Thursday, November 10, 2011

Best Photo Opportunities in Barcelona

There are very few better ways to remember a holiday with then photos. And if you are lucky enough to be coming to the Catalan capital of Barcelona then you are sure to want to have some photograpic souvenirs for your trip. Barcelona is one of the most photogenic cities in the world and is a perfect oppurtunity to try out your photographic skills.

Parc Güell

Parc Güell
Antoni Gaudí has had a huge impact on Barcelona and most of the most iconic places in the city have influences from the Catalan artist. Parc Güell was built between the years of 1900-1914, the orginal intention was to built 6 luxury houses on the land with beautiful surrounding gardens in the English garden style away from the smoke and dirt of the city below as it is placed on a hill above the city. However, only two of the houses were built, Count Eusebi Güell moved into one of the houses and the other was unsold until Gaudi himself moved him and his family into the house and lived there from 1906 to 1926. The Parc itself is outstandingly beautiful and offers numerous photo oppurtunites as the architecture is magnificent. The sculptures are beautiful constructed and painted but the best photo oppurtunities in Parc Güell are the tremedous views of the city. As the Parc is situated on a hill, you are offered an amazing view of the city seeing out to sea in the distance, the mountain of Montjuïc to your right and dominating the skyline in front is one of the most iconic builidngs in Barcelona and another of Gaudi´s masterpieces, the Sagrada Familia. Park Güell is a excellant place to spend the day and get some great photos.


Montjuïc

Montjuïc
One of the mountains that dominate the backdrop to Barcelona is Montjuïc. A trip to the top of the mountain is a worthwhile experience as it is here that the Olympics were held in 1992 and you can see the beautiful surrounding areas of fountains and large open space created for the games. The stadium itself is also open to visitors and is free to enter so is a nice photo opportunity. Continue heading to the peak of the mountain and you will reach the Castell de Montjuïc, a large fortress built in the 18th century and still preserved today offering some great photo opportunities. Climb to the highest level of the Castell and you are rewarded with incredible views of the city below with the backdrop of the Tibidabo mountain. Look in the other direction and you are situated almost right above the harbor, and on a clear day, you will find a incredible view out to sea.


Tibidabo

Tibidabo
Tibidabo is the name of the highest mountain overlooking Barcelona directly facing the sea. Its peak is 512 metres and on the top of the mountain, there is a amusement park still featuring many of the original rides from over 100 years ago, the Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower and the magnificent church, Temple de Sagrat Cor. All of these places are fantastic photo opportunities espcially the Sagrat Cor. The mountain can be reached by bus or car but the best way is by the funicular, which runs up the mountain. The fenicular built in 1901 was the first in Spain. The real treat of Tibidabo for the photographer is again the spectacular view that is offered. As Tibidabo is located to the back of the city, it means that you are offered a 360º panoramic view of the city below making it the perfect photograph in Barcelona.


La Pedrera

La Pedrera
Returning to the magic of Gaudi, and you should head to the impressive La Pedrera. Situated on the photogenic street of Passieg De Gracia, La Pedrera stands out as a piece of art as much as a building. The building itself is very photogenic from the outside. The building was designed for a wealthy Catalan couple, Roser Segimon and Pere Milia by Gaudi from 1906-1910. It is on the roof of the building though that the photo opportunities increase as the unusual sculptures of the building mean that everywhere you look or turn, there is another photo opportunity. The rooftop also offers a unique view too of the Sagrada Familia, another of Gaudi´s building making La Pedrera a great visit.


The Beach

Barcelona's brilliant beach
One of the great things about Barcelona compared to many of the other great European cities is that Barcelona boasts a brilliant beach too. The Beaches within Barcelona also offer some incredible photo opportunities with the golden sand reflecting against the blue backdrop of the sea. Beautiful people on the beach are also perfect for a photo opportunity.


Font Màgica

Visit the Font Màgica 
One of the best things to do in Barcelona is to visit the Font Màgica. The Magic Fountain is the main feature of the collection of waterfalls and ponds on Avinguda Maria Cristina, which stretches from the Palau Nacional to Plaça Espanya in Montjuïc. It is one of the best fountain displays to behold and is the perfect phot oppurtunity. This is a spectacular fountain which is very popular because of its water arrangements, sound and lighting. 2,600 litres of water are pumped through this great fountain per second in three concentric pools which have a water recirculation system so the chance to grab a great photo is available.

As Barcelona is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the other, so there are numerous fantastic photo oppurtunities in the city to see one of the world´s most vibrant and diverse cities. The strong influence from the Modernista era is seen on many of the streets of Barcelona and just walking down any of the streets in Gracia particularly can provide you with some incredible photo oppurtunities.

Barcelona is a great place to visit for a extended break or just a weekend break and one of the best ways to enjoy the city is by renting a apartment. Article written by traveller and blogger for apartime.com, providers of Barcelona apartments for rent

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