BARCELONA: CASTELLDEFELS BEACH

Castelldefels is located 20 km from Barcelona and it is known for its wonderful fine sand beach that is over 5 km long. Castelldefels beach is provided with all kind of equipment and offers the chance to do watersports, take a dip in the calm Mediterranean Sea or just sunbathe.

These are some of the most interesting places in Castelldefels I would recommend:

• Castelldefels Beach
• Castelldefels Promenade
• Castelldefels Downtown
• Muntanyeta Park
• Granota Park
• Castelldefels Castle
• Castelldefels Cal Ganxo (in Garraf Natural Park)

4.8Km long Castelldefels beach from the nearby Garraf Natural Park

Castelldefels Beach

It is said that Castelldefels beach is the beach of Barcelona because of its closeness and its high environment qualities. You can get the beach taking the renfe train C-2 line (there is a train station called Castelldefels Platja next to the beach) or taking the bus (L94, L95 , L96 i L97).

Castelldefels beach under a lovely day

Castelldefels beach located near Barcelona

People with children spending a fantastic day in Castelldefels



You can play sports on the beach of Castelldefels, like soccer or beach volleyball


A snack bar beside Castelldefels beach 

Obviously there is a long seafront where you can walk meanwhile you enjoy lovely sights of Garraf Natural Park. Around 15th july a interesting festive activity is celebrated, called SEA MARKET, where you could enjoy a pirate disembark, fireworks and concerts.

Castelldefels Promenade

Promenade and beach of Castelldefels

I really like walking along the promenade of Castelldefels meanwhile I enjoy lovely sights of Garraf Natural Park

The snack bar Tiburon (Passeig Marítim 120) is located beside the promenade of Castelldefels, so it's perfect to enjoy a drink after a walk next to the beach

This nice park is located halfway between the beach of Castelldefels and the downtown

Castelldefels Downtown

One of the shopping streets of Castelldefels. At the end of this pedestrian street, it can be seen the church

Castelldefels church

Main street of Castelldefels. The streets like this one near the town centre are pedestrian

Castelldefels is a very active town plenty of green areas where children could play and enjoy the nature such as Muntanyeta Park or Granota Park. In the first one the Summer Festival is held annually on 15th august with free-ticket concerts.

Muntanyeta Park

Playground in Muntanyeta Park near the downtown of Castelldefels. In summer, free-ticket concerts take place in this quite large park

Granota Park

Wooden Bridge in Granota Park, a lovely park in Castelldefels

Wooden structure in Granota Park in Castelldefels where children can imagine their cottage

Castelldefels Castle

Near Granota park, Castelldefels Castle is located in a high location of the town

Cal Ganxo in Catelldefels

Cal Ganxo belongs to Garraf Natural Park

Walking to Cal Ganxo in Castelldefels

Another way to get to Cal Ganxo in Castelldefels

Cal Ganxo in Castelldefels is an information point of Garraf Natural Park

 Walking to Cal Ganxo we enjoyed this view of Montjuïc from Castelldefels

Enjoying the views from Cal Ganxo in Castelldefels

Cal Ganxo is the starting point of several excursions in Garraf Natural Park

 Fantastic view of Castelldefels from Cal Ganxo in the evening

Finally, a nice picture of Castelldefels castle lit at night

Besides, I would like to recommend you some interesting places:

Town Centre

• Ice-Cream Parlor Carles (C/ Major 67)
• Pizzería Il picolo mare (C/ Arcadi Balaguer, 36Tlf: 936 361 769)

Beach

• Tiburon  Snack Bar  (Passeig Marítim, 120)
• Robert’s Pub (Passeig Marítim, 220)
• Fosbury Restaurant (Passeig Marítim, 299)
• El Péndulo Pub (Ribera San Pedro 1,Tlf: 936 641 595)

Fosbury Restaurant beside the beach of Castelldefels

Tourism Information

• Castelldefels Tourist Office (C/ Pintor Serrasanta 4, near the city hall)

Near Castelldefels you can also visit two interesting places: the lovely seaside village of Sitges and the Garraf Natural Park. Next, some pictures of these beautiful places.

Sitges beach with the church and the Garraf Natural Park in the background. Palms indicate where the promenade is

Overview of the Garraf National Park

The marina of the village of Garraf from the pahts of the Natural Park

There are more beautiful places near the city of Barcelona to visit, like for example:

• Montserrat Abbey
• Sant Miquel del Fai Abbey
• Sant Pol de Mar

Concerning beaches, below you have links of some of the most beautiful beaches in Catalonia:

- Costa Brava beaches

• Blanes
• Tossa de Mar
• Sant Feliu de Guíxols
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in S'Agaró
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Platja d'Aro
• Palamós and Sant Antoni de Calonge
• Sa Tuna, Sa Riera and Aiguablava beaches in Begur
• Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell beaches
• Tamariu
• L'Escala, L'Estartit and Les Illes Medes
• Cadaqués, Roses and Empuriabrava
• Port de la Selva Beach

- Costa Daurada beaches

• Barra del Trabucador beach in Delta de l'Ebre
• L'Ametlla de Mar
• Salou beach
• Miami Playa
• Beach beside the Castle of Tamarit
• Beach of Roc de Sant Gaietà

