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STARWOOD RECOMMENDS - Outstanding Visit: Visit the district of Raval and La Rambla Street. Also the Tibidabo Mountain with its fun park and sanctuary, and the Ciutadella Park with its green lung character is definitely a worthwhile visit for the nature lovers. The district of Ribera is another of Barcelona’s colourful attractions; in its streets visitors can view the Santa Mária del Mar church, one of the architectonic emblems of the city.
- Mercado de la Boquería: Its present aspect dates back to 1914: the metal deck and the iron structure designed by Miquel de Bergue at the time were able to provide the Boqueria with greater stability and beauty. Visiting this fine-food sanctuary one is struck by much more than pure gastronomic interest, since artistically speaking it is further emphasized by its modernist style noticeable in so much of the architecture, the shop windows, and the design of the main entrance. A total of 6,000 m², eleven corridors and 300 stands give life to this crowded market, where Barcelonans of all classes and backgrounds coexist with the tourists, most of them impressed by the colourful exuberance of the fresh products on display. The market is also sprinkled with numerous small stands where one can sip a cool drink or enjoy a lively chat over brunch.
- Güell Park: In the year 1900 Eusebios Güell proposed to Gaudí the construction of a park in the then villa de Gracia- today unified with Barcelona. On land pertaining to Can Larrard, Can Montaner de Dalt, and Can Coll i Pujol, between the paths of San Jose de la Montaña and Carmelo is the place known as Pelada Mountain, which will be the site for the construction of the new park, 15 hectares in size. The land, which is extremely uneven, was divided by Gaudí into sixty plots crossed by a maze of snaking paths, often covered by natural stone domes and inclined columns on walls also inclined according to the natural slope of terrain. There are three main constructions in the park: The Great Escalinata that leads from the entrance to the “Templo Dóricó” and its circular medallion with the Catalonia coat of arms, and above this the famous Dragon .The Doric Temple, with its 84 columns that support a great plaza or “Greek theatre”, a magnificent city viewpoint and centre of the Park. The “Porteríá”, a services building also of great beauty, in a lateral entrance. Güell Park is ceramic and stone. All the construction is of stone or is covered with pieces of glazed tile from all over Spain. It was finished in 1914 and has been a public municipal park of Barcelona since 1922. In 1969 it was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument.
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