Time has come for another article in the Culture Trip series, and before you continue reading, feel free to check out the editions on:

• Vienna (HR / ENG)
• London (HR / ENG)
• Edinburgh (HR / ENG)
• Copenhagen (HR / ENG)
• Catalonia (Barcelona & Figueres) (HR / ENG)

So, Catalonia. Although the vast majority of what you’ll read in this edition of cultural wanderings is centered in Barcelona—whose city tourism office, Barcelona Turisme, provided us with logistical support for the visit to Catalonia—the first stop on the journey of my wife and travel companion was Figueres.

For those who don’t know, it’s a rustic inland town with around 50,000 inhabitants, probably 90% of whose fame it owes to the famous surrealist painter and larger-than-life artistic persona, Salvador Dalí.

Dali Theatre and Museum

The honor of opening this Culture Trip fell on the institution and final residence, also the resting place of the great Salvador Dalí, namely his theater and museum, managed by his foundation. Let me immediately say one important thing: visiting this building will only take about an hour and a half to two hours of your itinerary. Navigation inside is somewhat intuitive, leading you from room numbers that sometimes connect sequentially, sometimes not. In the end, you will find yourself in an overpriced souvenir shop, with an additional possibility to enter Dali Jewels, a section showcasing Dalí’s jewels, which we unfortunately had to skip due to a later landing in Spain and Girona.

The overall impression of the DT&M is that it is somehow more iconic from the outside, with that walled castle topped with eggs that seems to have come out of Walt Disney’s surreal dreams. The interior, I must say, includes a few interesting rooms—for example, the lip-shaped room with a magnifying glass, and the two entrance areas under the main dome—but the general impression is that many of Dalí’s more significant paintings, found elsewhere around the world, are missing. Still, for all fans, who have chased after his exhibitions and paintings from Paris, Madrid, and London, all the way to Đurđevac in 2019, this is a must-stop.

Casa Natal Salvador Dali

Now, if that castle of his was, as one might say, underwhelming, the same cannot be said for his birthplace. Perhaps our expectations played a role. Less than 10 minutes from his castle is his birthplace, located in the center of Figueres. Upon arrival, the staff explained that the entire visit requires wearing headphones for a better interactive experience, and although that sometimes seems unnecessary, here it was truly essential and a great addition. Over the course of about an hour and twenty minutes, the tour leads visitors through several floors of his birth home, from the room where he was born, to the dining room, and various other spaces tied to stories from his early life, first loves, university, friendships with Lorca and Buñuel, up to his first international successes when this artistic tour de force became unstoppable. Topics covered include his interests, relationship with media, popularity, and—final stop: the author’s death.

All of this was presented beautifully and quite interactively, with doors that open after projections end, simulated views into his father’s workspace, and psychedelic scenes befitting the author’s expression. And this is precisely the charm of why I perhaps had a better experience learning about Dalí here—aside from expecting less, I received more in terms of information, but not through an overload of facts, rather through visuals and interactivity. Highly recommended if you’re reading this as a Dalí fan.

After the visit to Salvador Dalí’s birthplace, we headed to the rented car that took us to Barcelona. Despite traffic “difficulties” avoiding local drivers, it was soon time to rest.

B A R C E L O N A

As stated in the introduction, we received great help for our experience and the overall impression of Barcelona from Barcelona Turisme, the city’s tourism department, which provided us with two Barcelona Press Cards for a better experience of the city. Thanks to this benefit, at the beginning of our first full day in Barcelona, we embarked on a ride on one of the two tourist bus routes—blue and red. On either route, you get disposable headphones on the bus, which you plug in and choose from several international languages to listen to commentary on sights along the way.

Our first stop was also the biggest one in Barcelona:

Sagrada Familia

They say Sagrada Familia is a structure, a basilica, under construction for over 140 years, since way back in 1882, when people in Barcelona had no idea who Antoni Gaudí was and another architect was initially in charge of the entire project. Since then, 142 years have passed, countless experts, architects, engineers, and builders have worked on it, and Sagrada Familia is still unfinished. The current plan is to complete it in 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, although that seems unlikely.

