The Barcelona Cable Car to Montjuic

A great way to spend an afternoon sightseeing in Barcelona is by taking the Air Ferry Barcelona Cable Car across the Barcelona port. The Air Ferry Barcelona Cable Car connects the Tower of Sant Sebastià (Sant Sebastià beach) with the Jaume I Tower (World Trade Center) and Miramar (Montjuïc mountain) and is not to be confused with the Montjuïc Cable Car or the Montjuïc Funicular Railway.
It really depends on your preference but i believe the best way to take the Air Ferry Barcelona Cable Car journey is from the Tower of Sant Sebastià at Barceloneta and from there going to Miramar. A single ticket is €7.50 and return €9 however one journey should suffice.

You can catch the cable car at the halfway point at Jaume I Tower however the full journey is recommended.
To get to Sant Sebastià you take the metro to Barceloneta and from there you will be able to see the tower and just follow the way but if your renting apartments Barcelona in the area then even better..
The views are absolutely stunning as you can see the whole of the city and the port. Definitely bring your camera as it will make for some great photo opportunities. When you reach Miramar at Montjuic you can have something to eat of a quick drink in the restaurant meanwhile taking in the views of the city.
For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

Visit Poble Espanyol at Montjuic

El Poble Espanyol is an open air museum located at Montjuic mountain, with 40 handicraft shops and a number of excellent restaurants and bars. It should be near the top of any list of things to do in Barcelona.

Built in 1929 it was made as the pavilion dedicated to art for the Barcelona International Exhibition and it was conceived as a real "village" from the beginning in the middle of a city, with a surface area of 49,000 m2.
The aim of the town was to act as an "ideal model" to give an idea of what a Spanish village might look like and contains the main characteristics and features of towns and villages in the peninsula. Therefore 117 buildings, streets and squares were reproduced to scale for this reason.

Poble Espanyol was built in just 13 months and actually had an expiry date which was the same time as the Universal Exhibition - just six months however its success as an open-air museum has kept it open until this day.

El Poble Espanyol combines history and art with more than forty art and craft workshops and shops working in the open-air museum. You can experience the wonder of historic handmade production techniques and qualities and appreciate how innovative elements of design and shape can enrich a traditional product.

The craft techniques that can currently be found here are: ceramics, engraving, decorative painting, glass fusing, puppet-making, jewellery, masks, sculpture, leather, embroidery, basket-weaving, musical instrument-making, espadrille-making and a long list of others.

Montjuic itself is a great day out for tourists renting apartments in Barcelona and during the summer months the central square of Poble Espanyol transforms into the open-air discoteca, La Terrazza which is very popular with tourists and locals alike.

Getting There
Take the metro (green or red line) to stop Plaza Espanya and from there take the escalators to Poble Espanyol. It is well signposted.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

Magic Fountains at Plaza Espanya

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Barcelona are the Magic Fountains of Montjuic at Plaza Espanya.
Built in 1929 the magic fountain is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics - if you mix all these elements together in just the right combinations, you end up with pure magic! The magic fountains are a "must see" when you come to Barcelona and highly recommended.
Although Barcelona is very famous for having many tourist attractions, a lot of the most famous ones like Casa Mila, Casa Batllo or Sagrada Familia charge an expensive entrance fee. However the Magic Fountains along with other sights like Parc Guell are free, so you can sit back relax and just admire the spectacle in front of you.
During the summer months from May to September the Magic Fountains are on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday night from 20.00 until midnight. In the winter the are on Friday and Saturday beginning at 19.00 until 21.00. There is a wide range of Barcelona accommodation available around the Monjuic and Poble Sec area near the fountains. For example the Hotel Catalonia Plaza has overlooks Plaza Espanya where you can see some of the fountain shows. However if you are staying further away then getting there is easy.
Metro: Plaza Espanya (Red line or Green line)
For more information on Barcelona search online.

Barcelona to Montserrat

Barcelona is a world reknowned destination with many attractions and tourist sights within the city. For example, the most famous being the Sagrada Familia church built by Catalonia's own Antoni Gaudi. Among is other famous work include Parc Guell, Casa Milà and Casa Batlló. In relation to events going on in the city, you have many festivals happening all year round along with sporting events and ofcourse FC Barcelona games. If you rent a Barcelona apartment near the beach then you can enjoy great, sunny weather during the summer due to the wonderful climate.

But aside from all that, one of the most spectacular attractions lies outside the city: Montserrat.
A mountain who's name literally translates as "Jagged Mountain" can be seen from miles away on the horizon due to it's peculiar shape and rock form. It is the home to a Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat sacntuary. Popular with tourists, many travel each year by ferrocarrils to climb the mountain and experience the wonderful panoramic view of the Catalonian landscape. At the the top there are also shops and restaurants, but the real attraction is just reaching the top to marvel at the wonderful scenery.

Getting There
To get there you must take the Ferrocarril from Plaza Espanya on the R5 line to Manresa. Your ticket should cost about 14 euros and that will include your connection onto the cable car up the mountain. The cable car gives you a chance to relax and take in the great views of the mountain and the Monastry however when reaching the top sometimes, the area can be a bit crowded.
The trains run roughly every hour, so if you just miss one then you can kick back and have a coffee or something while waiting, and in Barcelona thats no real hardship.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide then look online.

Gracia – exploring Gaudí

Today I want to present you the district Gracia in Barcelona. The great thing about Gracia is its central location near the city centre and that it’s really near many of the works of Gaudí.

Gracia is connected with the Plaza Catalunya through the Passeig de Gracia. While strolling down the Passeig you will pass 2 buildings of Gaudí, the Casa Milà (aka Pedrera) and the Casa Batlló. In the north of Gracia you are only a stone’s throw away from Parc Güell. Gaudí created it as a tribute to business tycoon Güell and today it is like paradise in the middle of the big city of Barcelona.

In addition to this, Gracia is also a nice district to take a relaxed, evening, stroll from bar to bar. With rows and rows of Cervezerias next to each other and you have a great selection of places to eat and drink.

It is worthwhile to search for Barcelona accommodation in Gracia as starting point for discovering the city, particularly for the fans of Gaudí.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide, just search online.

Conquering Mount Tibidabo

When you fly into Barcelona, one of the first things you will notice when looking over the city is the mountain that overlooks the city which is called Mount Tibidabo. At the top there is a theme park for children but more importantly a beautiful church called Temple de Sagrat Cor. From here you can enjoy the best panoramic views of the entire city, and on a clear day, the views are breathtaking. Many tourists each year who come to Barcelona during the summer for the beaches, sun and great accommodation, head up the mountain for the views.
It is relatively easy to get there. First you take the FGC train from Plaza Catalunya up to the stop called Tibidabo. This would be one journey taken from a T10 card which is a recommended purchase for all tourists, as it gives you 10 journeys on any public transport for only €6.90 available at any metro station.
From Tibidabo metro you walk 2 mins up the hill to a tram stop and the tram costs you €1.25 return. Finally you take the funicular train up the mountain for about €3.00 return to reach the top. The themepark is the only thing that spoils it, as it is completely pointless being there, however the trip is still worth it.
Ofcourse Parc Guell is an architectural marvel and gives a great view of the city, but Tibidabo is THEE view of the city, and is highly recommended, especially during the summer.