Art & culture – All our local tips

Discover and enjoy the sights and the spirit of Barcelona by the freedom and pleasure of  riding a bike.

It is a real and authentic way of getting to know the city, it’s people, colors, smells and noises. Stop and stay wherever and how long you like.

By bike you’ll discover much more places, and enjoy a much more intense experience. It also makes you feel better about the tons of ice cream and tapas you had the days before, and you can enjoy a cold beer or a sangria on the beach with a pure conscience.

The Bikes are high quality classic models, the prices are very decent by offering a great service; the staff is friendly and is always pleased to help you.

Renting a bike for 2 hours costs 6 euros, for 24 hours 15 euros, for 2 days 25 euros and for a whole week 55 euros.

For 21 euros they also offer guided tours that show you in only 3 1/2 hours the historical details and the fascinating experiences of the day to day life and the symbolic places of Barcelona.  The meeting point is right in front of the Hard Rock cafe on Placa Catalunya. Tours start daily at 11:00 and from april to october also at 16:30h.

Always lock the bike to a pole or a fence…Otherwise it won’t last for long.

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Classic Bikes | Art & culture, Relaxing | Bike 2 hours € 6.00
Calle Tallers 45 (inside the passage) | El Raval | +34933171970
10:00 – 20:00 daily

This place great tip if you love cooking international recipes at home, but can’t seem to find some of the ingredients because they are odd here (never mind how popular they are in other latitudes). I’m talking about DeliShop, the kind of food and cooking supplies store you were looking for.

DeliShop develops an interesting culinary and commercial concept (world cooking basics), ideal for a city like Barcelona where an important proportion of its population comes from so many and different places.

What would you like to eat today? Where does that flavour comes from? Let your appetite pick up the right destination: Maybe Japan or India, China, Thailand, North or South America? If you feel curious about other cultures you should go to the DeliShop and take a look. You will make a trip around the world at a glance.

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DeliShop | Art & culture, Shopping
Travessera de Gracia 141 | Gracia | +34932389945
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 21:00

I’ve been visiting this place since 1987 and I still can’t decide whether I love it or hate it.

It’s featured in my novel After Goya. Why would I hate it? Well, though it has improved over the years, the museum has adopted a very traditional way of displaying the collections – all glass cases, broken pots and coins and very little interpretation – it reminds me of compulsory school museum visits.

And why do I love it? It has a fascinating, very extensive, collection of everyday bits and pieces and paper ephemera from the late 19th century.

Frederic Marès was a sculptor and an eccentric, avid collector of things – crucifixes, walking-sticks, opera-glasses, fans, dolls, toy theatres, pipes, cigar-bands, cigarette papers, printers’ handbills, business cards, tram tickets, it goes on and on and on.

As you wander through the galleries you’ll build a fairly strong picture of the leisure preoccupations of the moneyed classes of early 20th century Barcelona.

Through the museum’s omission of any mention of working-class existence you’ll begin to understand the simmering resentments which fueled the class struggle that climaxed with the Spanish Civil War. Marès designed the column, erected to celebrate Franco’s victory, situated at the intersection of Paseo de Gracia and Diagonal.

Another good reason to visit this curious museum is the courtyard and summer café – a lovely spot to chill out with an iced-coffee and a good book. Go there on Wednesday after 14:00, it’s free admission, though one of the galleries will be closed.

IMPORTANT: Was it something I said about the staid feel to the way the collection is displayed? No matter, the important thing to note is that the museum will be closed to visitors for extensive refurbishment until MID 2011 – However the courtyard and café will be open – the courtyard will feature temporary interactive displays and the café will be open all through the year – so, still worth popping your head in to take a look-see.

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Frederic Marès museum | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Free
Plaça Sant Iu 5-6 | El Barrio Gotico | +34932563500
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 19:00, Sun 10:00 – 15:00

Gràcia Arts Project is a small, lively art gallery situated right at the heart of the city.

The gallery is run by a growing association of over 90 artists, designers, photographers, makers, writers, film-makers and performers.

Though it’s called Gràcia Arts Project, because that’s where its roots lay, the gallery is in Barrio Gótico, immediately adjacent to the Generalitat (Catlunyan government HQ). The association has a good multi-national mix, and includes artists originally from the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Italy, Netherlands as well as Catalunya and Spain.

The exhibitions change every two weeks. The gallery also hosts music, poetry, film, spoken word and multi-media events every now and then.

