february-2012

A VIEW TO THRILL
MUSICAL AND TASTY TREATS
Seaside sophistication
Barcelona is Spain’s ultimate city on the shore, with miles of beautiful beaches. But it
also offers wonderful museums, art of all kinds, breathtaking architecture and food
and wine to thrill the most discerning palettes.
WHAT TO SEE
The walk of art
From Port Vell to the spires of
the cathedral, exploring
Barcelona is easy. See Picasso's
early sketches at the Picasso
Museum (museupicasso.bcn.
cat) in the Old Town and Joan
Miró's colourful masterpieces at
Fundació Joan Miró (see Don’t
Miss). Or follow the Gaudí trail
from La Sagrada Família
(sagradafamilia.cat) cathedral in
Eixample to fantastical Park
Güell (Carrer d'Olot; +34 93
4243809) in Gràcia.
WHERE TO EAT
Top tapas
Eat a little everywhere you
go. Barcelona has taken
tapas and the Basque pintxo
(elaborate mini open
sandwiches), and added
Catalan fl air to both. Try
Port Vell and El Born for the
best spots. Head to
Barceloneta for beach-front
paella or to Barrí Gòtic for
speciality snails and spitroasted
chicken at Los
Caracoles (loscaracoles.es).
WHERE TO BOOGIE
Barça beat
This is a city that likes to dance,
and you can fi nd anything from
techno to tango in Barrí Gòtic.
For a taste of Catalan culture,
there’s plenty of choice around
Plaça Catalunya square, with
Bel-Luna Jazz Club (bel-luna.
com) and Palau de la Música
Catalana (palaumusica.org)
nearby. Cocktails are mixed in
the El Born area, while
Barceloneta and Villa
Olímpica are great for beachfront
beers.
HOW TO GET THERE
KLM operates fi ve direct
daily fl ights to Barcelona
El Prat Airport from Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol.
Tourist information
barcelonaturisme.com
Looking for handy, up-to-date
travel information? Check out
KLM’s Destination Guide pages
— and book your fl ight — on
klm.com. Content provided by
Frommer’s Unlimited © 2012,
Whatsonwhen Limited.
TOUCHDOWN BARCELONA
DON’T MISS
Ladder of
Escape
Work by Catalan painter and
sculptor Joan Miró spans six
decades and infl uenced
many artistic movements.
Fundació Joan Miró, with its
spectacular views of the city
from atop Montjuïc, brings
together over 150 works
from around the world for
this once-in-a-lifetime
exhibition that emphasises
Miró's political and social
engagement with his time.
fundaciomiro-bcn.org
MASTERFUL MIRÓ
Photo: courtesy of Fundació Joan Miró
Holland Herald 65