropping off bikes from street corners. The Mayor had been inspired by the Vélib scheme that was introduced in Paris in June the same year. The French initiative offers 10,000 bikes at 750 hire points every 300m around Paris. The bikes are available at any time of the day or night and cost just about 70p to hire for half an hour and it was claimed theft would be minimal because of the unique design of the bicycles, their highly secure parking facilities and because payment is via credit or debit card. If a bicycle is not returned the hirer faces a penalty charge.


Vélib

Mr Livingstone said then: "Cycling is a clean, fast and cheap way to get around London and we have seen an 83% increase in cycling since I became Mayor. I have seen the Paris freedom bike scheme, and discussed it with the Mayor of Paris. It clearly works and is highly popular."

Transport for London officials were to conduct a feasibility study to see how a similar system could be made to work in London. A popular bicycle rental scheme in Paris that has transformed travel in the city has run into problems just 18 months after its successful launch. Over half the original fleet of 15,000 specially made bicycles have disappeared, presumed stolen. They have been used 42 million times since their introduction but vandalism and theft are taking their toll despite the assurances at the launch.

The company which runs the scheme, JCDecaux, has now said it can no longer afford to operate the city-wide network. Championed by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, the bikes were part of an attempt to "green" the capital. Parisians took to them enthusiastically. But the bikes have suffered more than anticipated, company officials have said. Hung from lamp posts, dumped in the River Seine, torched and broken into pieces, maintaining the network is proving expensive. Some have turned up in Eastern Europe and Africa, according to press reports.

Since the scheme's launch, nearly all the original bicycles have been replaced at a cost of 400 euros ($519, £351) each. The Vélib bikes - the name is a contraction of velo (cycle) and liberte (freedom) - have also fallen victim to a craze known as “Vélib extreme". Various videos have appeared on YouTube showing riders taking the bikes down the steps in Montmartre, into metro stations and being tested on BMX courses.




Parisians in motion

Remi Pheulpin, JCDecaux's director general, says the current contract is unsustainable. "It's simple. All the receipts go to the city. All the expenses are ours," he said. The costs, he said, were "so high that a private business cannot handle it alone, especially as it's a problem of public order. If we want the Vélib set-up to keep going, we'll have to change the business model." The original contract gave the advertising company a 10-year licence to exploit 1,600 city-wide billboards in return for running the scheme, plus a share in the revenue, estimated at 20m euros for the first year of operation.

City hall has recently agreed to pay towards the costs of replacing the stolen or trashed bicycles but is refusing to bail out the company. Not all the bicycles receive rough treatment however. One Vélib repairman reported finding one of the bikes customised with fur covered tyres.

The scheme was modelled on one in Lyon, which appears to have been less troublesome, and has been extended to other cities in France. It is also being copied overseas with London, San Francisco and Singapore all intending to set up similar schemes.


Bicing Rack, Barcelona

Another scheme modelled on Lyon is the highly visible Bicing scheme I saw in Barcelona. The bicycles have a specific image, distinctive to Barcelona, as the City Council collaborated with B:SM on the design for the bikes. They have adjustable dimensions for youth and adultsand their reduced weight (they only weigh 16,5 kg) and the wide and ergonomic handlebar make driving easy. All bikes have three speed gears, a foot peg for the resting position, anti-slip pedals, a nocturnal lighting system and both front and back breaks. They are made from the resistant materials steel and aluminium since they are always in the street. A yearly subscription of Bicing costs 24€ a year, after which the first half hour is free and every other half hour costs 30 cents.


A Bicing Bike

London by comparison to Barcelona and Paris offers a poor and often dangerous cycling experience. There is no Citywide rent a bike scheme almost two years after it was to be investigated, there are few cycling lanes and in particular there are very few protected lanes with kerbs or barriers to separate them from motorists and particularly the trucks which are allowed into Central London at all times and often catch cyclists in there sweep when they turn. London also suffers from the Balkanisation of responsibility between TfL and the 32 Boroughs and the Police so initiatives like you see in Paris and Barcelona where whole swathes of the city at weekends are closed off to traffic and opened only to pedestrians and cyclists are out of the question. Indeed, on Sunday in Paris all the traffic tunnels through Paris are open only to cyclists and pedestrians.

