Sooner or later, you must take a walk down Les Rambles, Barcelona's famous thoroughfare, so you may as well make it sooner. It's a great introduction to the city, and it will put you in good position to see other nearby attractions. If you head northeast from Les Rambles, you'll enter the twisting, ancient streets of the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter). Find your way to the cathedral as you explore the district. Nearby is the Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat (City History Museum). The Barri Gotic also holds several other treasures, so you may want to plan more than one day in the area. The highlights are the Museu Picasso and another church, Santa Maria del Mar. It's fun just to amble through the streets, however, especially in the evening, when you can sample many restaurants and bars in the Born district.
You'll need at least a day to take in the famous sights from the modernisme movement in architecture. Before you start, stop in at the Ruta del Modernisme center at the tourist office in Placa Catalunya (and other locations), where you can get maps, a guidebook and discount vouchers to the city's 115 modernisme monuments. The guidebook with vouchers costs 12 euros. A route pack, which includes an additional guide to modernisme bars and restaurants, costs 18 euros. For more information, visit http://www.rutadelmodernisme.com.
Begin at Mansana de la Discordia, on Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample district, where you can see three adjacent buildings built by the best-known architects of the movement. Next, head a few blocks north to La Pedrera, Antoni Gaudi's amazing apartment building, which now houses several museums. Plan at least two hours to see them and to walk around among the rooftop sculptures. From the roof, you'll be able to see the spires of Sagrada Familia in the distance, and that's your next stop. (You can walk there in a leisurely half-hour jaunt or catch the metro's Blue Line at the Diagonal Station near La Pedrera.) Close out the day at Gaudi's incredible church. Be sure to go up in the spires for a vertigo-inducing look at the church and the city. A visit to Gaudi's Parc Guell, on the northern side of the city, is also recommended, though you will probably have to fit it into another day.
Montjuic, the promontory rising southwest of the city center, merits a day of its own. Both the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and Fundacio Joan Miro are found on Montjuic, as are several lesser attractions, including Poble Espanyol (a theme attraction with shops and restaurants), the Olympic stadium and Pavello Barcelona. Just strolling around this green area is pleasant, and it offers some nice views of the city below. Figure your route ahead of time, however, as Montjuic covers a lot of territory and the attractions are widely spaced.
