Poble Espanyol
This faux village on the hill was designed by Josep Puig i Cadalfach for the 1929 World’s Fair and remains an absorbing introduction to Spain’s wide-ranging culture. Each street or plaza simulates the architecture of a corner of Spain, from Andalucía to Zaragoza. Inside, the 100-plus buildings are full-scale, and with nearly a century of patina, many look authentic enough to make you do a double-take.
Hats off to Barcelona for figuring out how to breathe new life into this quaint relic. The main plaza, representing Segovia, is lined with restaurants and cafés which stay open late into the night at weekends, and its shops sell surprisingly good-quality crafts and souvenirs. The village also houses the Fundació Fran Daurel contemporary Spanish art collection, which which presents some irreverent artworks like an all-male version of the famous cubist Desmoiselles d’Avinyon, as well as some actual works by Picasso, Dalí and Miró.
Tip: If you buy tickets for the Tablao de Carmen flamenco show flamenco show, you get free admission to Poble Espanyol any time from 4pm, giving you plenty of time to look around and have dinner before the show.
This faux village on the hill was designed by Josep Puig i Cadalfach for the 1929 World’s Fair and remains an absorbing introduction to Spain’s wide-ranging culture. Each street or plaza simulates the architecture of a corner of Spain, from Andalucía to Zaragoza. Inside, the 100-plus buildings are full-scale, and with nearly a century of patina, many look authentic enough to make you do a double-take.
Hats off to Barcelona for figuring out how to breathe new life into this quaint relic. The main plaza, representing Segovia, is lined with restaurants and cafés which stay open late into the night at weekends, and its shops sell surprisingly good-quality crafts and souvenirs. The village also houses the Fundació Fran Daurel contemporary Spanish art collection, which which presents some irreverent artworks like an all-male version of the famous cubist Desmoiselles d’Avinyon, as well as some actual works by Picasso, Dalí and Miró.
Tip: If you buy tickets for the Tablao de Carmen flamenco show flamenco show, you get free admission to Poble Espanyol any time from 4pm, giving you plenty of time to look around and have dinner before the show.
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