As the current Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is a noted cycling fan would not the twin initiatives of area closures to traffic at weekends and a City rent-a-bike scheme not be two quick wins in the Greening of London?

Barcelona

Barri Gòtic

The Celtic Sage looked forward to the long overdue trip to Catalonia and its atmospheric capital Barcelona. My neighbourhood in Dublin was taken over every summer by Spanish language students who stayed in Irish homes and no doubt went back home speaking a strange form of English. My amigo was Ignacio Preciado whose parents ran a pharmacy on the Ramblas and as I learnt about Barcelona’s role in the Civil War and the suppression of Catalan culture under Franco I developed a fascination with the city which I have waited too long to expiate. The Catalan people speak two official tongues - Catalan and Spanish - and their culture has what some may call a more ‘sophisticated’ flavour than other Spanish regions, perhaps due to the influence of neighbouring France. In any case, don’t go to Barcelona expecting flamenco dancers and bullfights. Those aspects of southern Spanish culture are not as present here, but Barcelona has so much to offer that they’re hardly necessary.

Aesthetically speaking, Barcelona is the most innovative and intriguing of all Spanish cities. Its beautifully preserved Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic) contains an impressive concentration of medieval buildings within the former confines of 4th century Roman walls. While this neighbourhood signals the height of Barcelona's prosperity in the 13th to 15th centuries, the Art Nouveau structures of the Eixample area manifest the city’s 19th century affluence and industrial success. Here, the masters of Catalan modernisme – most notably and prolifically Antoni Gaudí - constructed houses, parks and churches characterized by undulating, colourful, experimental forms that rejected the rigid neoclassicism so popular in the earlier half of the century. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/11/antoni-gaud-and-barcelona-modernisme.html )




Parc Güell

To tie it all together, Barcelona has its beloved Ramblas, a bustling street with a plethora of restaurants, cafes and shops that diagonally traverses the old part of town. Strolling up this avenue will lead you away from the sea and winding cobblestone streets of the old part of town to the wide boulevards of L'Eixample. The Ramblas is the heart of Barcelona, its most populated area at any given hour and the first stop for every visitor.

Barcelona is a major economic centre with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports, and Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain. Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is best known in recent times for the 1992 Summer Olympics.




Sagrada Familia

The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia or simply Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, is one of Barcelona's most popular tourist attractions. Construction on this church will continue at least until 2014, but it has already become Barcelona's most important landmark.
(http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/11/sagrada-familia-barcelona.html )

An overview of Barcelona should start with the location of this city. The capital of the state of Catalonia; Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and with co-ordinates like 41° 16' N and 2° 4' E; the city is located on the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.

Barcelona today, is counted amongst one of the most feted, dynamic and sophisticated cities in the world. There are many things to do in Barcelona and if you are on a short trip then you will find that you have to cram in several things within a short time. You can enjoy taking yourself off to sightseeing tours in Barcelona on the hop-on, hop-off buses which leave from the Placa Catalunya or go on trips to Montserrat in the mountains or Salvador Dali’s hometown of Figueres ; Opened in 1974 the Dali museum also bears the distinction of being the largest surrealistic object in the world. The site originally housed the Municipal Theatre which was constructed in the 19th century and was destroyed in 1939 at the end of the Spanish Civil War. However, where everyone saw ruins, Dali saw an opportunity to create a piece of history and he built his museum. Currently, the Dali Theatre-Museum houses approximately 1,500 pieces of art of varying mediums from sculpture to painting and drawing, from engraving to photography and much more.




Arc del Triomf

Barcelona has a very moderate Mediterranean type climate. The winters are mild, dry and summers are warm and humid. January and February are the coldest and July and August are the hottest months. Snowfall is rare in Barcelona. It will definitely help you if you decide to visit the city during summer as in Barcelona; summer is party and fiesta time. Because of the proximity of Barcelona to the Mediterranean the city has some excellent beaches within its boundaries which are the best places to relax in the heat of summer with more than 4.5 kilometres in length; the famous five beaches are: Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella. Apart from beaches, parks in this beautiful city feature high on every tourist's travel destinations. All the 68 parks in Barcelona are an important urban lung and open air living rooms for the city.


