Museums

Barcelona has a rich cultural offer that includes a large number of museums such us the Picasso Museum, the MACBA and the Joan Miró foundation. The number of visits to Barcelona’s museums has increased dramatically in recent years.

Here is a list of some of the most important museums in Barcelona

Picasso Museum
Probably Barcelona's most famous museum as it contains one of the most extensive collections of Picasso's works although doesn't contain him most important work 'Guernica'.
Located at Carrer Montcada 15-23, (Metro Jaume I) .
Opening hours: 10am-8pm Tue-Sat: 10am-3pm Sun (last entry 30 min. before closing). Free guided tours to the permanent collection.
Admission Permanent collection only 5 €; 2,5€ concessions. With temporary exhibition 8€; 4,70 concessions. Free under-16s. Free (museum only) 1st Sun of month.

Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA)
The MACBA is probably of the most important museums in Barcelona. It has experienced a very significant increase in the number of visits since it opened to the public on November 28th, 1995. The MACBA which was designed by the American architect Richard Meier, hosts a number of collections and exhibitions/activities.
Locate at Plaça dels Ángels 1 (Metro Catalunya), just 2 min from Plaça Catalunya.
Opening hours: June-Sept 11am-8pm Mon, Wed-Fri; 10am-8pm Sat; 10-3pm Sun. Oct-May 11am-7:30pm Mond, Wed-Fri; 10am-8pm Sat; 10am-3pm Sun. Guided tours (catalan/Spanish) 6pm Wed, Sat; noon Sun. Admission Museum 5,50 €, Concessions 4€. Temporary exhibitions 4€, Concessions 3€. Combined ticket 7€, 5,50€ concessions.

Joan Miró Foundation
Located at Parc de Montjuïc (Metro Paral.lel, then Funicular de Montjuïc or take the bus no. 61) Opening hours: July-Sept 10am-8pm Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat; 10am-9.30pm Thur, 10am-2.30pm Sun. Oct-June 10am-7pm Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat; 10am-9.30pm Thur; 10am-2.30pm Sun. Guided tours 11.30pm Sat, Sun. Admission All exhibirions 7.20€, Concessions 3.90€. Permanent exhibitions 3,60 €; 1.80 € Concessions. Free under-14s

MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya)
Focused on the history of the Catalan art from the Romanesque period to the twentieth century.
Located at Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc (Metro Espanya)
Opening hours: Open 10am-7pm Tue-Sat; 10am-2.30pm Sun. Admission: all exhibitions 6€, Concessions 4,20€. Free under-7s. Permanent exhibitions 4,80€; Concessions 3,30€. Temporary exhibitions 4,20€, Concessions 2,10€-2,90€.

Antoni Tàpies Foundation
Located at Carrer Aragó 255 (Metro Passeig de Gràcia)
Open 10am-8pm Tue-Sun. Admission 4,20€, Concessions 2,10€. Free under-16s.

Nou Camp – F.C.Barcelona
Believe it or not, this is Catalunya's most visited museum.
Located at the Nou Camp, Avda. Arístides Maillol, acces 9, Les Corts (Metro Maria Cristina or Collblanc) .
Opening hours: 10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat ; 10am-2pm Sun. Admission 5,30€, Concessions 3,70 €; free under-5s. Guided tour 9,50 €; Concessions 6,60€.

Perfume Museum
Located at the Passeig de Gràcia 39 (Metro Passeig de Gràcia)
Opening hours: 10.30am-1.30pm, 4.30-8pm Mon-Fri ; 11am-2pm Sat. Admission free.

Maritime Museum
Located at Avda. De les Drassanes (Metro Drassanes)
Opening hours: 10am-7pm daily. Admission 5,40€, Concessions 2,70€. Free under-7s.

Palau de la Música Catalana
Located at Carrer Sant Francesc de Paula 2 (Metro Uriquinaona)
Bow office 10am-9pm Mon-Sat. Guided tours 10am-3.3pm daily. Admission 7€, Concessions 6€.

