THE REAL THING. Viajes a otra España

Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, two great 20th-century Spanish artists, need no introduction. But what we would like to share with you, together with one of our experts, is what happened when they met in Barcelona during the height of the avant-garde era at the beginning of the century, when Picasso was 36 and Miró was just 24: a priceless selection of works that the artists themselves donated to the city as a token of their strong ties with Barcelona.

A visit to the Picasso Museum, which spans five large medieval mansions in the Gothic Quarter, and the Miró Foundation, created by the great rationalist architect Josep Lluís Sert in the middle of Montjuïc, should spark plenty of conversation about art, architecture, urban planning and commitment to the city.

Art in private: museums and art galleries

Galería Estrany-De la Mota, Barcelona

We are experts in art and culture. So who better to prepare a bespoke tour of Barcelonas’s best galleries, or set up a visit with artists, led by the sector’s most distinguished professionals?

Barcelona has a vibrant contemporary art scene, with an outstanding selection of galleries, art fairs and prestigious museums and art centers, such as the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, CaixaForum, the Joan Miró Foundation and the Tàpies Foundation. Visiting them in the company of professionals from the sector is an absolute privilege: we propose a route including those museums that best adapt to the traveler’s interests, a personalized tour of the city’s galleries, or meetings with artists.

Love of fine dining

Tapas. Pug Girl. BY CC 2.0

Love of fine dining is a long-standing tradition, and you will not understand Catalan haute cuisine without also trying traditional fare. We want to take visitors to restaurants with tradition and to share the stories of writers, bullfighters, artists and famous people that have eaten there before them. The first restaurant in Barcelona opened its doors in 1786. More than 200 years of dining tradition are waiting for you!

But if you’re looking for creativity, innovation, skill and sophistication in Catalan haute cuisine, you can’t leave Barcelona without eating at the best restaurants in the world. A city where Michelin stars abound.

Children take
over the city

Jordi Ferreiro

Bring your kids to Barcelona! The city is the perfect place to bring the whole family, because of its human scale and infrastructure. We know every corner, every store and every child-friendly restaurant, so your kids will enjoy your trip. And we want you to go home with unforgettable memories of your experience in the city, so we asked the heads of educational programs at leading museums to prepare a tailor-made cultural experience for kids: visiting art workshops and museums adapted to their perspective will enhance their interest in art and culture and provide them with an unforgettable experience in Barcelona. They will be in good hands.

Nine Treasures World Heritage

Ceiling Canopy II. Andrew Moore. BY CC 2.0

We show travelers nine treasures, all of which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. We visit the city accompanied by a specialist in modernist architecture, which allows us to show visitors exactly why we are so proud of those gems. The route includes several palaces whose owners open their doors exclusively to us. Some of them are well-known works by Antoni Gaudí: La Pedrera, La Sagrada Familia, the Church of Colonia Güell, Park Güell and the Palau Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Vicens; others are for those in-the-know, such as the Palau de la Música Catalana and the recently-refurbished Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, designed by Lluís Domènech i Muntaner.

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Intstituto de Turismo de España (TURESPAÑA). MNAC. Pantocrator de iglesia de Taüll

This museum houses the best collection of Romanesque painting in Europe from the nine rural churches in the Catalan Pyrenees, which have been protected by UNESCO since 2000.

Romanesque masterpieces were rescued, such as Christ in Majesty, from the Church of St. Clement of Tahull, and transferred to the MNAC in 1920, where they have been ever since. This museum is not-to-be-missed: in addition to the magnificent collection of European medieval art, it is located in the National Palace in Montjuïc, which offers incredible views of the entire city.

Gaudí’s Barcelona

La Pedrera

At the start of the 20th century, Barcelona underwent a notable transformation into a modern, thriving, organized city that was suitable for the new Catalan bourgeoisie and which looked enthusiastically to its European neighbors with a desire to be seen as an equal. The architecture that lines the city’s wide streets is from the Modernism movement—visible in other European cities, but none of them quite like Barcelona, home to the movement’s greatest master, Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926).