Other fantastic beaches I have visited in Spain and Portugal are:

• Mallorca
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Beaches in  Galicia
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

Finally, clicking on the next link, you will find links to other beautiful villages and places in Catalonia.
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BARCELONA GOTHIC QUARTER: CATHEDRAL

Today I would like to speak about one of the points of reference in the Barcelona Gothic Quarter: The Cathedral. Around the cathedral are located some of the most beautiful buildings, streets and squares of this lovely area in Barcelona, like:

• La Plaça del Rei and Palau Reial (Frederic Marès Museum)
• La Plaça de Sant Felip Neri
• La Casa de la Ardiaca
• La Casa dels Canonges
• La Pietat and Bisbe Streets
• Narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter (Call Jueu)
• Carrer Petritxol

One of the walks I like the most in Barcelona is to walk around the cathedral along the streets of Els Comtes de Barcelona, La Pietat and El Carrer del Bisbe admiring the gothic elements of the cathedral and the gothic buildings of La Plaça del Rei.

 Main facade of the Barcelona Cathedral recently restored

A bit of history

Barcelona Cathedral was built over six centuries. Funded by donations from the medieval brotherhoods and guilds, the building work in Santa Creu commenced in 1298, on consecrated ground which was the former site of a 14th-century early-Christian basilica, which had been destroyed by al-Mansur’s troops. Only the baptistery survives from this building.

The chapel of Santa Llúcia was part of the Romanesque church built prior to the Gothic Cathedral, while the oldest surviving doorway is the Porta de Sant Iu. The main façade and bell tower were completed around 1890, following the original plans, in the neo-Gothic style.

Gothic windows and details of the main facade of the Barcelona Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Eulàlia, one of Barcelona’s patron saints

The interior is an impressive sight with 25 side chapels, the magnificent 14th-century cloister, the choir stalls. The pulpit and the crypt, which is the burial place of Santa Eulàlia, one of Barcelona’s patron saints, are also extremely beautiful.

Gothic archivolts of the Barcelona cathedral doorway

The Latin-cross floor plan and cross vault, as well as the magnificent stained-glass windows, fill the Barcelona Cathedral with light.

The following pictures show some of the beautiful details of the Barcelona Cathedral.

The apse of the Barcelona Cathedral, where you can see the buttress, and one of the two octagonal bell tower

Detail of the previous octagonal bell tower of the Barcelona Cathedral

Gothic windows between the buttress of the apse of the Barcelona Cathedral 

Doorway of La Pietat, one of the most beautiful gothic details of  the Barcelona Cathedral

Gothic doorway of Sant Iu, the oldest doorway of the Barcelona Cathedral

The cross vault of the magnificent 14th-century gothic cloister of the Barcelona Cathedral

A fountain inside the cloister of the Barcelona Cathedral

Side chapels between gothic archs in the cloister of the Barcelona Cathedral

The interior of the Barcelona Cathedral is an impressive sight with 28 side chapels between the columns supporting the gothic vault. In this picture, the altar

The chapel of Santa Llúcia, located next to the cloister, was part of the Romanesque church built prior to the Gothic Cathedral

If you like gothic architecture, you would be interested in visiting the following religious buildings in Barcelona:

• Santa Maria del Mar church
• Santa Maria del Pi church
• Santa Anna church
• Sant Just i Pastor church
• Sant Pere de les Puelles church
• Pedralbes Monastery

I have visited other beautiful cathedrals, like:

- In Catalonia

• Cathedral of Girona
• Cathedral of Tarragona

- In Spain

• Cathedral of Sevilla
• Cathedral of Córdoba
• Cathedral of Toledo
• Cathedral of Segovia
• Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca
• Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
• Cathedral of Tui in Galicia

- In Europe

• Westminster Abbey in London
• Saint Peter Basilica in the Vatican
• Nôtre Dame in Paris
• Cathedral of Florence
• Cathedral of Siena in Tuscany
• Cathedral of Milano

Next you have some useful information in case you want to visit the Barcelona Cathedral:

- Address: Pla de la Seu, s/n

- Phone: 933 428 260

- How to get there:

• Metro L4, stop Jaume I.
• Bus 17, 19, 40 and 45.
• Barcelona Bus Turístic, stop Barri Gòtic.

- Web site: www.catedralbcn.org

- Guided Visits: 933 428 260

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to other beautiful places in Barcelona, among them, more nice places inside the Gothic Quarter.

BARCELONA - MODERNISM OF GAUDI: PALAU GÜELL

After having spoken about El Raval in a previous post, today I would like to give you more information about a beautiful modernist building you could see in that post: El Palau Güell. 

Barcelona’s Palau Güell was designed by the young Antoni Gaudí and is a wonderful blend of  the architect’s unique exuberant style. The palace, located in El Raval next to La Rambla, was the private residence of Gaudí’s patron, Count Güell.

The wealthy industrialist, landowner and politician Eusebi Güell was Antoni Gaudí’s main patron. In 1885, when the architect was still unknown, Count Güell commissioned him to design his private residence, which would become Barcelona’s Palau Güell in 1890.