It’s a good spot to visit to get a good, up close feel for the range, quality and sensibility of art being produced in the city right now.

I enjoy going along to the exhibition openings and closings – informal cava fueled affairs which spill out into the street – to meet and chat with some very talented, sparky artists.

There’s an air of creative possibility, and the association has exciting plans for a much larger arts center, including performance spaces and studios, to be based in Gracia. The association is very open to ideas and is looking to form creative partnerships with other artist-run projects across Europe.

Check out their website, take a tour of the virtual gallery, sign up to receive regular e-mail bulletins and invites to openings, closings and surprise events.

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Gràcia Arts Project | Art & culture
C/Honorat 11 | El Barrio Gotico | +34671300638
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 20:00

If, like me, you really enjoy a good art exhibition and really enjoy interesting architecture then check out the CaixaForum, you’ll get to enjoy both.

The building, housing five exhibition spaces, a kids’ art workshop, 350 seat auditorium, café-restaurant and museum shop, is a former state-of- the-art textiles factory.

Based on a romantic re-invention of a medieval castle, and informed by a Utopian desire to provide an inspiring and safe working environment for its workers, when opened in 1912 local people refused to believe the building was a factory.

It only served as a factory for eight years. In 1940 the abandoned building was taken over by Franco’s police as a stables and garage.The current complex opened in 2002. Take the lift to the roof for a good view of the decorative brick, tile and ironwork.

They have a pretty good permanent collection – featuring works by artists such as Joseph Beuys, Sol Lewitt (who produced the permanent work you’ll see on the wall in the entrance) and Richard Long.

They host some some very good exhibitions here. As well as historical shows and retrospectives they also promote an interesting programme of contemporary art.

La Caixa also promotes a lively music programme. During the summer months they host excellent world music gigs in the piazza.

And, when done with wandering this inspired and inspiring building, there’s a café-restaurant which serves drinks, snacks and full blown meals. And admission is FREE.

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La CaixaForum | Art & culture, Music, Festivals & events
Avenida Marquès de Comillas 6-8 | Montjuich | +34934768600
Mon – Fri & Sun 10:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 22:00

I know a place for readers and writers, to take the kids to play football and run around, for families to have a picnic, a place for the elderly, for lovers and friends.

La Ciutadella Park is where everything is possible if the weather’s on your side and this is easy to find in Barcelona where almost never rains.

La Ciutadella Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Barcelona and it’s plenty of cosy corners to talk and spend the time laid over the grass, sit at some bank or walk around through sculptures, statues and trees.

You will find the Museum of Modern Art, The Geology Museum, the Zoo, a greenhouse and a castle called “Three Dragons Castle” where’s also placed the Zoology Museum. This park is a gorgeous open space behind El Borne; it’s close to the France Train Station, the Olympic Village, La Barceloneta, the peer and the beach.

If you use this park as a shortcut to anywhere you’re going, I’m sure you will feel invited to stay. There’s a place for you too. I know.

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La Ciutadella Park | Art & culture, Relaxing
Between Pujades and Picasso streets | El Borne
08:30 – 22:00 daily

Situated uptown between the Vall d’hebron and Horta, you will find this small neighbourhood, very different from the rest of Barcelona. As a matter of fact, you don’t feel you are in a big city but more probably in a small village somewhere in the Catalan countryside.

No big buildings, not even a store, just a small bar hidden between two trees. All is about stone-houses with their gardens, orange and lemon-trees and vegetable-gardens.

You guess this part of Barcelona like many others has been absorbed by the urbanisation of the XX century. But here time seems to do not pass by. Everything is slow-paced, quiet and peaceful. You can listen to the chirping of the birds, even the smell is different.

It’s an excellent place to stroll around if you want to escape from the crowded centre or just to get the feeling to be on vacations in the countryside.

To reach it, take the subway until Vall d’Hebron (line 3).

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La Clota | Art & culture, Relaxing | Wine & tapa € 3.00
Subway Vall d’Hebron (line 3) | Above diagonal
Mon – Sat 13:00 – 15:45 & 20:00 – 23:30

An exhibition space I visit regularly – sometimes re-visiting the same exhibition three or four times – is situated in La Pedrera – the famous apartment building designed by Gaudí.

They have an excellent exhibition program with related talks and debates.

Though a tour of the building, and spectacular rooftop, will cost you 8 euros entrance to the exhibition space is FREE.