The construction of buildings began—inspired by shapes from nature—appealing to an unusual sensuality and offering new ways of living. Gaudí, a leading artist of his time, shaped Modernism by devising a way to charm the city’s wealthy bourgeoisie families, creating fantastic places for them, such as La Pedrera and the magical Güell Park. However, his magnum opus is indisputably the Sagrada Familia church. Though he died before it was completed, he left behind instructions for everything from the tips of the towers to the candelabras on the altar. Incredible Gaudí. A truly special way to get to know Barcelona.

Excursion to the
Costa Brava

Litoral de LLoret de Mar. Albert Torelló. BY CC 2.0

Wondering how to spend the perfect day? Escape with THE REAL THING to the Costa Brava, Spain’s northeast coast, a paradise just 90 minutes from Barcelona. Enjoy a relaxing dip in the sea. Spend the night in a cozy hotel, and savor an exceptional culinary experience. Beaches, castles, vineyards, fisherman’s lunches, forests, fish, northern winds, the sea… you won’t want to go home.

The flavor of the land

Viñedos. Angela Llop. BY CC 2.0

The culture of wine is inextricably linked to the flavors of, and life in, Barcelona.
A short trip to the Penedès and Priorat regions will lead us to centuries-old wineries surrounded by acres of vineyards. Their owners will open the doors to the authentic flavor of Catalan wines and cavas and show us all of the secrets to making them. Tastings, pairings… you will never look at a glass of cava the same way again.

Fashion, Barcelona-style

Moda. Roberto Trombetta. BY CC 2.0

Barcelona’s fashion scene has reason to celebrate. A generation of designers paving the way towards international fame co-exists alongside well-established names.

Fashion experts will accompany visitors to private showrooms, giving them the chance to buy Barcelona fashion before everyone else. And for those who want to visit the big names in fashion, we have prepared an itinerary with a selection of the most exclusive stores. We will also take them to the most important fashion events and shows. So that travelers come and… dress in Barcelona fashion!

Old traditions: the Castells

3 de 10 con folre i manilles cargado por los Castellers de Vilafranca.Eric Sala & Tània García (uploaded to Commons by Baggio). BY CC 2.0

There are countless activities each week in Barcelona. Our annual calendar is chock-full of traditional events, and we accompany visitors to those activities so they feel as if they were locals. We want travelers to get excited about a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Castells, where the human towers were declared Intangible Heritage by UNESCO, and to enjoy fiestas, concerts in the park, films, theater, music and art fairs as if they were from Barcelona. Take advantage of your vacation, and become a local!

Have a vermouth
with us

Vermut Casa Mariol. Mumumío. BY CC 2.0

Ever since Hippocrates invented vermouth as a medicinal drink in the 5th century BC, we take this beverage very seriously in Barcelona. We want the traveler to experience how is to have a vermouth in one of the traditional bodegas which still maintains every bit of its authenticity: the soul of Barcelona.

Emblematic locales: the spirit of Barcelona

Barcelona en HDR-8. Erik Ll. BY CC 2.0

Modern, avant-garde and constantly changing, Barcelona has been able to preserve and protect hundreds of historical and traditional locales which marked an era in the lives of locals and maintained the city’s essence: bars, bodegas, notions stores, bakeries, corner shops… At THE REAL THING we want visitors to get to know the real Barcelona, as long as they can keep a secret.

City Escape

Sant po lde mar. Lablascovegmenu

Catalonia is more than just Barcelona. Do you want the sea? We have trips that let you experience the best of the Mediterranean along the Costa Brava. Do you want snow? We know the best ski resorts. Would you prefer to relax and be pampered? Historical health resorts, thermal springs and spas. Gastronomy? Select gastronomic hotels specializing in slow food, surrounded by nature and life. Culture? History, architecture, art… Give us a few days more and we will put the final touches on your trip!

Are you used to going RUNNING every day? Do you miss your YOGA teacher? Are you sore from WALKING so much? Or do you just feel like having the REAL treatment?