For visiting the interior, which I strongly recommend, it is highly advisable to buy tickets in advance. Even we—as accredited journalists—despite having free tickets provided by the city tourism office, had to reserve an exact time slot. Although our visit was scheduled for 9:15, we arrived at 9:45 due to traffic and difficulty locating the entrance, but it was not an issue. Still, be sure to reserve and purchase on time, or you might miss out on the experience.

It’s also possible to visit some of the 18 towers once the building is complete. On the day of our visit (October 12), the towers were closed to visitors, but you can keep that in mind as an extension of the experience. Sagrada Familia consists of three facades:

• Nativity Facade: Dedicated to Jesus’ birth, richly decorated with sculptures of natural elements, plants, and animals.
• Passion Facade: Dedicated to Christ’s suffering and death, with a more modern and simpler style, dramatic and sharp lines.
• Glory Facade: Still unfinished, but will represent Jesus’ resurrection and glory.

The experience is magnificent. Truly, nothing prepares you for the interior of the building, no matter how much you read or research. For it, Gaudí was inspired by forest aesthetics, with tall columns resembling trees and inscriptions of the names of the four evangelists at the top of the pillars. It is possible, during mass and in specific circumstances, to visit Gaudí’s crypt, though I somehow missed it during the visit. Besides Gaudí, a whole line of architects was at some point the chief builder of Sagrada—they also have their corner along the walkway at the base of the basilica. Among the more recent ones worth mentioning are Joan Vila-Grau, painter and stained-glass master, and Josep Maria Subirachs, painter and sculptor, who are most responsible for the basilica’s recognizable aesthetic.

In short, one could write about Sagrada Familia endlessly, but I’d run out of superlatives. It’s definitely a bucket list item—but you already knew that before this text.

We continued with Gaudí, but before that, we decided to take the full blue route—which goes through the neighborhoods of Tibidabo and Pedralbes, to Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium (closed during our visit), then to Plaça de Catalunya (the main city square and starting point), along Passeig de Gràcia avenue, past the Sagrada Família to another Gaudí masterpiece: Parc Güell.

Parc Güell

Parc Güell is, without a doubt, one of the most unusual parks in the world. I’ve never known the perfect translation for the English word whimsical, but I’m convinced it perfectly applies to this park. A hill of greenery, unusual trees—yes, but truly such tree lines, such strange shapes, formations, and spectacular city views—a magical experience.

The park was created in the early 20th century. Although it was conceived as part of a luxury housing project envisioned by Eusebi Güell, Gaudí’s patron and wealthy industrialist, the plan was never fully realized and the area was opened as a public park in 1926. Within the park is the Casa-Museu Gaudí, the house where Gaudí lived from 1905 to 1925, now a memorial museum to the architect’s living space. Other notable features of the park include:

• Main terrace and serpentine bench: A seating area decorated with colorful mosaics (trencadís), known for its wavy shapes.
• El Drac (The Dragon): Mosaic dragon sculpture on the main staircase, one of Barcelona’s symbols.
• Hypostyle Hall: A space beneath the terrace with 86 columns resembling a forest.
• Entrance houses: Two fairytale-like houses that look straight out of a storybook—one of which now serves as a gift shop.

Important note, just like with the Sagrada Familia: entry to Park Güell (at least the main monumental area with key attractions) requires a ticket with a designated time slot. It is recommended to visit early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid crowds and high heat during summer days.

Since the park offers a beautiful panoramic view of the city, keep in mind that it is located on a hill, so it’s smarter to wear something more comfortable.

Casa Batllo

Tourism in Barcelona, thanks to Barcelona Turisme, continued with more of Gaudí’s masterworks—one of the most recognizable, among the famous “Casas” in Barcelona, is Casa Batlló.

Casa Batlló was originally a house commissioned by Josep Batlló, a wealthy Catalan industrialist, who wanted to renovate an old building on the prestigious boulevard Passeig de Gràcia. Batlló asked Gaudí to redesign the existing structure, which was originally built in 1877. Renovation began in 1904 and lasted until 1906.

Today, besides its official name, it is also known as the House of Bones or the Dragon House. As Gaudí once again wanted to fuse his aesthetics of organic motifs, symbolism, irregular shapes, and curvy lines—all in the style of Catalan modernism—we got yet another nature-driven architectural artwork. Unlike the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, dominated by forest elements, Gaudí was inspired by waves and the underwater world when creating Casa Batlló.

