Catalonia´s capital city is saturated with art; the influences of the artists Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miró or architect Antoni Gaudí can be seen nearly everywhere. Even so its port was overlooked for decades, until the 1992 Olympics set off a chain reaction that reinvigorated Barcelona, as for the first time the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in the same city. Since then the council has kept making efforts to increase Barcelona wheelchair accessibility making it more welcoming and inclusive. Gaudí´s iconic sandcastle-like Sagrada Familia church and his other principal art nouveau creations: Parc Güell, Casa Milá (La Pedrera), Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens and Palau Güell, each unique and yet each unmistakably Gaudí are icons of the Catalan Modernism arquitecture representation, worldwide recognized.
WHAT TO SEE IN BARCELONA
Gothic Quarter : Among Barcelona’s highlights is the famous Gothic Quarter. Many of the area’s buildings date from medieval times and some from as far back as the Roman period. To the west boarder of the Gothic Quarter is La Rambla. La Rambla is the most popular street in Barcelona consisted by a tree-lined pedestrian mall, which stretches for 1.2 kilometers connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre, with the Old Port. A variety of leisure and cultural attractions can be found there, such as live performances, human statue art, the Christopher Columbus monument and Boqueria market. Moving around the Old Town you will have the opportunity to try the small Spanish recipes well known as Tapas, all about sociability and involve ordering a parade of tiny spanish dishes to share with friends.
Sagrada Familia: Gaudí’s top architectural accomplishment, La Sagrada Família, commenced in 1882 by architect Francisco Paula de Villar with Gaudí becoming involved in 1883 after Francisco resigned as the head architect. Taking over the project, Gaudí transformed it with his special personal style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Sagrada Familia’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project’s greatest challenges remaining and an estimated completion date of 2026-2028. It attracts around 2.8 million visitors a year and is the most visited monument in Spain. La Sagrada Família has an accessible entrance and ramps throughout the visitor path and the museum as well as adapted toilets near the entrance although the towers and roof is not wheelchair accessible.
Passeig de Gràcia: It is one of the most important shopping and business areas of Barcelona featuring many big brands fashion names and restaurants. Gaudi´s Casa Milà, popularly known as «La Pedrera» bejewels the north part of the avenue while standing halfway this elegant boulevard lies the color and fantasy of the also Gaudi´s Casa Batlló. Passeig de Gracia is located in the central part of the city by Eixample district , and connects the Plaza Catalunya with the neighbourhood of Gracia. Originally the name of Passeig de Gracia was “Camí de Jesús” meaning “Jesus’ path” named this way because there was a convent called Jesus on what is now the junction of Passeig de Gracia and Aragó Street.
Antoni Gaudí´s architecture: Barcelona’s most famous architectural figure, Antoni Gaudí was born in 1852 in Riudoms (Tarragona, Spain). Gaudí’s work was influenced by his passions in life: nature and religion. His masterpiece, the still-incomplete Sagrada Família, is the most visited monument in Spain. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Under the influence of neo-Gothic art, Gaudí became part of the Modernism movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some essential features of Modernisme were: an anti-classical language inherited from Romanticism with a tendency to lyricism and the determined connection of architecture with artistic works that produced an overtly ornamental style. Among Gaudí’s most famous creations are Casa Milà, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Vicens.
Barcelona’s public transportation system is generally very accessible. The entire public bus and tram fleet and Montjuic funicular and Cable Car is adapted for people with reduced mobility, however, the Metro network is not always accessible because some stations do not offer lift access or have a gap to access the trains. The following Metro Stations are not accessible: L1:Plaça de Sants, Espanya, Urquinaona and Clot. L3: Espanya and Vallcarca. L4: Maragall, Verdaguer, Urquinaona, Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica and Jaume I. L5: Virrei Amat, Maragall, Verdaguer and Plaça de Sants.
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