Harbour from Montjuïc

Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist destination cities in Europe. Set between the Mediterranean seaboard and the hills of Montjuïc, Barcelona’s location is unbeatable. Few cities of its stature boast more than 4 km of beaches right in the downtown area! What's more, you can take a short trip to France, to local costal settings with pristine beaches, or to nearby mountains perfect for hiking and skiing. Barcelona is widely considered Europe’s coolest city, so it logically follows that its population of about 2 million is full of interesting, artistic and fashionable people. With 12.6% foreigners and a lot of diversity in every sense of the word, a recent poll showed that 80% of Barcelona’s residents consider their city a great place to live.

Barcelona contains 4th century remnants of the Roman Empire, Romanesque churches, and a whole Gothic neighbourhood replete with Cathedral, plazas, streets and churches from the 13th – 15th centuries. Most notably, the Eixample neighbourhood holds late 19th and early 20th century Art Nouveau (modernisme) buildings by Antoni Gaudí and other masters whose colourful, curvy, imaginative structures stand as Barcelona’s defining and unique aesthetic identity.


Cathedral & Cloisters



Barcelona has a great offering of museums. Highlights include the Picasso Museum, the Joan Miró Foundation and the National Museum of Catalan Art, housed in a beautiful palace constructed for the 1920’s World Exhibition. My own personal favourite is the macabre funeral museum containing 20 horse drawn carriages with plaster horses, people and funerary accessories. This is a museum which has no competition!


Joan Miró Foundation

Ferran Adrià, a Catalan native, was proclaimed the world’s best and most innovative chef by the New York Times and Le Monde in 2004 for his iconic El Bulli restaurant. Barcelona has been giving French cuisine a run for its money as of late, and it’s also been voted Europe’s eating capital by various cooking magazines. From traditional Catalan staples to the most experimental of foods, Barcelona doesn’t disappoint the palate. Classic, down-to-earth, Barcelona food would be impossible without a handful of essential ingredients. Olive oil, garlic and tomato are the top three without a doubt. Barcelona cuisine is characterised by an innate creativity that other Spanish regions lack. For example, raisins and nuts are often mixed into vegetable dishes; rabbit is combined with snails; poultry or meat is cooked with fruit. Due to its proximity to the Mediterranean, Barcelona food includes great seafood dishes. You will also detect neighbouring influences from France and Valencia; the latter because Catalan cuisine includes a variety of rice dishes, variations on the typical Spanish paella.


Go Car!

Barcelona has 2 football teams: FC Barcelona & Espanyol de Barcelona. FC Barcelona has won the Spanish national league several times and often attracts the world's best players. They’re one of the most exhilarating teams on the globe to watch, and when you visit Barcelona you can see them play at their home stadium!

Besides fantastic museums and architecture, Barcelona is full of galleries, concert venues and theaters to round out the vibrant art scene. When you visit Barcelona, you'll find yourself torn between choosing one cultural event or another. There are many museums at Barcelona whose contents are from the most ancient periods. A visit to the City History Museum that is housed in a medieval building will tell you the history of the city. There is a Roman ruin in the basement of the city that is really interesting. It also comprises the Museum-Monastery of Pedralbes, one of the best examples of Catalan Gothic architecture. The Museum-House Verdaguer is dedicated to the poet Jacint Verdaguer.


Museum of Catalonia

The Museum on the History of Catalonia was opened in 1996. A visit to this museum will tell you the story of Catalonia since prehistoric times. The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, more widely known as MACBA gives an insight on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. It also includes foreign works. The works of Joan Miró are found in the museum of the Fundacio Joan Miró, along with the guest exhibitions from other museums around the world. The Picasso Museum features early works by Pablo Picasso and his "Las meninas" series. The Fundació Antoni Tàpies holds a collection of Tàpies works.




