Top 10 Sights in Barcelona for Children
Barcelona is a very child friendly city and it's very common to see local children out very late at night and in restaurtants and terraces at bars, for example. Here we've compiled a guide to the top 10 best attractions to visit if you're travelling as a tourist with children or your young family, and best of all, 5 of them are FREE!
1. Las Ramblas is the city's most famous street and kids of all ages love to stroll down the various sections, watching the street performers and human statues, as well as the artists, animals and birds. No trip to Barcelona is complete without a trip walking up and down Las Ramblas and this can fill up a whole morning or afternoon. FREE!
2. Beaches - Barcelona has got two main stretches of beaches with Barceloneta being the old fisherman's village and then the Olympic village beaches stretching all the way to the forum of cultures. If you're visiting in the hotter months, don't forget to put on plenty of sun block, and avoid the midday heat. FREE.
3. Crossing over the Rambla del Mar bridge at the bottom of Las Ramblas leads you nicely onto the Maremagnum complex with a great shopping mall, but also the city's Aquarium. The Aquarium has europe's longest moving tunnel for you to admire the sharks, rays and moonfish gliding up over your heads.
4. Right next door to the Aquarium is the city's Imax Cinema. If you've never been fortunate enough to expeience an IMAX cinema, then make the effort and go here! A huge screen covers all of your viewpoints and provides for a truly amazing visual display. The IMAX also has one of the most up to date 3D cinema screens to date and often tickets include a show for both.
5. Cuitadella Park as mentioned above is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, and is very easily accesible on foot, by metro or on the bus. The Park has rowing boats for hire, ducks and geese to feed,a great scale model of a Mammoth for some funny photos, plenty of space to relax and have a picnic, play areas for the younger children and even a beautiful fountain designed by Gaudi! Barcelona Zoo is also located in the Cuitadella Park, "the garden of Barcelona" and is surprisingly big. It's a great day out for all the family and has various enclosures with plenty of animals.
6. Magic Fountains at Montjüic. To be honest, this could be included for the adults, too, as it's such a spectacular show! In front of the palace at Plaça Espanya is a spectacular light and water show in the form of the Magic fountains. shows are only on an evening, so perhaps not great for the really little ones (although they would love it), and music accompanies the jets and streams of water with the coos and sighs of the public, too! FREE!
7. Park Guëll is another place well worth visiting with children. The best way to access the park is via Vallcarca metro station, which has electric escelators leading you to the back of the park. You then start backwards with the best view of the city, and save the most ornate part (the entrance) till last - and it's all downhill too, so ideal if you have a pushchair or stroller.
8. The second "mountain" of Barcelona, at the very back of the city is Tibidabo, and means "I will give you these" - words uttered to Jesus by the devil. The hilltop also has a children's funfair with ferris wheels, and the usual attractions. As of Spring 2009, there will also be a brand new rollercoaster around the top of the green hill and this promises to be the highest in Europe and surely worth a visit.
9. The cable cars of Barcelona. Barcelona has two cable cars, both of which are great for children and adults alike, and will cure vertigo! The first one leaves from the castle at the top of Montjüic Castle and makes its way half way down the mountain to where the Miro foundation and Greek theatre are. the second one leaves Miramar, not too far away, and crosses all the way over the the sea to the beach at Barceloneta.
10. Tourist bus. you may have seen the typical open top double decker buses in other cities, but the Barcelona tourist bus really is a great way to get around the city centre. Based over 3 routes, you can choose those which best suit your interests. The red and blue routes generally have the most interesting things, and you can just hop off and hop on again when you feel like it. This way you see the city overground and don't have to worry about getting up and down in the metro!
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