Gaudí was aware that Güell wanted to show off his wealth to his friends and acquaintances and he created an unusual, bold architectural project. He made innovative use of traditional building techniques, as well a wide variety of materials, with particular emphasis on more expensive ones such as marble. 

In Palau Güell, Gaudí combined the typical square structure of Catalan medieval palazzos and exquisite wooden coffered ceilings with innovations such as the parabolic arch, which became a hallmark of his work

Detail of the parabolic arch, where it can be distinguished the G from Güell

Phoenix rising from the ashes, the symbol of the Catalan Renaissance

Antoni Gaudí didn’t just create a palazzo in Barcelona, he created a metaphor too, as the building rises up, like Güell, from poor beginnings, represented by the austerity of the basement and ground floor, to wealth, as embodied by the riot of colour on the roof

The ground floor, with its simple grey marble, contrasts magically with the interplay of colours and forms of the 20 sculptural chimneys on the roof, which are covered in broken pieces of ceramic tile, marble and stained glass and are the iconic symbols of the Palau Güell

The stables of El Palau Güell, characterised by pillars with mushrooms-shaped capitals

This staircase leads to the mezzanine, a floor used to manage the business affaires of the Güell family. At the end, a stained glass window designed by Gaudí

Parabolic archs in the first floor of the Palau Güell

The ceiling of the central hall in the Palau Güell

 A highly decorated wooden ceiling of the first floor

One of the sculptural chimneys on the roof of the Palau Güell

Next I give you some useful Information in case you want to visit El Palau Güell:

- Address: Nou de la Rambla, 3

- Phone: 934 725 775

- How to get there: Metro L3, stop Liceu. Bus 14, 59, 91 and 120.

- Web site: www.palauguell.cat

- Opening time:

• From October to March: from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 5.30pm.
• From April to September: from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 8pm.

- Free entrance the first Sunday of every month, April 23 and May 18.

Other modernist masterpieces designed by Antoni Gaudí are:

• Sagrada Familia
• Park Güell
• Casa Vicens
• Casa Milà (also known as La Pedrera)
• Casa Batlló
• Col·legi de les Teresianes
• Casa Calvet
• Torre Bellesguard and Viaduct
• Pabellons Güell

• Cripta de la Colonia Güell
• El Capricho (built in Comillas, a lovely village in Cantabria)

Besides, other modernist buildings you can visit in Barcelona are:

• Palau de la Música Catalana
• La Boqueria
• Casa Fuster
• Casa Terrades or "Casa de les Punxes"
• Casa Thomas
• Casa Amatller
• Casa Lleó i Morera
• Casa Martí (Restaurant els Quatre Gats)

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find more links to other beautiful places in Barcelona.

BARCELONA: CALL JUEU OR JEWISH QUARTER

The medieval jewish quarter of Barcelona was limited by the current streets of Sant Honorat, El Carrer de la Palla, El Carrer del Call and Banys Nous street in the heart of the Barcelona Gothic Quarter. La Plaça de Sant Felip Neri and La Plaça Sant Jaume are the two natural entrances of the jewish quarter of Barcelona.

I really like walking along the narrow streets of El Call Jueu not only because it still retains its medieval essence but also because of the peace and quiet I can breathe in these streets.

Next you can see some pictures I took during one of my walks through the jewish quarter:

This junction between the streets Marlet and Sant Domènec del Call is, in my opinion, the essence and the heart of the medieval jewish quarter of Barcelona

This medieval synagogue in Barcelona was located beside the previous crossing in Marlet street

Sant Domènec del Call, one of the most typical streets of the jewish quarter of Barcelona

La Baixada de Santa Eulàlia, another street of El Call Jueu of Barcelona, located near Sant Felip Neri square. On the left you can see a small chapel

La Volta del Remei street inside the jewish quarter of Barcelona

Some of the streets you have seen in the previous pictures appear in this map of El Call Jueu (or jewish quarter) of Barcelona

Finally, you can enjoy a delicious tea inside the Caj Chai Tea House, located in La Placeta de Manuel Ribé, in the heart of the Barcelona Jewish Quarter (the yellow door you can see in this picture)

In the old city of Barcelona you can also visit other beautiful places:

• Cathedral of Barcelona 
• Santa Anna Church
• Plaça del Pi and Santa Maria del Pi
• Sant Felip Neri Square and Church
• Plaça del Rei
• Plaça de Sant Just and Sant Just i Pastor church
• Plaça Reial
• Church of Santa Maria del Mar
• Aqueduct and Gate of the Roman City
• El Portal de L'Angel
• La Rambla
• El Raval
• Born-La Ribera district
• Sant Pere de les Puelles church
• Carrer Petritxol

Maybe, in the jewish quarter, there aren't as many beautiful buildings as in the gothic quarter, but its narrow and quiet streets are worthy of a visit.

You can also breathe the medieval essence walking along two other well preserved jewish quarters in Catalunya: El Call Jueu de Girona and El Call Jueu de Besalú. By the way, Besalú is a charming village and Girona is a beautiful city to visit.

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find more beautiful places in Barcelona.