Chocolate Museum
Located at Antic convent de Sant Agustí, Plaça Pons I Clerch (Metro Jaume I)
Opening hours: 10am-7pm Mon, Wed-Sat 10am-3pm, Sun. Admission 3,80€, 3,20 € concessions. Free under-7s.

Textile and Clothing Museum
Address: C/ Montcada 12 (Metro Jaume I) - Tel. +34 93 319 76 03
Open 10am-6pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun. Admission includes admission to Museu de Artes Decoratives and Museu de Ceràmica 3,50 €, Concessions 2 €. Free under-16s. Free 1st Sun of month.

Natural Science Museum (Geology museum and Zoology museum)
Address: Parc de la Ciutadella, s/n - Tel. +34 93 319 69 12
Open 10am-2:30pm Tue-Sun, 10am-6:pm Thursday and Sunday. Admission includes admission to Geology museum, zoology museum and botanical garden 5,00€, Concessions 3,50€. Free under-16s. Free 1st Sun of month.

Tip: Barcelona museums are free on the first Sunday of each month, except the City History Museum, which is free on the afternoon of the first Saturday in each month.

Tags: barcelona museums

Bars

Barcelona has an extremely large list of Bars so don’t try having a drink in each of them :-)

Here are some tips regarding bars in Barcelona:

A smoking ban was implemented last in Spain, however it is not a ‘strict’ smoking ban as in the majority of the bars, the owner can choose whether smoking is allowed so in fact you will find a very small number of bars and restaurants were the smoking ban is applied.

Most bars close between 2 (Sun - Thu) and 3 am (Fri - Sat) although clubs stay open until 5am.

Also, be aware that Spanish people go out quite late, so don’t expect many people before 11pm, so if you plan going to a club, don’t go before 12 or 1am as there will be a handful of people.

Alcohol is cheaper than some other countries although is getting more and more expensive. However, if you come from Ireland, UK or Scandinavian countries, you will still find it very cheap.

Bottle of beer could be up to €4, although it depends on the bar and the area this is located. Spirits and mixed drinks cost around €6 (although you may pay up to €12). However, be aware that the amount of alcohol served depends on the waiter/waitress as there is no ‘standard’ measure so you can always try asking for an extra shot. Waiters and waitresses are quite generous so even if they don’t give you an extra shot, the amount of alcohol served is usually more than enough.

Most of the clubs and discotheques have a cover charge which could be up to €12 (price often includes a drink). One piece of advice: bouncers may not allow you entrance for whatever reason (the way you dress, place is packed, you are too drunk, ...), DO NOT argue, it is pointless and you may get into trouble, so just turn around and go somewhere else.

Estrella Damm, San Miguel and Voll-Damm (7.2º) are the local beers. Among them, Estrella is the most popular one.

Click here for a list of Irish pubs in Barcelona.

Click here for a list of Bars and Clubs in Barcelona

So, just let us know which is your favourite bar in Barcelona once you come back.

Summer Activities

Most of the inhabitants of Barcelona take their holidays in July and August and they run away in the search of beaches and fun. However, there are some that we remain and we want also to have fun!!

Here are a couple of nice options:

Mercè 2006 Festival

Barcelona's summer festival will take place from the 22nd to the 25th of September with more than 800 events planned. These include 183 concerts, castellers (human castles), street parade, Fotomercè photo competition, Cursa de la Mercè (10k run competition), etc. Although the dates of the festival are from the 22nd to the 25th, the organized events will start on the 17th of September until the 1st of October.

For further details click here or go to any tourist office for a complete programme of events.

Unfortunately, most of the links regarding the Mercè 2006 festival are just in Catalan and Spanish so you may need some Spanish or Catalan classes.


Jazz in Barcelona
Next 24th of September starts the 16th Festival de l'Hora del Jazz-Memorial Tete Montoliu. In order to bring Jazz to people, a total of 8 free Jazz concerts will be performed at Plaça Rius i Taulet during the month of September.

Concerts will be performed at 12 and 13h at Plaça Rius i Taulet. Click here for further details, although the English version has not been update so you have to refer to the Spanish or Catalan section (this is an excellent oportunity to improve your Catalan or Spanish :-) ).

