oLa Catedral CATHEDRAL
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; 
%93 342 82 62; www.catedralbcn.org; Plaça de la Seu; donation entrance €7, choir €3, roof €3; 
h8am-12.45pm & 5.45-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Sat & Sun, entry by donation 1-5.30pm Mon,1-5pm Sat, 2-5pm Sun; 
mJaume I)
Barcelona’s central place of worship presents a magnificent image. The richly decorated main facade, dotted with gargoyles and the stone intricacies you would expect of northern European Gothic, sets it quite apart from other churches in Barcelona. The facade was actually added in 1870, although the rest of the building was built between 1298 and 1460. The other facades are sparse in decoration, and the octagonal, flat-roofed towers are a clear reminder that, even here, Catalan Gothic architectural principles prevailed.
oMuseu d’Història de Barcelona MUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; MUHBA; %93 256 21 00; www.museuhistoria.bcn.cat; Plaça del Rei; adult/concession/child €7/5/free, 3-8pm Sun & 1st Sun of month free; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat, to 2pm Mon, to 8pm Sun; mJaume I)
One of Barcelona’s most fascinating museums takes you back through the centuries to the very foundations of Roman Barcino. You’ll stroll over ruins of the old streets, sewers, laundries and wine- and fish-making factories that flourished here following the town’s founding by Emperor Augustus around 10 BC. Equally impressive is the building itself, which was once part of the Palau Reial Major (Grand Royal Palace) on Plaça del Rei, among the key locations of medieval princely power in Barcelona.
Gran Teatre del Liceu ARCHITECTURE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %93 485 99 00; www.liceubarcelona.cat; La Rambla 51-59; tours adult/concession/child under 7yr 45min €9/7.50/free, 25min €6/5/free; h45min tours hourly 2-6pm Mon-Fri, from 9.30am Sat, 25min tours 1.30pm Mon-Sat; mLiceu)
If you can’t catch a night at the opera, you can still have a look around one of Europe’s greatest opera houses, known to locals as the Liceu. Smaller than Milan’s La Scala but bigger than Venice’s La Fenice, it can seat up to 2300 people in its grand auditorium.
Plaça del Rei SQUARE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; King’s Square; mJaume I)
Plaça del Rei is a picturesque plaza where Fernando and Isabel are thought to have received Columbus following his first New World voyage. It is the courtyard of the former Palau Reial Major. The palace today houses a superb history museum, with significant Roman ruins underground.
Palau de la Generalitat HISTORIC BUILDING
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; http://presidencia.gencat.cat; Plaça de Sant Jaume; h2nd & 4th weekend of month; mJaume I)
Founded in the early 15th century, the Palau de la Generalitat is open on limited occasions only (one-hour guided tours on the second and fourth weekends of the month, plus open-door days). The most impressive of the ceremonial halls is the Saló de Sant Jordi (Hall of St George), named after the region’s patron saint. To see inside, book on the website.
Temple d’August RUINS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %93 256 21 22; www.muhba.cat; Carrer del Paradis 10; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat, to 8pm Sun, to 2pm Mon; mJaume I) 
F
Opposite the southeast end of La Catedral, narrow Carrer del Paradis leads towards Plaça de Sant Jaume. Inside No 10, an intriguing building with Gothic and baroque touches, are four columns and the architrave of Barcelona’s main Roman temple, dedicated to Caesar Augustus and built to worship his imperial highness in the 1st century AD.
Plaça Reial SQUARE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; mLiceu)
One of the most photogenic squares in Barcelona, and certainly its liveliest. Numerous restaurants, bars and nightspots lie beneath the arcades of 19th-century neoclassical buildings, with a buzz of activity at all hours.
BARCELONA IN…
One Day
On day one, spend the morning exploring the narrow medieval lanes of the Barri Gòtic. Have a peek inside La Catedral – not missing its geese-filled cloister – and stroll through the picturesque squares of Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol and Plaça Reial . Discover Barcelona’s ancient roots in the fascinating Museu d’Història de Barcelona . Before lunch, have a wander down La Rambla to take in the passing people parade.
In the afternoon, wander over to La Ribera, which is packed with architectural treasures. Have a look inside the majestic Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar . At the Museu Picasso (MAP GOOGLE MAP), beautifully set inside conjoined medieval mansions, you can spend a few hours taking in the early works of one of the great artists of the 20th century.
