Barcelona in March
Weather: Visiting Barcelona in March would mean less crowds but the weather is a hit and miss, i.e. one day it might be as hot as 23 degrees, and then the next day it might rain for a while or feel as cold as 16 degrees or even less. Most sites would tell you that temperature ranges from 16 - 7 degrees, although it generally starts to get warmer in the city in March. I wanted to go swimming, but the average sea temperature is around 14 degrees which is still too cold for such.
Clothes: So you should be able to wear something that is flexible and can adapt from hot days to windy and or rainy afternoons. A cardigan or leather jacket is one solution, or layer your clothes in such a way that you can take away 1 when it gets too hot and just put it back when the chilly afternoon comes.
Also do remember that most of the tourist spots in the city are religious and thus, expect some of them to enforce strict dress code.
Shoes: Barcelona for me is one of those relatively walkable cities if you have plotted your route well. Wear a pair of shoes comfortable for walking and at the same time, is ready for rains.
Travel card: Although I said that Barcelona is relatively walkable, you'd still benefit from a travel card. We opted for the Barcelona Travel Card Hola BCN which includes unlimited journeys on bus, metro and the rest of BCN public transport over a period of 2 - 5 consecutive days on a single ticket since the point of first validation. One of the great advantages of this ticket is you can use this to travel between the airport and the city centre! It also eliminates the hassle of buying tickets whenever you will use any kind of public transport when exploring the city. Just take care of your ticket. You can also exchange it for a new ticket if it gets defective (e.g. ours got folded in our pockets and it affected the bar being scanned for using the card) with a member of staff in the stations.
Tip: avail of the 10% discount if you buy your travel card online and just claim the tickets from the tourist information desk in the airport. Check it online for more information: Hola BCN.
So what to do in Barcelona in March?
Basílica de la Sagrada Família
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| Front Facade of Sagrada Familia |
Not someone who is religious? This place is still worth a visit. For me, this is Gaudí's most brilliant masterpiece. Construction began in 1882 and is expected to be completed in 2026 (144 years after), and 100 years after the death of its Catalan architect, Antonio Gaudí.
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| Inside the basilica |
The basilica is an expiatory temple to serve as a place to commemorate the reparation of sins made against God or the laws of the church.
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| Stained glass windows inside the basilica |
Admire at Gaudí's impressive masterpiece both from inside and outside.
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| Back facade of Sagrada Familia |
It is open 9AM - 7PM, and has an admission fee of €15 for a basic ticket, and €29 for admission to the towers.
Plan your visit.
Recommended length of stay: a minimum of 1 hour
Gaudí-hopping
For art enthusiasts, Barcelona is a treasure trove of modernisme architecture. Antoni Gaudí is one of the most famous figures of Catalan culture and world architecture. A man of faith, he was known as an observer of both nature and modern architecture. He spent over 40 years of his life designing the Sagrada Familia, while at the same time designing other masterpieces scattered throughout the city.
Gaudí spots to check out:
A. Sagrada Familia
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Interior of Sagrada Familia
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| Basilica's interiors (sideview) |
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| Close up of the facade of Sagrada Familia |
B. Park Güell
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| Park Guell |
Commissioned by Eusebi Güell, Park Güell sits atop Carmen Hill, and is a public park system composed of amazing stone structures, colourful and stunning tilings, and eccentrically beautiful buildings. It was originally planned to be a garden city where both nature and housing (around 60 villas) are built to form a symbiosis. However, no body was interested and it ended up becoming a city park.
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| Portico of the Washerwoman |
There are walkways adorned with irregularly shaped twisting rock pillars that spring from the ground.
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| Twisting Rock Pillars at Park Guell |
The buildings are adorned with eccentrically designed tilings that make it both magical and a bit hypnotic especially when the sun shines on them.
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| The Entrance and Porter's Lodge |
There is a terrace at the top which provides amazing views of both the park and of Barcelona city.
