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

The building, with five exhibition spaces, a mediateca, a kids’ art workshop, 350 seat auditorium, café-restaurant and gifts & books shop, is a former textiles factory. It’s a romantic re-invention of a medieval castle. When it opened in 1912 local people refused to believe the building was a factory.

It served as a factory for only 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.

To celebrate their first 10 years they have put togther an excellent exhibition programme. Two of the current exhibitions, Goya – Lights and Shadows features more than a hundred works from the Prado – and runs until June 24th.  And, Delacroix, features 130 works - and runs until May 20th, 2012. Both are well worth visiting.

From now until May 17th the building will be open until 22:00 every Tuesday and Thursday.  They have a good permanent collection – featuring works by artists such as Joseph Beuys and Sol Lewitt (who produced the permanent work you’ll see on the wall in the entrance). 

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

And, if you really do enjoy architecture you’ll be pleased to know that the Mies van der Rohe pavilion is just across the road, and Poble Espanyol just a few hundred metres away.

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La CaixaForum | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Festivals & events, Restaurants (Catalan-Spanish)
Avenida de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 6-8 | Montjuich | +34934768600
Mon & Wed & Fri 10:00 – 20:00, Tue & Thu 10:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 21:00

Ok, first of all let me clarify this: I am not a big fan of shopping centers. And it is not the kind of place that I normally visit while being in another city -as I find they are all so similar to each other. But this one has a couple of details that make it very special. 

First of all, this used to be a bullring! And it actually keeps the form and facade of the old place where people used to come and cheer while some animals where tortured to death (just in case you had any doubt about my feelings on bullfighting…). The activity stopped in  1977, and it has just recently reopened. 

The second great thing is the terrace. Get there by climbing several ‘flights’ of escalators that seem to be hanging from nowhere, or through an all-glass elevator that takes you directly to the 5th floor. The views are fantastic, and there are several restaurants and cafeterias  there. Walk all along it till you make the whole circle to get a perfect sense of Barcelona. If you get to do so on a sunny spring day, even better!

In the inside there are some cinemas, a museum of rock that I haven’t dared to visit yet, more restaurants and the main brand stores: from Mango and Fnac to Benetton and Game. There are a couple of interesting ones though: Natura and Olokuti, both carrying a variety of clothes and nice little stuff for the house with nice design. 

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Arenas Shopping Center | Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Restaurants | Free
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 385 | Montjuich
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 22:00 (stores) | 10:00 – 00:00 daily (restaurants)