Harbour Cable Car

The Olympic Harbour, Barcelona is one of the popular sightseeing options in the city. The Harbour was built for the 1992 Olympic Games which were held in the city. It is an excellent global work built by architects Oriol Bohigas, Josep Martorell, David Mackay and Albert Puigdomènech and the engineer Joan Ramon de Clascà. The Harbour today remains one of the most visited landmarks in the city and is connected to the Playa de Colon by a swing bridge. It is popular for shopping, eating and people watching and there is plenty of street entertainers in this area. Afterwards head for a promenade to view the ships and port traffic and enviously view the extravagant yachts parked on the quayside. At sunset there is no better place to be than along Barcelona's waterfront, which boasts two marinas full of private sailing boats and luxury yachts as well as clean sandy beaches.

The Magic Fountain, Barcelona is another frequently visited and popular sightseeing destination in the city. The fountains are a must visit. The fountains were the fruits of engineer Carles Buïgas who had conceived a new type of fountain where the artistic element consists in the changing shapes of the water. This was one of the last works to be constructed in the grounds of the Universal Exhibition of 1929.

Another sightseeing option in Barcelona is Poble Espanyol ("Spanish Village") on a hillside overlooking the city beside the Museum of Catalonia. The village is definitely a must visit for those who wish to gain an overall vision and also admire the different styles of architectural and urban constructions of the different towns and cities of the whole Spanish state. The village has become a meeting place for people who also want to enjoy different forms of entertainment such as theatrical shows or concerts. The Poble Espanyol or the Spanish Village is also a good place to share a dinner with friends in the innumerable restaurants that the village offers.



The Church of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona is the only perfectly finished Catalan Gothic church. The outer walls of the Basilica display the features which differentiate Catalan Gothic from European. The church is a built in Catalan style and there is a predominance of horizontal lines, of solid panels over empty spaces, of flat terraces without roofs, and a preference for large bare surfaces.

However, partying and clubbing are not the only things to do in Barcelona. There are a couple of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Barcelona which are must sees. You must see the works of Lluis Domènech i Montaner and Palau de la Musica Catalana. You must also visit Hospital de Sant Pau. Ignoring the works of Antoni Gaudí, Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, Sagrada Familia (Nativity facade and crypt), Casa Batllo, and Crypt in Colonia Güell will leave your trip in Barcelona incomplete. There are also other fine buildings of architectural importance and lots of museums.






Shopping till you drop and gorging on the delectable local cuisine are amongst the many things to do in Barcelona. Sample some of the exquisite wines and take part in the festive celebrations. Some sort of festive celebration is always going on here and the carnivals are great fun. Some festivals are dedicated to the patron saint of the neighbourhood, Carnival, the Festivities of Santa Eulalia, Saint Jordi, Saint Joan, and the Christmas cavalcade of the Reis (the Three Kings).

For getting around the Barcelona Metro is one of the most under-used resources available to tourists. It is safe to use at any time of day and it comprehensively covers most of the city and is pretty cheap. Metro maps appear on most Barcelona maps and guide books usually say which stop is the nearest to a particular sight (it is a 'M' in a diamond shape in most guide books) so you will always know where you are going. The metro in Barcelona is open until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, until 2am on Friday and through the night on Saturday.
( http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/11/barcelona-metro.html )

Rising majestically behind the city is the Tibidabo, an imposing pine tree-coated hill that frames the metropolis, its urban sprawl and vast port beside a glittering sea. "Tibi dabo" is Latin for "I give thee," which according to the gospels of Luke and Matthew is what the devil said, offering Christ the glories of the world were he but to kneel and worship him. The inference is that Barcelona, nestled beneath the Tibidabo, encompasses all known earthly delights.




The Sage regaling a Sagette


La Rambla

The first Sunday of every month is a no-pay day at city museums, and Barcelona also has one of the most ambitious public art projects in Europe with sculptures by artists such as Javier Mariscal or Roy Lichtenstein dotted around town. People-watching along La Rambla is more entertaining than many of the things you have to pay for and catching a glimpse of locals dancing Sardana on Sunday morning in front of the cathedral in the medieval heart of the city is unforgettable.

Barcelona is not a cheap city to visit or to stay in but even at that it is well worth the trip. It is a confident, self assured place which has grown in stature with democratic Spain, is proud to have regained its Catalan identity and as it has done since the Spanish Emperors Hadrian and Trajan ruled Rome looked outwards to the middle sea and the countries surrounding it rather than inwards to Spain. It is cosmopolitan, dynamic, sometimes maddening but altogether unique and well worth visiting.