The exhibition program promotes a good balance of solo retrospectives and shows about movements or moments in art history. The shows, always accompanied with well-written notes, help you re-appraise or re-contextualize work by artists often overlooked because they didn’t quite fit with the prevailing mood or movement of the time. I’ve learned a lot about art from attending exhibitions here.

If you can understand Spanish it’s worth doing one of the free guided tours of the current exhibition on Fridays at 18:00. The staff here are friendly and helpful, and will look after your bags and coats at no charge. And, just so you know, the exhibition space has a public toilet, handy if you’re on the Paseo de Gràcia, as most of the cafés now only allow customers to use their facilities.

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La Pedrera | Art & culture
Passeig de Gràcia 92 | Eixample | +34902400973
10:00 – 20:00 daily

If you have a shoe fetish like I have, I would recommend you a visit at the Museu del Calçat (shoe museum) on Placa San Felip Neri in the heart of the Gothic Quarter nearby the Cathedral.

Showing the historical development of shoe manufacturing, the museum also displays shoes of famous people like Columbus.

The shoe museum is placed in a beautiful renaissance building which used to be the Shoemaker’s guild in the Middle ages.

It is located on Placa de San Felip Neri, one of the most peaceful, shady and neat squares in the old city center which once was a medieval cemetery.

The Neri hotel has a stylish cafe outside on the square which invites you to have a refreshment and chill for a while in the shade.

If you wonder why an ancient square smells like strawberries and vanilla, you can just have a look at the gorgeous soap factory “Sabater Hermanos” on the square. The family business sells soaps in 40 different fragrances. A bar of chocolate soap costs about € 3.00.

The historic Felip Neri Church right opposite the soap factory reveals scars from the Spanish Civil War on its Baroque walls caused by bomb explosions and executions.

There is so many interesting things to discover on that tiny square but in the end it is a place to relax right in the middle of one of the most buzzing neighborhoods of Barcelona.

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Museu del Calçat | Art & culture | Entrance € 2.50
Placa San Felip Neri | El Barrio Gotico | +34933014533
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 14:00

This is one of my favorite year-round spots to chill out.

During the summer the garden is a great place to cool off, maybe have a packed lunch and read a book, or visit an exhibition, before going back to work. Given its location at the junction of Passeig de Gracìa it’s surprisingly quiet and peaceful.

In the cooler months it’s a good place to pass time between appointments, maybe check out one of, say, three exhibitions. The exhibitions here, often about an aspect of live as is lived, or was lived, in Catalunya, are always interesting and often excellent. Exhibitions have included: the aborted People’s Olympics in 1936 (set up to counter the official Nazi Olympics), a surprisingly excellent exhibition about Catalunya’s future infrastructure needs, Marilyn Monroe’s dresses, and a series of beautiful aerial photographs showing the rich diversity of the regional landscape.

The pavilion in the garden often hosts music gigs as well as exhibitions and talks.

The Information Center here is very good with very knowledgeable and helpful staff who manage a comprehensive range of materials in all the main European languages. If I’m planning a trip out of the city I’ll go along and get advice and information on walking routes, themed trails, museums, hostels and refugios, and local food and drink. A visit here could save you time lining up for information at the main, and very busy, tourist information center in Plaza Catalunya.

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Palau Robert | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Passeig de Gràcia, 107 | Eixample | +34932388091
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 19:00, Sun 10:00 – 14:30

Ras is probably one of the most interesting book shops in town owned by the Barcelona based Actar editorial.

Specialized in architecture, design and art, it offers a variety of books and magazines from international editorials.

Besides being a book store, Ras is also an exclusive gallery exhibiting contemporary art and design.

Check their website for exposition openings and get some chocolate, nuts and wine for free! But watch your alcohol consumption; you might end up buying some of the gorgeous accessories, displayed in the entrance area.

Ras is one of the gathering points of Barcelona’s urban scene, as it also offers many books on street art, and you might as well end up with a hot skater date!

Frequently check for sales, special offers and many books on discount!

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Ras bookshop | Art & culture, Shopping
Calle Doctor Dou 10 | El Raval | +34934127199
Tue – Fri 11:00 – 21:00

Situated on one of the most interesting streets in the Barrio Gotico Sala Parés is probably the oldest privately owned commercial art gallery in the world.

Though the nameplate in the photo above says 1877 the gallery has been in business since 1840.

The gallery has the distinction of being the first gallery to publicly exhibit Picasso’s work.

