Barcelona Guide
Attractions nearby
This hotel in barcelona is situated only three blocks from the heart of the city divided by the famous La Rambla (0,8km), the main artery of Barcelona's life, which stretches from Plaça de Catalunya (1,3km) towards the Mediterranean and the recently renewed districts of Port Vell (Old Port) and La Ribera (The Waterfront).
La Rambla (0,8km) is a series of continuous pedestrian avenues stretching from the Columbus Monument (0,5km) on the waterfront to Plaça de Catalunya (1,3 km) in the city centre. Lively at all hours of the day, lined with trees, cafes, restaurants, flower stalls, shops and newspaper stands, La Rambla is the perfect place to soak up the unique Barcelona atmosphere, to watch and be watched! The very soul of La Rambla are its famous street entertainers who delight the crowds with their shows. Other points of interest are the Gran Teatre del Liceu and the legendary Café de L'Opera opposite, as well as La Boqueria, Barcelona's marvelous, bustling food market. Along la Rambla (0,8km) are some of Gaudí's first major architectural projects: Güell Palace (1,1km), in Carrer Nou de la Rambla and Plaça Reial (0,6km), just off La Rambla, one of the most attractive squares in the city - where elegant 19th-century buildings look down on palm trees, lamp posts designed by Gaudí, and an eclectic mix of people enjoying the lively atmosphere at outdoor cafes. Hotel Duquesa de Cardona is located right in the Barri Gòtic (the Gothic Quarter), in the fascinating and atmospheric core of the old city, which among its narrow pebbled streets and charming little squares hides the beautiful Catedral de la Seu (0,8km) and Museu Picasso (0,6km).
The Catedral de la Seu (0,8km) was built between the 13th and 15th centuries, on the site of an earlier basilica, although the spire and facade were not added until the beginning of the 20th century. Highlights include the carved choir stalls, the Capella de Lepanto and the tranquil cloisters containing a pond of white geese.
The Picasso Museum (0,6km), one of the Barcelona's major tourist attractions, is housed in two 15th-century palaces close to the Parc de la Ciutadella. The impressive permanent collection is dedicated to the Picasso's early work, including a large number of childhood sketches, paintings from the Blue Period (1901-1904) and the Pink Period (1907-1920), exhibition posters, ceramics and cubist works. The museum also hosts two spaces for temporary exhibitions.
Plaça de Catalunya (1km) divides the old town from the Eixample (3,4km), a 19th century area where much of the city's finest Modernist architecture is built, including the famous Sagrada Família(0,4km) a masterpiece of design by Antoní Gaudi. Other architectural modernist highlights include the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música Catalana (1,2km), both designed by Domènech i Montaner. Passeig de Gràcia, where the Hotel Duquesa de Cardona is located is the most stylish street in the city, is at the heart of the Eixample and intersects with the Diagonal - the city's main thoroughfare, at its northern end. Gothic Quarter - the maze of old and narrow streets hides a stunning collection of gothic buildings dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, Catalonia's Golden Age, interspersed with Roman ruins, delightful squares and numerous bars and restaurants. Plaça Sant Jaume, at the heart of the district, is the epicentre of the city's political life. The square hosts on one side the Renaissance-style Palau de la Generalitat (0,4km) (location of the Catalan government), on the other the Ajuntament (0,4km) (city hall). Nearby, the Palau Real on Plaça del Rei houses the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat. The remains of the Roman city of Barcino, beneath the palace, were uncovered in 1931; Roman streets are still visible in the vast cellar space that stretches as far as the cathedral. A series of extraordinary houses by Montaner, Gaudí and Puig i Cadafalch make up the Mançana de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord) on the Passeig de Grácia where the Hotel Duquesa de Cardona is located. Gaudí's fascinating Casa Batlló looks like an underwater grotto, with its blue-green tiles on the facade, frog-faced balconies and a reptilian roof, from which tourists can enjoy beautiful views of the city. The Mançana de la Discòrdia is part of the Ruta Modernista.
Parc Güell (5,3km), one of Gaudí's biggest masterpieces, is a fantasy land that merges the natural and the man-made, and offers beautiful views over the Catalan city. The park, originally conceived as a garden city, covers a hill to the north of the city centre. Fantastic pavilions, stairways, columned halls and an open plaza decorated with stunning broken-mosaic work (trencadís) by Gaudí's assistant, Josep Maria Jujol enrich the lush gardens. At the bottom of the hill is a house designed by Francesc Berenguer, which is now home to a collection of Gaudí's furnishings and other memorabilia.
Casa Milá (2,7km), known as La Pedrera (the stone quarry), is an undulating building on the corner of Passeig de Gràcia. The wavy brick work and colorful tiles, inspired by the ocean, represent a testament to Gaudí's ability to make stone malleable. Apartments (which are not open to the public) are arranged around elliptical patios with no square corners in sight. The roof terrace is watched over by sentry-like chimneys and offers an excellent view over the city to the spires of La Sagrada Familia. The loft space of Casa Milá houses a beautiful museum, Espai Gaudí, dedicated to the architect.
The Montjuïc mountain (2,9km) (Mount of the Jews), which offers a stunning views over the Catalan capital, was the site of the 1992 Olympic Games and is now a permanent tourist attraction, boasting the remaining Olympic installations and remarkable museums such as the Fundació Joan Miró and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. The Palau Nacional, at Montjuïc, was the focus of Barcelona's International Fair in 1929. It now houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - MNAC (National Museum of Catalonian Art). The museum boasts a stunning collection of gothic, Romanesque and medieval treasures and religious artifacts. The museum also houses the collections of the Museu D'Art Modern, recently moved from the Palau de la Ciutadella in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The avenue that leads from Plaça Espanya to the Palace up Avinguda de La Reina Maria Cristina is lined with fountains lit at night.
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona - MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Arts) Looking rather incongruous in the down-at-heel surroundings of the Raval district, to the west of La Rambla, the brilliant-white Museum of Contemporary Arts is at the forefront of efforts to regenerate this traditionally seedy area of the city. The museum opened amid a blaze of publicity in 1995 and houses a permanent collection of post-1940s international art, as well as various temporary exhibitions.
Another popular Barcelona attraction is the coastline made up of a string of attractive beaches, which provide a good break after long sightseeing and shopping, especially during the hot Catalan summer. A stroll along the waterfront passeig is the best way to enjoy the results of Barcelona's regeneration programme. The focus of interest and activity in Barcelona is shifting back towards the sea, with the development of Port Vell (0.7km) (Old Port). At the popular Barceloneta Beach, at about ten minutes from the city centre, there are selection of beach bars, where locals and tourists can relax with a refreshing swim while admiring the bizarre architecture of Homenatge a la Barceloneta, by Rebecca Horn. To find a more peaceful haven during the summer season venture a bit further to either Icaria, Mar Bella or Sitges Beach.
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Paseo Colón,12 - 08002 - Barcelona, España - info@hduquesadecardona.com - T +34 93 268 90 90
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