Guide to Barcelona

Visiting Barcelona with children - part 2

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 09:27

Barcelona with children

As was mentioned in the first part of this article, the old city of Barcelona is full of attractions and stimulation for the little one. Another interesting place where you can bring the kids and pass practically the whole day with them is the Maremagnum shopping centre.

Situated at the bottom of Las Ramblas this centre is where you will find the IMAX 3D movie theater, the famous Aquarium of Barcelona, the old port of Barcelona,with plenty of short cruises around the port and further, an official FC Barcelona shop as well as many bars, ice cream stands and restaurants. The Maremagnum also organizing events for the family, so it is worth a while consulting their web (they have English translation!) at http://www.maremagnum.es/index.php?idioma=eng.

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From the Maremagnum you can go walking to visit the Zoo of Barcelona. Since “Copito de Nieve” (Snowflake) , the last white gorilla, passed away a few years ago, the Barcelona's zoo has lost its main attraction on a world scale. However it is still, in my opinion (which is completely not objective) one of the nicest zoos in the world. All you should do is walk along the Paseo Isabel II for 10 minutes until you arrive to the Ciudadela park, cross the park and you are in the zoo entrance. More information about the zoo you can find in this link: http://www.zoobarcelona.cat/ZOO_Barcelona/English/English.asp.

When you do visit the Barcelona zoo I would recommend you very much the dolphins show, it doesn't cost extra and it is really good one as the dolphins are being take care of by some of the best dolphins trainers in Spain. The reptiles show is also worth visiting although is cost an extra.

You should not live the zoo without visiting the Cidadela park that was mentioned before! It is a relatively small park, especially if you compare it with other famous urban parks in other big cities or with the Park Guell of Gaudí, but it is definitely fan park for the kids, you can rent family bikes, visit the small lake or just have a short coffee break while the little monsters are running around. For those of you who likes geology, you can visit one of the most impressive stones collection I have ever seen, just by visiting the Geological Museum, which is by the way the first public museum that was created in Barcelona. The museum is located in side the park.

From the Ciudadela park you can walk slowly not more than 10 minutes, entering in to the “El Borne” (the Born neighborhood), and arrive to one of the paradise for children in Barcelona (but not only for children!): the Barcelona chocolate museum! This small museum used to be one of Barcelona's first chocolate factories and today it is a cute little museum, patisserie school and chocolate shop. There are also activities for children, for information about them you can check their web, also in English: http://www.pastisseria.cat/en/PortadaMuseu

I recommend you very much to have a chocolate cup with churros in the lovely shop-bar, it is delicious, probably the best hot chocolate you will taste in Barcelona.

Probably after so much chocolate the kids will be in maximum state of excitement. You can calm them down a bit by walking them along the small streets of the Born, anyway you are in the neighborhood aren't you? If you are staying in one of our apartments in the Born then you can have a short “siesta” before you go on with your touring. If you are not so lucky you can continue with the little ones up in Via Layetana street all the way to Plaza Catalunya (Catalonia) where you can enter the El Corte Inglés department store. Mummy can stay in the first 3 floors (to try perfumes, moda and house decoration) while daddy can take the kids to the 6^th floor to see games, books or even better to the 7^th floor to see some electronics and gadgets. We are not responsible however to the economical damage you may suffer over there.

In the next post I will recommend you some interesting places in Eixample and in other parts of the city. Hasta la vista!

Y.M.

Visiting Barcelona with children - part 1