Seven things to do and see in Barcelona as Formula 1 visits Spain
Barcelona is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain known for its art and architecture, located in the region of Catalonia with a population of 1.6 million.
Formula 1 races on the outskirts of the city at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for 66 laps in the Spanish summer heat.
Here, Travel News Blitz’s Ayla Vaughan presents the seven things to do and see in Barcelona.
Passeig De Gracia
Passeig De Gracia is a famous road in Barcelona that is lined with shops, restaurants, bars and some of Antoni Gaudí's architectural masterpieces.
Whilst admiring the Art Nouveau and Modernista buildings, visitors can shop at luxury stores such as Prada, Stella McCartney and Valentino - or enjoy some delicious tapas.
Casa Batlló
Casa Batlló - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is one of Gaudí’s buildings in Barcelona that is a must visit with its stunning exterior that has few straight lines and looks like a skeleton (having the nickname Casa dels Ossos meaning House of Bones).
The house has a colorful mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles, an arched roof (which is commonly likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur) and a turret and cross - representing the lance of Saint George (the patron saint of Catalonia).
Museo Alien
If you’re a movie buff, Museo Alien will be right up your street as you travel through the sets of the Alien movies (a science fiction horror and action movie franchise).
On display are life-sized alien creatures that appear lifelike and reproductions of weapons, statues, busts and other objects used in the movies.
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Watch the Spanish Grand Prix
Formula 1 visits the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to round out the European triple header on May 30 to June 1, and is a home race for Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso.
This 4.657km circuit will not be on the grid for long as F1 plans to race on the streets of Madrid from 2026, so come visit and enjoy the racing at this venue.
Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
Formerly Barcelona's most important hospital (in use until 2009), this lavish Art Nouveau building is the work of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It has arches throughout the building and large windows with 12 pavilions connected through long underground galleries within its large green space.
Palace of Catalan Music
The Palace of Catalan Music is a modernist building, built between 1905 and 1908 (also by Domènech) is decorated with mosaic tiles and stained glass windows.
It serves as a concert hall that more than half a million people a year attend, showcasing symphonic and chamber music to jazz and Cançó (Catalan song).
If you’re in Barcelona at the end of May, you can catch the opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (which is about a US naval officer and Japanese woman’s marriage) and you can buy your tickets at this link.
Casa Vicens Gaudí
Casa Vicens Gaudí was the architect’s first major project, built between 1883 and 1885, in an orientalist style taking inspiration from the art of India, Persia, Japan and more.
It only opened its doors to the public in 2017, where visitors can admire the wine cellar, storage room, dining room, porch, smoking room, kitchen, laundry room, bedrooms, bathrooms, library and attic.
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