Barcelona is one of the most amazing artistic and architectural cities in the world.

From the famous fairytale architecture of Antonio Gaudi to the masterpieces of world-known artists such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, Barcelona has earned its place as a trophy-city of cultural achievement – don’t forget to book in advance to reserve Airport Parking Luton before ever leaving the house.

Here are some of our favorite places in Barcelona for anyone who has a weakness for beauty and art…

The Unfinished Church

When visiting Barcelona you can’t go wrong by first stopping in to see the Sagrada Familia or Church of the Sacred Family.

Inspired by the glorious Vatican complex, the Sagrada Familia is an amazing Roman Catholic church with unique Gothic style architecture unlike any other in the world, and it comes with an interesting history.

With construction estimated to be finished in 2026, this work in progress has already claimed its status as a monument of the city and a World Heritage Sight.

Note: Keep in mind that lines can stretch hundreds of meters already by 9.30am (we learned this from experience), so get there early!

Free Art

For brilliant views of Barcelona, take a stroll through the gardens in Guell Park, and enjoy the peace and architectural additions of Gaudi – or spot the local parrot species that live within the park.

Another really cool experience is to visit the Magic Fountain of Monjuic that features a spectacular display of lights, jets of water and music. And yes, it’s free!

Beautiful Atmosphere

For a step back into the past days of Roman and Medieval architecture, visit the Gothic Quarter in the city centre of old Barcelona. It’s a beautiful quarter and perfect for getting lost in.

In fact, we recommend you forget about the map for a while and just wander the narrowest streets you can find, window shopping in the odd boutiques and taking in the beauty of flower pots and laundry hanging from the balconies.

While you’re in the area, also make sure to check out amazing concert hall Liceu.

Considered one of the finest opera houses in Europe, the Liceu has been elegantly decorated with plush red carpets, ornate carvings, and distinguished gold leafing.

Even if you’re not going to buy a ticket, it’s worth having a look inside.

Another great concert hall, Palau de la Musica Catalana is known for its modernista architecture and design. The Paula de la Musica Catalina is a must see, lit up by a magnificent stained-glass skylight and decorated in thousands of ceramic roses.

Favorite Museum

There are plenty of interesting museums, but the one that we feel just can’t be left out is the Picasso Museum.

Each piece in this gallery is arranged by Picasso’s age, so that it is an interesting look into the progression of art-style and life of this magnificent painter.

Walk in Picasso’s Footsteps

To take a deeper look into the life of Picasso, I recommend visiting some of the old places he once frequented while living in Barcelona, that would come to influence his artwork over time.

In Picasso’s early art career, he frequently visited Els Quatre Gats or The Four Cats. This colloquial Catalan expression for “only a few people”opened in 1897 and is now a pub and restaurant.

Pass by the Escola de Belles Arts de Llotja an art school where Picasso was once enrolled that is situated in the same neighborhood where this artists once lived.

Day Trip To Figueres

Take a day trip from Barcelona to Figueres the hometown of famous artist Salvador Dali. Here you will find the Salvador Dalí Theater-Museum, a wonderous and eye-catching look into Dali’s genius.

You won’t want to miss this unique look into Dali’s perception of the world with extraordinary art exhibitions and displays. When you have seen all there is to see, you will be happy that you reserved Parking at Gatwick after the long journey!

What place in Barcelona would you recommend for art lovers?

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After having spent a few days in Dublin last week during the 2011 Europe Train Challenge, we left with many memories and impressions of the city. Here is a quick round up of our thoughts and what we learned and loved about Dublin:

A Stranger Is A Friend You Haven’t Talked To Yet

In Dublin, we found the locals very talkative and easy going. If you stand next to someone at a bus stop you can be sure to know their life story 10 minutes later, which when we mentioned this to a local girl she completely agreed.

Apparently (according to a guy we met in London), the Irish people have a rumor of being rude and weird. We did not find that true at all, but we suspect that their rumor might have something to do with Britts and Irish in particular.

The Pubs And The Golden Mile

I’ve never been in a city with so many pubs! We saw more pubs in this city than there were shops.

Nobody knows how many pubs there are here, but it would definitely take you years before you’ve visited them all. Our friend Anna who has been living in Dublin for over two years still hasn’t been to all of them, despite going out practically every night.

The Golden Mile is a nickname given to Great Victoria Street, which is a long street jam packed with pubs. It’s called the Golden Mile because few ever make it to the end of the street – people try for years to drink at every pub on the street in one night, but few are able to finish. Besides, if anyone were to finish the Golden Mile, they would most likely end up needing Intervention Support due to alcoholism.

Let’s face it, if you can finish the Golden Mile, you obviously know your way around a bottle.

In Ireland, pubs are the meeting point. While in other cities you go to cafes with friends, here you go to pubs.

Alcohol in itself is a big part of Irish culture. This is where Guinness Stout, Irish Whiskey and Irish coffee are from. In Dublin you will find the brewery as well as the store house for both Guinness and Jamesons Whiskey, and if you want you can take a tour there.

Of course, they Irish put a dash of whiskey in their coffee too – and to be honest, I think it was a good idea.

The Best, the Oldest and the Traditional

Oldest sea food restaurant, oldest pub, oldest fish n chip place, oldest church… Being the oldest or best in something is a big hit here, and the Dubliners are very proud of their heritage.

Dublin is also home to world famous writers and poets: Jonathan Swift, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde were all from Dublin. The historic library, Trinity College (where many famous writers studied) are great places to visit in Dublin to get some insight of the Irish literary.

Compared to other places, you can also find a lot of food and drink that is “traditionally Irish”, which is great fun for the traveler.

And best of all, it’s not a tourist act, it actually what the Irish people eat and drink as well.

The Colorful Doors

The first thing I noticed when arriving in Dublin were the bright colorful doors on every house, and the traditional architecture on the buildings.

There are two theories of where the colorful doors come from:

1. When Queen Victoria died, everyone was told to paint their doors black in mourning. In revolt, the Irish did the opposite and painted their doors in bright beautiful colors.
2. The women painted their doors in different colors so that their drunken men wouldn’t miss it and walk into the wrong house.

In my opinion, it could be either one!

The Irish Music

Irish music has a long history and is very important to the Irish people. The songs are like stories, and the music has a very special touch to it with violins.

Irish music is plays at nearly every pub in town every night of the week, and really enhances the experience of the pub.

Have you been to Dublin? What do you remember, like or dislike about the city?