A landmark district in Barcelona, the Portal de l'Àngel is always filled with people looking for a bargain inside one of the cool boutiques. Located in the Ciutat Vella (old city), the Portal de l'Àngel has a wide variety of stores and it is the second most popular area to shop in the city. The district extends from the Plaça Catalunya and runs along the Avinguda Diagonal all the way to the Barri Gòtic.
Designed by Richard Meier, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is housed in an aptly modern building with a glass facade and striking white color. It combines elements of contemporary American architecture with the Mediterranean rationalist tradition. The museum opened to the public in 1995, showing a permanent collection of work produced over the last 50 years and donated by the city's other artistic institutions. Visitors will also find regular temporary exhibitions featuring Spanish and international artists, as well as lectures, seminars, and audiovisual competitions on offer. If you like art, culture, and all things modern, swing by the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.
Sala Apolo is your ultimate live music experience in Barcelona. A favorite among hip concert goers, this venue plays host to an array of emerging and established musicians and touring bands on the international circuit. The old-school atmosphere, spacious dancefloor and great acoustics are perfect for an eclectic schedule of pop, rock, folk and electronic genres.
Sala Razzmatazz is a mecca for live concerts in Barcelona. Established in 2000, this club is home to five unique spaces that host top artists on the national and international music scene. Their events calendar is busy throughout the year and attracts varied patrons ranging for local music fans to traveling aficionados. The likes of Coldplay, Kanye West, David Byrne, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand have taken centerstage here, representing an eclectic range of genres – from pop and rock, to indie and electronic.
Conceived by famed French architect Jean Nouvel and his team, the 38-story Agbar Tower is a monument to art and sustainability. Sustainable materials, temperature-regulating windows and computer-directed elevators combine to create this iconic symbol of Barcelona. Visitors to the tower should also take note of the fact that the amazing structure has no indoor columns. The view from almost any floor is truly spectacular, providing a vista of all of the points of interests in the city, including Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. Though the view from the interior is breathtaking, the exterior of the tower is just as wonderful to behold. Over 4500 windows cover the tower in its entirety, and all of them can be lit by LED lights in dazzling displays of color and design. There is a souvenir shop on-site where visitors can purchase T-shirts as well as more high-end gifts.
Barcelona is known for its grand architecture, and this museum is the place to see it all. Poble Espanyol is an open-air museum that was built in 1929 as part of the International Exhibition. It was created as an entire village using architectural styles from all over Spain. Originally, it was supposed to have been torn down after six months, but it has survived much longer than that because of its cultural value. Although no one lives in this village, it is populated during the day by artisans who show visitors how to make handicrafts. A variety of tapestries, ceramics and jewelry can be purchased, or you can learn about the art of glass blowing and hand embroidery. On-site restaurants and cafes complete the experience.