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Barcelona
With its sophisticated architecture, design, and foodie appeal, Barcelona might seem like a city just for grownups, but it has plenty to offer children of all ages. Much of the fun is outdoors, from the amusing architecture of Parc Güell to the family-oriented waterfront and zoo in the city's largest park. Even transportation can be exciting: Kids are sure to love the aerial cable car from the port to Montjuïc and the antique Blue Tram that climbs the hill to Tibidabo. [Photo above] View marine life galore at the Barcelona Aquarium. Photo by Matz Sjöberg/AGE Fotostock. Top Family Attractions
Gaudí's imaginative park is mostly playground and kids love it. Stone columns look like trees, gatehouses look transported from Hansel and Gretel, and the gurgling, mosaic-covered lizard fountain simply looks adorable. It's a great place for hide-and-seek. And if it's a clear day, the views of Barcelona all the way to the beach -- past the spires of La Sagrada Família -- are terrific.
A great way to appreciate the layout of Barcelona, especially L'Eixample's grid designed by Ildefons Cerdà in 1859, is to take the aerial cable car from Montjuïc down to the port area and Barceloneta. The cable car runs every 15 minutes daily from 10:30am to 7pm.
Past the sailboats in the harbor and on the other side of the pedestrian-only Rambla del Mar drawbridge are several excellent options for families: L'Aquarium, a large and well-designed aquarium that lets you get up close and personal with sharks, eels, and other aquatic creatures that appear to be swimming above and around you; a traditional-styled carousel for younger children; and Maremàgnum shopping mall with lots of shops geared toward kids.
One of the largest and finest science museums anywhere, this learning center is high-tech and hands-on, and a blast for kids. "The Flooded Forest," an exhibit of a living Amazonian rain forest inside the museum with over 100 species of animal and plant life, is thrilling; kids are encouraged to pick up and touch rats, frogs, spiders, and other fauna. The 3D planetarium and cool Geological Wall are also big draws.
Gaudí dedicated 4 decades of his life to this building, and though the architect left behind no detailed plans, he expected that the cathedral -- the world's largest if completed -- would take several generations to finish. Gaudí envisioned 12 spires (one for each of the Apostles), a massive dome over the apse, and four additional, higher spires, as well as one central bell tower, representing the Virgin Mary.
Plaça del Rei abuts a remaining section of the old Roman walls, and in the 1930s, archaeologists unearthed ruins of Barcino, the old Roman city. (The subterranean ruins can be visited by the public.) The five-story tower Mirador del Rei Martí, which rises above the square, dates to 1555, when it was built as a lookout for foreign invasions and peasant uprisings.
A small chocolate museum, with exhibits about the history of chocolate and chocolate-making classes. The large-scale chocolate sculptures of cartoon figures and Barcelona landmarks, including Gaudí's La Sagrada Família and La Pedrera, are fun.
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