Dalí, Cadaqués
and Figueres

Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí

Of all the great 20th century artists, perhaps Salvador Dalí inspires the most curiosity. His extravagant personality and artistic genius led him to create fascinating works of art which were ahead of his time, mixing references of high culture and popular culture, as pop culture artists would later do. Cadaqués and Figueres are two small, typical Mediterranean cities where Dalí lived and worked, creating his most outrageous and magnificent works: his home and the Theater-Museum.

A visit to the Theater-Museum, where many of Dalí’s most emblematic works are on display, provides the full experience of what his work meant to him. If we are to follow his journey throughout the Mediterranean, essential viewing includes Portlligat, where famous artist guests included Picasso, Duchamp and Lorca, and the medieval Púbol Castel, an homage in every way to his wife, Gala Dalí.

Roman and Medieval Barcelona

Turisme de Barcelona. Basílica of Santa María del Mar

Two hundred years before the Christian period, Barcelona’s heart began to beat as Barcino, a Roman colony. From that moment on, the city grew at an unstoppable pace, contained only by successive walls until becoming, in the 19th century, the modern city we know today.

Barcelona is one of the cities in Europe that co-exists most naturally with its vestiges of the past, and whose origins it also superbly preserves. THE REAL THING invites you to embark on a fascinating journey in time where, though architecture, we will slowly reveal all of the secrets to the city’s history: the remains of the Roman Temple of Augustus; the splendor of Romanesque churches and monasteries, perfectly preserved; the outstanding example of Catalan Gothic that is the Church of Santa Maria del Mar; public buildings and palaces of the new social classes which emerged as a result of the wealth brought by the sea; the successive walls that stifled the city…

Come with us and fall in love with its beautiful masonry and its intense history.

Great Figures in 20th Century Architecture in Barcelona

International Masters of Contemporary Architecture in Barcelona

Barcelona. Whet your appetite…

Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boquería. The Facade@. BY CC 2.0

Barcelona’s markets combine tradition and modernity and reflect the city’s spirit. Although the market par excellence is the Boquería, an absolute must-see in the middle of Las Ramblas, THE REAL THING invites you off the beaten path to see the true spirit of some of the other 40 or so markets where the locals shop. They all offer nighttime tapas workshops, tastings, courses and events throughout the year and with us you’ll know when and where they are.

You won’t want to miss our post-market plan either: a cooking workshop led by one of our chefs with whom we will cook—and eat—the delicious food we buy in the market.

And if you’re not in the mood for cooking, an alternative for after the market is to have a vermouth in one of the traditional bodegas which still maintains every bit of its authenticity: the soul of Barcelona.

Come with us to the Camp Nou

Instituto de Turismo de España (TURESPAÑA)

Barcelona’s most visited museum doesn’t have a single work of art in its display cases: Futbol Club Barcelona has received more than 20 million visitors to its facilities and museum.

THE REAL THING can organize a guided tour with a sports journalist, ensuring that you don’t miss a thing while you visit the club that has dominated the global football scene in recent years. But the real show is watching the club’s stars in action: Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar and, Leo Messi, who many consider to be the greatest player in the world. Should we book our tickets?

Mediterranean
Barcelona

The sea is an extension of Barcelona. The city looks out on the Mediterranean and the sea brings light to the city. You’re going to have to get wet to take advantage of the excellent maritime plans we have prepared or which we tailor to your preferences: sailing classes, journeys on catamarans, a night on the high seas, or simply setting sail and enjoying an extraordinary dinner on the water.

Welcome on board!

Architectural rarities

Nuevos Encantes, Barcelona

If you think you know Barcelona well, that you’ve seen its treasures and visited its architectural masterpieces, then you should take the tour designed by our architects, so you can see the city from a different perspective: you’ll go underground, visit the most spectacular rooftops, look around the foyers of private buildings, discover unexplored vantage points, gardens with unexpected treasures, architectural rarities…

A singular perspective of the city: dare to change your point of view and you will discover another Barcelona.

Languages

Instituto de Turismo de España. (TURESPAÑA). Museu Picasso, Barcelona.