The gallery has three public showing spaces and a private salon for clients to buy and sell work and have work they own valued.

The gallery represents a strong stable of international artists and has an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century Catalan and Spanish work.

At the start of the 20th century Parés had a significant role in launching the careers of many fine artists.

It would be unfair to singularly characterize the range of artwork you’ll encounter here — save to say it’s of consistently excellent quality. Well worth a visit.

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Sala Parés | Art & culture | Free
Carrer Petritxol 5 | El Barrio Gotico | +34933187020
Mon 16:00 – 20:00, Tue – Sat 10:30 – 14:00 & 16:00 – 20:30
Sun (Sep – May) 11:30 – 14:00

If you happen to be lost in the alleys and tiny streets of the gothic quarter, as if you were looking for your way out of yarn woven across the warp in weaving, and after spining around the whole afternoon you realized you were destined to enjoy sooner or later that sense of comforting warmth of a pilgrim shelter.

Yes, once in the back of the Palau de la Generalitat, the smell of incense, the wide range of teas, the really tasty pita sardos in any of their varieties and the charming music evoke the atmosphere of an old tea shop in any Mediterranean harbor and make you forget about that palace of politicians and their struggle to secure their welfare in order to perpetuate themselves representing simple pedestrians like us throughout eternity to try to return the favor for their wealth by making our pitiful fate a little less wretched.

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Salterio | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Turkish coffee € 2,50
Sant Domenec del call 6 | El Barrio Gotico
Sun – Thu 17:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 03:00

Situated on the busy crossroads of Traveserrra de Gràcia and Torrent de l’Olla Gràcia Public Library houses an excellent collection of books, magazines, CDs and DVDs to lend.

It’s always worth calling in to find out what’s going on in the barrio and across the city – with leaflets, free community newspapers and what’s-on guides, with some in English, French, German and Italian.

Non-Catalan speaking residents and visitors are very welcome and you’ll find a good selection of fiction, poetry and language-learning materials in all major European languages. The study area, with free wi-fi access, is open until 01:00. So, you can take your laptop along, catch up with your e-mail, and when you feel like a coffee, or a beer, put your laptop in a secure locker and stroll across the narrow street to any one of several café-bars nearby.

A library card gets you a good range of discounts on admissions to concerts, dance events, exhibitions, talks, walks and workshops at venues across the city. The staff are all very helpful and very knowledgeable.

I really appreciate the library’s core philosophy of promoting the written and spoken word as a tool for better understanding – a philosophy which is symbolised by the heiroglyphic, cuneiform, runic and ancient Greek script used in the artwork which decorates the entrance and stairwell.

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Vila de Gràcia | Art & culture, Relaxing
C/Torrent de l’Olla 104 | Gracia | +34932847790
Mon & Thu 16:00 – 21:00, Tue & Fri 10:00 – 14:00 & 16:00 – 21:00, Wed 10:00 – 21:00, Sat 10:00 – 14:00, Closed Jul 14 – Sep 1

Vinçon is a design store situated in what was once the painter Ramon Casas’s family house – just a few meters from Gaudí’s famous apartment building La Pedrera.

Casas, together with his collaborator Rusiñol, was a witty, clever arts activist who did a lot to prepare the way for the following generation of artists such as Picasso. In keeping with the building’s cultural history the store features a gallery at its heart – La Sala Vinçon – showing work by artists, photographers and product designers.

The current exhibition features well-known landmark Barcelona buildings made from recycled cardboard and plastic by artist Valentino Menghi with a little bit of help from passing members of the public.

During the Christmas period the gallery promotes a very succesful art supermarket where you can pick up an original print or painting for less than € 100. Even the carrier bags are artist designed – and have become collectors’ items.

I really enjoy visiting this shop – not to buy things, I could never afford to, but for two reasons: firstly to enjoy the arts and crafts decorative stone, tile and ironwork, and secondly to pick up ideas. Call in, have a wander around, check out the quirky toys and gadgets and the kitchen department, climb the stairs to the first floor and marvel at the huge fireplace.

Wander out onto the patio at the back, where you’ll see what was the family chapel, and the trees which grow from inside the shop. Turn around and look up at the back of La Pedrera.

If only Vinçon had a coffee shop and a place to sit and read a book. Like a Catalan Ikea for grown ups with platinum credit cards.

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Vinçon | Art & culture, Shopping
Passeig de Gràcia 96 | Eixample | +34932156050
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 20:00