A busy marina built for the Olympic sailing events, the Port Olímpic is surrounded by bars and restaurants. An eye-catcher on the approach from Barceloneta is Frank Gehry’s giant copper Peix (Fish) sculpture. The area behind, dominated by twin-tower blocks (the luxury Hotel Arts Barcelona and the Torre Mapfre office block), is the former Vila Olímpica living quarters for the Olympic competitors, which was later sold off as apartments.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.7 MILES
The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is considered to be the symbol of Barcelona by many residents, and the…
2.98 MILES
Visitors and locals alike love Park Güell. The waving balcony and the colorful Guard’s House, with the imposing Barcelona skyline and sea in the…
1.8 MILES
One of Europe's strangest residential buildings, Casa Batlló (built 1904–6) is Gaudí at his fantastical best. From its playful facade and marine-world…
2.01 MILES
In the top tier of Gaudí's achievements, this madcap Unesco-listed masterpiece, with 33 balconies, was built in 1905–10 as a combined apartment and office…
1.47 MILES
Barcelona's most central fresh-produce market is one of the greatest sound, smell and colour sensations in Europe. It's housed in a packed-out Modernista…
0.96 MILES
Located along the grand, medieval street of Carrer de Montcada, the Museu Picasso is dedicated to one of the world’s greatest artists, Pablo Picasso. Born…
2.44 MILES
Joan Miró was a Catalan painter and sculptor born in Barcelona who combined abstract art with surrealism. He is considered one of the most influential…
1.41 MILES
La Rambla is a tree-lined boulevard featuring a wide array of architectural delights, beautifully decorated flower stalls and particularly talented (and…
Nearby Barcelona attractions
0.16 MILES
With copper-hued stainless-steel scales sparkling at sunset, this 35m-tall, 56m-long fish sculpture at the foot of the swish Hotel Arts Barcelona looks…
0.25 MILES
The southernmost and busiest of El Poblenou's beaches, this broad golden trip gets lively in warmer months, when a couple of xiringuitos grace the sand,…
3. Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta
0.47 MILES
On Barceloneta's seaward side are the first of Barcelona's beaches, which get packed in summer. The broad 1.25km promenade from Barceloneta to the Port…
0.53 MILES
On the eastern side of the Parc de la Ciutadella, in the fort's former arsenal, lies the regional Parlament de Catalunya, open for independent visiting…
0.54 MILES
A relic from the industrial era, this striking Modernista building with its red brick and yellow details today houses an environmental education centre,…
0.55 MILES
The work of Enric Miralles, completed in 2005, this shimmering glass waterfront office tower is only 86m (20 storeys) high, but remains extraordinary for…
0.58 MILES
Fronting El Poblenou, these buzzy golden-white sands host volleyball courts and a few seasonal xiringuitos (beach bars) with sunbeds and umbrellas. There…
0.6 MILES
Just east of its namesake neighbourhood, Barceloneta's main beach is a golden-brown strip of sand where, during warm months, pool-party promoters, mojito…