Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in the world, with hotel accommodation figures that exceeded 9 million visitors last year. Tourism in the Catalan capital has grown at a dizzying pace over the last few years. And it continues to do so today as international recognition increases for its architecture, heritage, culture, and gastronomy, all of which have captivated the world. For this reason, at Hoteles Silken we offer you a tourist tour through the city’s main attractions. From modernist buildings to museums and sports facilities, according to the Statistical Yearbook of the City of Barcelona, these are the places you cannot miss if you decide to visit it.
Sagrada Familia
This unfinished monument, which when completed, presumably in 2026, will make the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world, has spent years at the top of all rankings, continuously receiving more than four and a half million visitors annually. Begun in 1882, when Catalan modernist architecture was at its height, Antoni Gaudí’s basilica has become not only the greatest exponent of the movement but also a legend at 70% completion. As reflected in the crypt and the apse, although the temple was conceived on the basis of neo-Gothic architecture, Gaudí managed to create a completely unprecedented organic architecture in which structures and geometries were inspired by nature, thus giving greater prominence to light and color. Conceived, some say, as an immense interior forest, this spiritual center recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site consists of five naves with a three-aisled transept forming a Latin cross and will have, when the project is completed, up to 18 towers with a pyramidal structure.
Opening hours:
From November to February: from 09:00 to 18:00
March: from 09:00 to 19:00
From April to September: from 09:00 to 20:00
October: from 09:00 to 19:00
25 and 6 December and 1 and 2 January: from 09:00 to 14:00
Price:
€17 basic ticket
How to get there:
Metro L2 (purple) and L5 (blue) Sagrada Familia
Urban bus lines 19, 33, 34, 43, 44, 50, 51, B20 and B24
Park Güell
Located on an area of approximately 18 hectares on one of the slopes of El Carmel, the construction of what is now Park Güell began in 1900 as a commission from the industrialist Eusebi Güell to Gaudí for the design of a housing development for wealthy families. Although it was initially conceived as a residential area in the style of the British parks of the time, it was later transformed into a private garden until in 1922 the city council definitively turned it into a public park. Park Güell has its main entrance on Carrer d’Olot, where two side pavilions guide the visitor towards the three-flight staircase where the park’s most famous image is located, the dragon —or salamander— in colorful mosaics. From there you access the so-called Hypostyle Hall, which, with its 86 columns intended to house a market, demonstrates Gaudí’s devotion to forms found in nature. Just above it, the Nature Square offers unbeatable views of the city from its undulating benches also covered in mosaic using the trencadís technique.
Opening hours:
From 27 October to 15 February: from 8:30 to 18:15
From 16 February to 30 March: from 8:30 to 19:00
From 31 May to 28 April: from 8:00 to 20:30
From 29 April to 25 August: from 8:00 to 21:30
From 26 August to 26 October: from 8:00 to 20:30
Price:
€10 general admission (Bus Güell included)
How to get there:
Metro L3 (green) Vallcarca or Lesseps
Urban bus lines H6, 32, 24 and 92
FC Barcelona Museum
Thanks to its 129 titles —including 26 league titles and 5 Champions Leagues—, a unique style of play, and values of ambition and teamwork shared by the coaching staff and players, FC Barcelona has become one of the leading European clubs. As a result, Camp Nou and its museum are a pilgrimage center for the thousands of tourists who visit the city every year. This has led to the Camp Nou Experience, the complete experience designed by the club itself so that visitors can see the locker rooms, walk the path to the pitch through the tunnel, sit on the benches, and visit the press room. And after immersing themselves in the blaugrana feeling with the tour of the facilities, the approximately hour-and-a-half visit culminates in the museum, the ideal place to relive the club’s history through the trophy gallery, the European cups, and its audiovisual and multimedia area.
Opening hours:
From 2 January to 6 January: from 9:30 to 19:30 (Monday to Sunday)
From 7 January to 13 April: from 10:00 to 18:30 (Monday to Saturday) and from 10:00 to 14:30 (Sundays)
From 14 April to 13 October: from 9:30 to 19:30 (Monday to Sunday)
From 14 October to 15 December: from 10:00 to 18:30 (Monday to Saturday) and from 10:00 to 14:30 (Sundays)
From 16 December to 31 December: from 9:30 to 19:30 (Monday to Sunday)
1 January and 25 December closed
On days of sports competitions, the tour may be affected by training sessions, matches, or other events.
Price:
General admission €26
How to get there:
Metro L3 (green) Palau Reial or Les Corts and L5 (blue) Collblanc and Badal
TRAM to Palau Reial
Urban bus lines 54, 50, 59, 62, 70, 75, 54, 57, 157, D20, H8, L12, H6, L79, L97
Aquarium
With more than 11,000 fish from up to 450 different species, the Barcelona Aquarium is one of the most important in the world thanks to its specialization in the Mediterranean Sea. Apart from the Mediterranean and tropical aquariums that display both native marine varieties and the most exotic from the rest of the seas of the planet, its main attraction is the Oceanarium, an aquarium 36 meters in diameter and an 80-meter-long tunnel with nearly four million liters of water that allows you to walk through the Mediterranean Sea without getting wet. As a star activity, the Aquarium offers sea lovers the possibility of diving with sharks in the main tank of the enclosure, as well as sleeping with them and waking up the next day surrounded by underwater flora and fauna.
Opening hours:
Every day of the year opening at 10:00 and closing depending on the time of year. Check the Official Website for more information.
Price:
General admission €21
How to get there:
Metro L3 (green) Drassanes and L4 (yellow) Barceloneta
Urban bus lines V17, 14, 56, 57, 59, 64, 159 and 30
As could not be otherwise in a city of such national and international importance, Silken has up to five hotels in the Catalan capital, most of them four-star and equipped for a wide variety of travelers. Central hotels, in historic buildings, or for business trips, every visitor will find the Silken Barcelona that fits their travel expectations. We hope you enjoy the city and the comfort of our hotels!