From the outside, this unusual building, which looks slightly intoxicated, is covered in colorful ceramic tiles with an uncharacteristic, almost twisted shape—like something viewed through water. The interior of Casa Batlló is also innovative. Gaudí used irregular forms and wavy lines in all rooms, including windows, ceilings, and tiles. The inner courtyards are covered with glass and ceramics, allowing natural light and giving the space an airy and fresh feeling. The rooftop is one of the more famous parts of Casa Batlló, with its characteristic scaly shape resembling a dragon’s back—hence the name Dragon House.

In addition, the house is rich in other symbolic elements—bones and skulls, knots, flowers—all reflecting Gaudí’s intention to combine the natural and the fantastic, the surreal.

During the visit, we came across guest exhibitions by other artists in certain rooms:

• “Structures of Being”, by Argentine artist Sofia Crespo
• “Gaudí Dreams”, by Turkish algorithmic artist Refik Anadol

All in all, as with previous attractions and landmarks—tickets, even if you possess press credentials, must be reserved in advance (online or on-site) for a specific time slot, and you should set aside at least an hour and a half to properly explore everything.

Casa Mila / La Pedrera

Not far from Casa Batlló, we continued our clearly Gaudí-dedicated Culture Trip on the same day. Then again, any visitor to Barcelona quickly realizes why that’s the case.

The second most famous among Gaudí’s houses is Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera (“The Stone Quarry”) due to its somewhat rough, irregular, and wavy façades. While Gaudí’s inspiration for some works was greenery, forest, and water, for La Pedrera it was earthy tones, stones, and rock. The financier of Milà (Pere Milà i Camps) aimed to create luxury apartments for wealthy families, with numerous innovations in design and comfort. The building included several residential units located on the upper floors, while the lower levels were intended for commercial spaces.

After climbing a few floors, the tour began—which, you guessed it, must be reserved and arranged in advance—through the living quarters of former residents. The experience was enhanced by headphones that explained the purpose of each room and included some personal stories of the inhabitants of La Pedrera.

In the attic of the building, the exhibition continued on the work and legacy of Antoni Gaudí, stretching far beyond Casa Milà, and showing his use of metal structures and frameworks, which allowed for larger windows and open spaces. This approach provided greater flexibility in design, and the building was stable and adaptable to residents’ needs.

But the greatest attraction of La Pedrera lies on the rooftop terrace, where the most famous and intriguing elements are the chimneys, abstract sculptures representing warrior-like figures, protectors of the residents of La Pedrera. Over time, these charming elements became a recognizable part of the building’s image and add a special dynamic to the visit and whole experience.

A walk through the city…

And that was it regarding more detailed visits to tourist attractions. Then we ventured on the red route from La Pedrera—passing by some of the key locations worth listing, though unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit them:

• Plaça d’Espanya and its color-changing fountain, which was closed due to water system issues
• Pavilion Mies van der Rohe, named after the famous architect and Bauhaus representative at the renowned 1929 World Fair
• The grand building of the MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya), a museum on Catalonia’s history
• Olympic complex on Montjuïc Hill, built for the legendary 1992 Olympic Games
• Fundació Joan Miró, a gallery space dedicated to one of the most famous Catalan painters

We then descended from Montjuïc toward the city, passing through the port area of one of the largest Mediterranean harbors, where you’ll find:

• The World Trade Center, a well-known business complex
• The Maritime Museum
• And a 60-meter-tall monument to Christopher Columbus

We continued walking toward Barceloneta Beach, another city landmark where many people were relaxing, and where at that time the famous sailing competition, the America’s Cup, was taking place. Soon we reached the Arc de Triomf, built in honor of the first World Fair held in Barcelona in 1888. Before reaching it, we only brushed past the Parc de la Ciutadella, another famous city park.

To wrap up the whole experience, we took one last walk down the most famous city street—La Rambla—from which we entered the most famous city quarter, the narrow and dramatic Gothic Quarter. A melting pot of cultures, scents, tastes, and history, featuring the well-known Pont del Bisbe, the bishop’s bridge connecting the Generalitat Palace with the building that once housed the bishop’s office. Today, it’s a popular tourist attraction due to its Gothic architecture.

And that was it from our Barcelona adventure, which ended with a walk toward the Estació de Sants bus station, back to Girona—and then to Croatia.