Before having a late dinner (as is the custom in Spain), catch a show inside the Palau de la Música Catalana, one of the great Modernista masterpieces of Barcelona. Afterwards end the night with tropically infused libations at candlelit Rubí .
Two Days
On day two start with a morning visit to La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s wondrous work in progress. It’s worth paying a little extra for a guided tour (or audioguide) for a deeper understanding of Barcelona’s most famous sight.
After lunch, explore more of the great Modernista buildings by taking a stroll down L’Eixample’s Passeig de Gràcia. Have a look at one of Gaudí’s house museums – either Casa Batlló or La Pedrera – further up the street.
In the evening catch a football match at Camp Nou, the home of the top-ranked FC Barcelona. Amid the roar of the crowds, prepare for a serious adrenaline rush, especially if Barça is playing arch-rival Real Madrid.
Three Days
On your third day in Barcelona it’s time to take in the lovely Mediterranean. Start the morning with a stroll, jog or a bike ride along the waterfront. Beach-facing restaurants and cafes provide refreshment along the way.
Stroll through Barceloneta, stopping for a peek inside the Mercat de la Barceloneta and for pastries at Baluard . Afterwards visit the Museu d’Història de Catalunya and peel back the centuries on an interactive journey into Catalan history.
At night catch a live band inside the Gothic quarter. Harlem Jazz Club and Jamboree are good bets for jazz and world music. If you still have energy, check out a few bars more off the beaten track, like L’Ascensor, a cosy drinking den with nicely mixed cocktails and a more grown-up crowd than other parts of Barri Gòtic.
Ajuntament ARCHITECTURE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Casa de la Ciutat; %93 402 70 00; www.bcn.cat; Plaça de Sant Jaume; h10.30am-1.30pm Sun; mJaume I) F
The Ajuntament, otherwise known as the Casa de la Ciutat, has been the seat of power for centuries. The Consell de Cent (the city’s ruling council) first sat here in the 14th century, but the building has lamentably undergone many changes over the centuries, and only the original, now disused, entrance on Carrer de la Ciutat retains its Gothic ornament.
Plaça de Sant Jaume SQUARE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; mLiceu, Jaume I)
In the 2000 or so years since the Romans settled here, the area around this often-remodelled square, which started life as the forum, has been the focus of Barcelona’s civic life. This is still the central staging area for Barcelona’s traditional festivals. Facing each other across the square are the Palau de la Generalitat, seat of Catalonia’s regional government, on the north side and the Ajuntament to the south.
Palau de la Virreina ARCHITECTURE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; La Rambla 99; mLiceu)
The Palau de la Virreina is a grand 18th-century rococo mansion (with some neoclassical elements) housing an arts/entertainment information and ticket office run by the Ajuntament. Built by Manuel d’Amat i de Junyent, the corrupt captain general of Chile (a Spanish colony that included the Peruvian silver mines of Potosí), it is a rare example of such a post-baroque building in Barcelona.
ROMAN REMAINS
From Plaça del Rei it’s worth taking a detour northeast to see the two best surviving stretches of Barcelona’s Roman walls (MAP GOOGLE MAP; mJaume I), which once boasted 78 towers (as much a matter of prestige as of defence). One wall is on the southern side of Plaça Ramon de Berenguer Gran, with the Capella Reial de Santa Àgata (MAP GOOGLE MAP; MUHBA, Plaça del Rei; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat, to 2pm Mon, to 8pm Sun; mJaume I) atop. The square itself is dominated by a statue of count-king Ramon de Berenguer Gran done by Josep Llimona in 1880. The other wall is a little further south, by the northern end of Carrer del Sots-Tinent Navarro. The Romans built and reinforced these walls in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, after the first attacks by Germanic tribes from the north.
Along Carrer de la Canuda, a block east of the top end of La Rambla, is a sunken garden where a series of Roman tombs (MAP; %93 256 21 22; www.muhba.cat; Plaça de la Vila de Madrid; adult/concession/child €2/1.50/free; h11am-2pm Tue & Thu, to 7pm Sat & Sun; mCatalunya) lies exposed. A smallish display in Spanish and Catalan by the tombs explores burial and funerary rites and customs. A few bits of pottery (including a burial amphora with the skeleton of a three-year-old Roman child) accompany the display.