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| View from Terrace |
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| The terrace |
The park is divided into 2 areas, one of which, the Monumental Zone, has an admission fee and because it is one of the most visited sites in the city, this zone only has a set number of people that is allowed entry per period of time. So you have to pre-book your ticket at least 1 or 2 days before your visit. The other areas are free to the public. A general ticket costs €7.
Plan your visit.
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| Monumental Flight of Steps |
Recommended length of stay: 2 hours
Since we were on a budget for this trip, and we weren't exactly that much of art enthusiasts, we opted to just marvel at the other Gaudí spots from the outside rather than going inside and paying the admission fees.
C. Casa Milá
This UNESCO world heritage site, which is also known as La Pedrera ("the stone quarry"), looks like a rising dough or molten lava with no straight lines. Here, Gaudí attempted to recreate natural forms using bricks and mortar, ceramics and smashed cava bottles.
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| La Pedrera |
D. Casa Batlló
Located at the heart of the city, Casa Batlló is considered as Gaudí's most emblematic work. The facade is designed with stone and glass. Be fascinated with the walls designed to be wavy in nature, plastered with lime mortar and adorned with mosaic of fragments of coloured glass and ceramic discs. Its roof is also shaped like an animal's back with large iridescent scales.
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| Casa Batlló |
The Battló family was well known in the city's textile industry, owning several factories in the city.
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| Close up of La Pedrera's facade |
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| Dos Casas |
*Casa Amatller
Check out this adjacent playful Casa designed by Cadafalch for the chocolate baron, Antoni Amatller.
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| Casa Amatller |
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| Close up of Casa Amatller's facade |
Casa Amatller, together with Gaudí's Casa Batlló and Montaner's Casa Lleó, is part of the so-called "manzana de la discordia" (block of discord).
I wasn't able to visit the next three and just did some readings on them:
E. Casa Vicens
This 4 level-summer house was designed by Gaudí for a real estate broker-dealer. It was Gaudí's first built and completed house, which became a UNESCO world human heritage site in 2005. Until this day, it serves as a residence, having been converted from a summer house into 3 apartments back in 1920. But it is now set to be opened as a museum come fall of 2017 after undergoing major restorations.
F. Torre Bellesguard
A combination of Art Nouveau and gothic style, the Bellesguard house was designed by Gaudí using rectilinear forms rarely seen in his other works. It was owned by the Guilera family. Admission fee is €9 with audioguide.
Plan your visit.
G. Teresian College
Originally designed by an unknown architect, the project was passed on to Gaudí in 1889 and was completed within 2 years after. The building is composed of a lower floor plus three stories on a rectangular plane. The first 2 levels are where the classroom and offices are located, and the upper 2 floors house the bedrooms of the nuns and students. The building is characterised by austereness and secretiveness, with the interiors plenty with light peace and shelter - very fitting for a school, and headquarters of the religious order of the Teresians.
Church-hopping
Being the nation who spread Christianity to all of its colonies hundreds of years ago, Spain's religion is largely Roman Catholic. So it is no wonder that Barcelona is home to beautiful churches to serve as places of worship.
Here are notable churches worth the visit:
A. Sagrada Familia
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| Up close of the Altar of Sagrada Familia |
Of course this is our number one. It is both a Gaudi masterpiece and a Roman Catholic church: so you're hitting two birds with one stone. A masterpiece that is taking years (i.e. now on its 135th year of construction) to complete is sure worth the visit.
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| The Altar of Sagrada Familia |
B. Basilica Santa Maria del Mar
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| Facade of Basilica Santa Maria del Mar |
Built with stones transported by merchants, fishermen and noblemen from the mountain of Montjuïc, this Basilica was designed by architects Berenguer de Montagut and Ramon Despuig. It is also known as the "Cathedral of the Sea" in Ildefonso Falcones' novel.
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| Altar of Santa Maria del Mar |
Marvel at its stone pillars leading towards the altar.
