Visiting Barcelona, with limited time?  There is so much to see in this fascinating city, which would normally take at least a week, but it is possible to see the major highlights in a couple of days too.

I would highly recommend the following:

The Gaudí masterpieces:

1. Temple de la Sagrada Familia - or Temple of the Sacred Family - Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece and a must-see in Barcelona.  A fascinating combination of the original architects' vision (Martorell and De Villar), combined with the magic of Gaudí.  Unfortunately Gaudí passed away before the work was complete.  Construction still continues on this amazing building and your entry fee helps towards this.

2. Casa Milà (La Pedrera) - in the L'Eixample neighbourhood - Antoni Gaudí was commissioned by the industrialist, Pere Milà, to construct a building on the boundary of Barcelona and Gràcia, as both a family residence and also to be leased as separate dwellings.  Owing to the way its facade appears to be carved out of rock, the Casa Milà was nicknamed "La Pedrera", which means stone quarry.  Amazing interior architecture, as well as  the famous and fascinating chimneys on the rooftop.

3. Casa Battló also in the L'Eixample neighbourhood - a fairytale building.  Originally Gaudí was commissioned to demolish the building, and build from scratch, but he convinced the owner to let him completely redesign the existing building.  This was in the days when the Paseo de Gracia was undergoing a "keep up with the Jones'" battle - everyone trying to outdo each other with their architecture. Gaudí did an incredible job using tiles and scales on the exterior of the building, wonderful interior design, plus again the famous chimneys on the roof top.... read more