Jazz at the Parc de la Ciutadella
You like Jazz? and for free?!? If the answer is YES, read carefully. During August a total of 9 Jazz concerts will be performed at the Parc de la Ciutadella.

Programme:
Wednesday 2nd of August: VJ Unión
Friday4th of August: Conxita Ribas Quartet
Wednesday 9th of August: Miguel Angel Cordero Quintet
Friday 11th of August: Jon Robles Trio
Wednesday 16th of August: Lluís Coloma Trio
Friday 18th of August: Anna Luna Quartet
Wednesday 23rd of August: La Latin Soul Band
Friday 25th of August: Joan Abril Quartet
Wednesday 30th of August: Jordi Matas TrioSETEMBRE
Friday 1st of September: Ana Cisneros Quinteto

* All concerts begin at 10pm.

Accomodation

There are different factors to consider when looking for accomodation.

First of all is the location: I would recommend staying close city centre (Plaça Catalunya) so it is not necessary to take the public transport. La Rambla and its surrounding areas (Barri Gotic, el Raval, St. Pere and el Borne) have a high concentration of hotels and hostels however can be noisy as they are usually crowded and over-rated. Also, you should be specially careful with pickpockets.

My favourite area is L'Eixample. It is walking distance from Plaça Catalunya, safer, less crowded and the quality of the hotels and hostels is higher for a lower price so where possible, I would recommend L'Eixample. However, be aware that L'Eixample is a big area so try always to stay as close as possible to Plaça Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia.

Once the area has been decided, you should decide which kind of accommodation: hotels, pensiones (similar to B&Bs), hostels or apartments. Of course it depends on what you are looking for, on your budget and probably on the age of the person looking for accomodation. These last two are usually related as the younger you are, the less money you have :-)

Hostels are generally good in Barcelona. One of the most famous ones is probably Kabul although there are lots of hostels around the Ramblas. Pensiones are also a cheap option and the quality is pretty good. Again there are lots of Pensiones around the Ramblas.

If you are looking for a higher standard, you should go to a Hotel. Quality of the hotels in Barcelona is generally good so a 3* hotel is more than enough. Of course there are 4 and 5 star hotels, however the price is usually quite expensive.


Last option, and this is probably my favourite is an apartment. It is the best option for families and groups of friends as it is usually cheaper than hotels (of course it depends on the number of people) as they allow you to do whatever you want. It may be tricky getting an apartment in city centre but if you don't mind taking public transport or walking, you may stay slightly away from city centre for a very reasonable price.

Click here for hotels in Barcelona.

Irish Pubs in Barcelona

Any city can be calibrated by their Irish Pubs, here is a summary of the best known in Barcelona

Irish people will be happy (or not) to know that although there is a smoking ban in Spain, it is allowed to smoke so you will be able to enjoy a Guinness and a smoke all the same time without having to go outside. For those of you that don't smoke, it will be like going back to the good old days when smoking was allowed.

Michael Collins is probably one of the best Irish bars in Barcelona. Located just beside the Sagrada Familia, it offers live music from Friday to Sunday from 23h, all the sport you want (GAA, rugby, premiership and of course F.C. Barcelona). If you are looking for good craic, Michael Collins is your place.

Molly's Fair is located on Ferran Street, just beside las Ramblas (Metro L3 Liceu). Nice Irish bar to stop by for a Guinness. Apart from Molly's Fair, there are several other Irish pubs on the same Ferra Street (O' Hara´s, My Bar and Temple Bar). So if you are in city centre and looking for GAA, rugby, the premiership or simply a pint, Ferran Street is your place.

Flaherty's Irish Bar, family own pub founded in 2001 is located just beside les Rambles. Traditional Irish Breakfast server. It also has a plasma screen were major sport events are broadcasted (GAA, rugby, soccer). Great atmosphere.

So, which is your favourite Irish Pub in Barcelona ?

Click here for suggestions regarding bars and clubs.


Tags: irish bar barcelona, irish pub barcelona