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BRITISH ISLES

TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT Under the wing of a Painted Lady

‘Tomorrow we will do beautiful things’ Discover another side to this beautiful European city – one of the most visited in the world.

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or many tourists Barcelona is the shops, the cava, the beach, Sagrada Familia, football, Gaudí, of course – but there are many more secret gems in this fascinating city.

Rich in culture and steeped in history, Barcelona reveals unknown corners of its tumultuous and rich past.

Discover these little-known enclaves, leave Sagrada Familia behind and seek out the buildings most have never even heard of.

For instance, Casa Vicens – will leave you breathless, this extraordinary 42

by Antoni Gaudí and the building that marked the beginning of his incredible career. Built in 1925 when Gaudí was just 31 years old. The house has recently been restored and made into a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The colours, the detail and the extraordinary explosion of modernism

he never played by the rules. He broke the canons of architecture and was way ahead of his time. He was inspired by nature, and you can see this all over

the house, for example marigolds are used on the tiles on the exterior of the house.

Gaudí had received the commission from Manuel Vicens i Montaner, a brick and tile factory owner, some years earlier; Vicens had inherited the land and wanted to build a summer house there. In its design, the recently graduated Gaudí makes extensive use of colour and tiles, with Arabic, The beginnings of his singular style and inventiveness are very clearly on show for all to admire. www.thecga.co.uk • June 2019

After 130 years Casa Vicens opens its doors revealing previously untold Guadi history www.thecga.co.uk • Summer 2019

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TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT

TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT

Parc de Montjuïc gothic quarter of the narrow streets

WHAT TO SEE

WHERE TO EAT

Casa Vicens Carrer de les Carolines, 20, 08012 Barcelona Built in 1888 this building provides a unique oasis of calm in the centre of the city, with modernist styling including a Oriental and Moorish flavour, in the peaceful neighbourhood of Gràcia.

Hoffman Restaurant Carrer de la Granada del Penedès, 14, 08006 Barcelona This Michelin starred restaurant is unique, as it is also a school and its students are given the unusual opportunity to work in the kitchens and produce Michelin starred food, especially for you. This cuisine is Barcelonan food at its very best.

Casa de les Punxes Avinguda Diagonal, 420, 08037 Barcelona A unique modernist building that has never been open to the public, delve into a fantastical world of knights, princesses and dragons.

Make sure you visit the rooftop to enjoy incredible views of the city.

MNAC Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, s/n, 08038 Barcelona The national museum contains the biggest collection of Romanesque art unmatched anywhere else in the world.

WHERE TO STAY The One Barcelona Provença, 277, 08037 Barcelona Centre, Barcelona This five star luxury hotel is located in Barcelona’s most exclusive and central area, a block away from Casa Mila and the elegant shopping street Passeig de Gracia – authentic Barcelona is on your doorstep.

Parts of the city have been built in a strict grid pattern

What is it about Barcelona? Ranked as the sixth most popular city in the world this year – it has established itself as a global destination. With associations with international rock star Freddie Mercury, who created the epic song, Barcelona back in the 1980s, he summed it up: “I had this perfect dream…you took my breath away…” This historic city, rich in culture and style, just a stone’s throw from London, continues to be the hottest destination in Europe, with visitors lured to its compelling streets and stylish lifestyle. settlements in Neolithic times. Founded by the Romans who set up a colony called Barcino at the end of the 1st century BC, the colony had about a

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settlements in Neolithic times. Founded by the Romans who set up a colony called Barcino at the end of the 1st century BC thousand inhabitants and was bounded by a defensive wall, the remains of which can still be seen in the old town. The medieval period established Barcelona’s position as the economic and political centre of the Western Mediterranean.

The city’s Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendour enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

Catalonia’s gastronomic heritage can also be traced back to medieval times also and is still focused on the value of produce and terroir which comes from locally sourced, seasonal of the Catalan landscape: the sea, the mountains, vegetable gardens, orchards and woodland; Catalonia was named European Region of Gastronomy in 2016.

In 1992, the hosting of the Olympic Games fundamentally changed the way the world looked at this city. The fresh impetus to Barcelona’s potential and metropolis and destination city.

The MNAC, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which was built in 1929 as part of the Great Exhibition,

www.thecga.co.uk • June 2019

houses the largest Romanesque collection of medieval art in the world.

Fresco techniques from the 11th and 12th centuries can be discovered in this unique and perfectly kept collection.

These paintings were removed from churches between 1919 to 1923 and combined with the Gothic Art Collection present a fascinating look at medieval art. The museum houses the work of the artists that are most representative of the modernist movement in Catalonia, in painting, sculpture and the decorative arts, which gives context and depth to the work of Gaudí and his contemporaries.

There is something in Barcelona for everyone and as Antoni Gaudí said, “tomorrow we will do beautiful things”.

www.thecga.co.uk • June 2019

SEEK OUT Yago Hortal Galería Senda, Trafalgar, 32, 08010 Barcelona Contemporary artist Yago Hortal studied Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and the University of Seville. In 2007, one year after graduating, he won the 49th Prize for Young Painters, since then he has exhibit throughout Europe and the United States. Discover his work at Galeria Senda.

FIND OUT MORE Barcelona Premium www.barcelonapremium.com Your one stop online spot for inspiration. Barcelona Premium is the tourist advice bureau, providing all of the inside information you might want, including creating tailor made trips.

The National Catalunya MNAC

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