Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5. JARDINS DEL PALAU DE PEDRALBES
ThesepicturesquegardensliejustinfrontoftheformerPalauReial(royalpalace)of
Pedralbes. Under the shade of an enormous eucalyptus tree and near a small bam-
boo forest is a fountain with a dragon head by Gaudí, which was only discovered in
1983.
Av Diagonal 686 • Off map
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6. PARC DE JOAN MIRÓ
AlsoknownasParcdel'Escorxador,thisparkwasbuiltonthesiteofa19th-century
slaughterhouse(
excorxador
).DominatingthepavedupperleveloftheparkisMiró's
striking 22-m (72-ft) sculpture,
Dona i Ocell
(
Woman and Bird
; 1983). Elsewhere
thereareseveralchildren'splayareasandacoupleofkioskcafés.
C/Tarragona 74
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7. PARC DE L'ESPANYA INDUSTRIAL
Located on the site of a former textiles factory, this modern park was built by
Basque architect Luis Peña Ganchegui. It's a very appealing space, with ten strange
lighthouse-styletowersthatlinetheboatinglakeandanenormouscast-irondragon,
which doubles as a slide. There's a good terrace bar with a playground for the kids.
C/Muntades 37
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8. CITY BEACHES
ThebeachesofBarcelonawereonceinsalubriousareastobeavoided.Withthe1992
Olympics they underwent a radical face-lift and today the stretches of Barceloneta
andthePortOlímpicareamajorpeoplemagnet.Justashorthoponthemetrofrom
the city centre, they provide the perfect opportunity for a refreshing Mediterranean
dip. The
beaches
are regularly cleaned and the many facilities include showers, toi-
lets,children's' playareas,volleyballnetsandanopen-air gym.Thereareboatsand
surfboards for rent. Be warned: bag snatching is endemic.
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