W Barcelona

Its stallholders have had to learn languages and indulge in public relations, because as well as being the main food market in Barcelona, La Boqueria is now a major tourist destination. Just off La Rambla, it’s the biggest market in Catalonia with more than 300 stalls and a surface area of 2,583 square metres. Think of some obscure delicacy and you’re almost guaranteed to find it here.

Casa Butlló is a building in the center of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that. Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió also contributed to the renovation project.

Walk the Gothic quarter and discover Barcelona's spectacular cathedral, dine at amazing tapas restaurants or shop in the famous Portal del Angel shopping street

Over 3000 workers were commissioned to work on the project and less than 1 year later the magic fountain was born. The magic fountain of Montjuïc's (Font màgica de Montjuïc in Catalan) first performance was on May 19, 1929 during the Great Universal Exhibition. The designer Carles Buigas submitted his plans one year before the exhibition and many thought that the project was too ambitious to be created, let alone completed on time. The magic fountain is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics - if you mix these elements together in just the right combinations, you end up with pure magic! The magic fountain is a "must see" when you come to Barcelona and highly recommended.

Güell wanted to recreate the British residential parks, which is why he named it Park Güell, in English. Gaudí respected the vegetation that was already growing on the property, such as the carob and olive trees, and when new species were introduced, he opted for Mediterranean plants that did not require much water. He also designed various systems for collecting and storing water, based on the irrigation systems he had learned about in the rural setting of his childhood. Both the vegetation and the management of the water resources thus helped to prevent the erosion of the land caused by the heavy Mediterranean downpours, while at the same time helping to provide the water needed by the estate’s inhabitants.

Barça's new stadium replaced their old ground of Les Corts which with a capacity of just 48,000 was too small to accomodate the interest generated by a team led by Hungarian star Ladislao Kubala. The stadium was designed by architects Francesc Mitjans Miró and Josep Soteras Mauri, with the collaboration of Lorenzo García Barbón, and it was constructed between 1955 and 1957, using mainly concrete and iron. The whole project cost a staggering 288 million pesetas, which meant the club would spend the following years heavily in debt. Although it was originally going to go under the official name of ‘Estadi del FC Barcelona’, it soon came to be popularly known as the 'Camp Nou' (the ‘new ground’), as opposed to the club’s old home at Les Corts. It was not until the 2000/2001 season that, following a postal vote made by the Club membership, that the decision was made to make ‘Camp Nou’ the official name of the stadium. Of the 29,102 votes the club received, a total of 19,861 (68.25%) preferred Camp Nou to Estadi del FC Barcelona. The stadium’s maximum height is 48 metres, and it covers a surface area of 55,000 square metres (250 metres long and 220 metres wide). In accordance with UEFA stipulations, the playing area has been downsized to 105 metres x 68 metres. With a capacity of 99,354, it is now the biggest stadium in Europe. However, the total capacity has varied over the years owing to different modifications. When it was first opened in 1957, it held 93,053 spectators, which would be increased to 120,000 in 1982 on occasion of the FIFA World Cup. However, the introduction of new regulations outlawing standing areas reduced the stadium’s capacity in the late 1990s to just under 99,000. In the 1998-99 season, UEFA recognised the services and facilities at Camp Nou by awarding it five star status. In the whole of Spain there are only four other stadiums that can claim that, the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, also in Barcelona, the new Cartuja Olympic Stadium in Seville, the Vicente Calderón, home of Atlético Madrid, and the Santiago Bernabéu, also in Madrid. Of the different facilities on offer inside the stadium, of particular note are a chapel next to the changing rooms, the presidential box, the VIPs lounge, the press rooms, several television studios, the Sports Medicine Centre, the Operative Control Unit (UCO), the veteran players area, the FC Barcelona club museum, and the offices of all of the many different Club departments.

On 16 June 1900 work began on creating access to the top of Tibidabo, with the building of a tram - known popularly as the “Tramvia Blau” (Blue Tram) - and a funicular railway. At the same time, at the top of the mountain, work continued with the landscaping and construction of buildings and terraces. On 29 October 1901, the new facilities were officially opened. Interestingly, the funicular railway turned out to be the first main attraction of the Amusement Park, due to it being an innovative means of transport at that time. That same year, the first leisure facilities also appeared - such as the automatic scales and postcard vending machines. The first decade saw the introduction of small attractions such as telescopes and binoculars, swings, the Flobert shooting gallery, bowling, mirrors, automatons, the carrier pigeon station, along with events of all kinds: including Clavé choirs, military bands, orchestras and balloon rides. New buildings were opened such as the Gran Café Restaurant Tibidabo and the Hotel Restaurant Coll as well as a large events hall, within which they tried, unsuccessfully, to open a casino.

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral, which must be the seat of a bishop.

Las Ramblas is often the first landmark that most tourists identify with the city. It is the central most boulevard which cuts through the heart of the city centre and is a vibrant and lively promenade filled with Barcelona action at its best. Las Ramblas is approximately 1.2 kilometres long with Port Vell (near the cruise port terminal) at the Southern most end and Plaça Catalunya at the northern most end.

The Palau de la Música Catalana was built between 1905 and 1908 by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as a home for the Orfeó Català, financed by popular subscription. The Palau de la Música Catalana is an architectural jewel of Catalan Art Nouveau, the only concert venue in this style to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (4th December 1997), which today represents an essential landmark in the cultural and social life of Catalonia. Moreover it represents a symbolic emotional heritage for a whole people who identify with its history.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is the Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain. The cathedral was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese was completed in 1448. In the late 19th century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches. The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a wide range of animals, both domestic and mythical.

One of the city's biggest squares, it is the junction of several major thoroughfares: Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Avinguda del Paral·lel, Carrer de la Creu Coberta and Carrer de Tarragona, and leads to the Palau Nacional through Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, which houses one of Catalonia's finest museums, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). It was designed by Josep Amargós. The fountain at the centre of the square was designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a collaborator of Antoni Gaudí, while Miquel Blay designed the statues. The buildings were designed by Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí.

Discover Barcelona's beaches at your doorstep while staying at W Barcelona. San Sebastian and Barceloneta are some of the best within walking distance from the Hotel!

L’Aquarium de Barcelona is the most important marine leisure and education centre in the world concerning the Mediterranean. A series of 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species, an underwater tunnel 80 meters long, six million liters of water and an immense Oceanarium, the only one in Europe, turn this centre into a unique, reference leisure show that has already been visited by more than 14 million people.

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is a key reference for understanding the formative years of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through the more than 3,800 works that make up the permanent collection. Furthermore, the Museu Picasso, opened in 1963, also reveals his deep relationship with Barcelona: an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, and continued until his death.

Barcelona Zoo is based in the Parc de la Ciutadella the best way to find it is to go to Ciutadella park and to follow the signs to the Zoo. The zoo has a wide variety of animals on show. The Zoo also has a restaurant, picnic area, a shop, electric cars, ponies and a mini-train.