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| Inside Santa Maria del Mar |
C. Basilica Santa Maria del Pi
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| Facade of Basilica Santa Maria del Pi |
Found in the Gothic Quarter, Santa Maria del Pi is a Catalan Gothic style basilica with the country's highest cross-vaulted ceiling.
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The Altar of Santa Maria del Pi
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| One of the stained-glass windows at Santa Maria del Pi |
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It is also a museum that houses the largest rosette in Catalonia, and several Medieval gold, silverware and artifacts of Catalonian origins. Marvel at its stained-glass windows created by one of the finest stained-glass artists of the Catalan baroque period, Josep Ravella.
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| Ceiling of Santa Maria del Pi |
D. Barcelona Cathedral
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| Barcelona Cathedral |
A combination of gothic and baroque styles, Barcelona Cathedral began its construction in 1298 and continued in 3 stages over a period of 150 years. Marvel at its Gothic art, Baroque altarpieces, and even the sepulcher of Santa Eulàlia aside from its beautiful exterior.
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Up close the facade of Barcelona Cathedral
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| Sideview of Barcelona Cathedral |
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Again, I wasn't able to visit the next 2 churches and did some readings on them instead:
E. Montserrat Basilica
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| The Atrium |
High up in the Montserrat Abbey is the Monserrat Basilica, which houses the statue of the Black Madonna. Marvel at the Atrium of the Basilica, which is an open-roofed courtyard in front of the Basilica. The interior is a mixture of traditional Catalan architecture and Renaissance shapes. It has many chapels, and at the centre in the altar is the statue of the Black Madonna framed in an ornate window.
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| Chapel of Immaculate Concepcion |
Give ample amount of time to explore this Basilica because of its location. But it sure is worth the visit.
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| The Altar of Montserrat Basilica |
F. Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp
Sant Pau del Camp is the oldest church in Barca. It was built with Lombard Romanesque style and dates back to the year 911. It has survived many attacks and reconstructions through the years. Its simple architecture is a great reminder of its era.
G. Pedralbes Monastery
Founded in 1326, Pedralbes Monastery was originally built in white stone and is surrounded by a line of walls with three floors that are 40 meters long. It has a central garden, and is home to the sepulcher of Queen Elisenda. It sits at the foot of the hill of Sant Pere Màrtir.
Visit the Benedictine monastery atop a mountain, see the Black Virgin, ride funiculars, and go on a hike to explore the mountain for a day trip and more.
Gothic Quarter
Located at the heart of the old city, Barri Gotic bursts with antique buildings and narrow streets dating back to Roman times.
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| Gothic Quarter streets |
Things to do include the famous Las Ramblas street, the Gothic Cathedral, Bisbe Irurita Street, which is a gorgeous pathway leading from the cathedral to Sant Jaume Square, and the Church of Santa Maria del Pi.
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| Plaça Sant Jaume |
Sit back and relax as you people-watch at Sant Jaume Square, which features the City Hall and other government buildings, Plaça del Rei (King's Square) and Plaça Reial (Royal Square).
Las Ramblas
Las Ramblas is Barca's famous street stretching 1.2 km long between Port Vell at the southern end and Plaça Catalunya at the northern end. It is a street lined with trees and plenty of attractions on each side.
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| Buildings along Las Ramblas |
Things to do include the Museu de l'Erotica, walking over a Miró mural, be entertained by human statues and performances, renting a bike, and visiting the La Boqueria, which is the famous city market.
Plaça de España
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| Plaça d'España |
Plaça de España is one of the city's most important landmarks. It serves as a gateway to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, major transportation hub, and other landmarks of interest such as Torres Venecianes, Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, Palau de Congressos de Barcelona, and the Museum Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), among many others.
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| The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc show |
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| The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc |
The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc gives out free spectacular display of lights, water and music every Fridays and Saturdays at 7-9 pm.
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| Plaça de Josep Puig i Cadafalch |
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MNAC
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The MNAC houses one of the world's finest collections of Romanesque mural paintings, featuring Catalan modernism, European Renaissance, and Baroque styles.
