ESE 2015 TOURS (SPECIAL RATES)

Montserrat and Cava Tour (Full day tour)

FULL DAY (Available 17th and 18th September) PRICE: 78€ (lunch, bus & guide included). 08.30h to 18.00h

Visit the Montserrat Mountain and taste the Catalan cava

The Montserrat and Cava Tour from Barcelona combines a visit to the beautiful Montserrat mountain in west Barcelona and the Freixenet Company, the biggest producer of champagne (in Spanish: Cava) in the world. Over the years Montserrat has been the goal not only for thousands of pilgrims, but also for architects like Antoni Gaudí and Jean Nouvel, who have been inspired by the unique forms of the rocks and by the beautiful natural park on the mountain.

Hightlights of the tour

On a shiny day you will be able to see Barcelona from the top of the Montserrat Mountain, and furthermost, on the mountain you will be able to see the incredible monastery built over centuries and the Black Madonna ("la moreneta" as locals call her), the goal of thousands of pilgrims for centuries. If you come at the right time you will be able to hear the boys' choir sing - the choir is the oldest of its kind in the world. Freixenet's cava is world famous - stars like Liza Minnelli and Antonio Banderas have participated in their commercials - and the cellars contain around 100 million bottles, making Freixenet the world’s 9th biggest company in the wine business. On the tour you will be able to taste the cava, see the production and take a ride through the wine cellars in a mini train.

         

 

Gaudí Tour: Sagrada Familia, Pedrera & Casa Batllo (Full day tour)

FULL DAY TOUR (Available 17th and 18th September) PRICE: 58€ (lunch, bus & guide included). 09.00h to 17.00h

Passeig de Gràcia

This broad elegant avenue was built for and by the wealthy Barcelonians and they have never left; luxury and design shops line the street along with major banks and the stock exchange. Architectural details include modernist lampposts and Gaudí’s tiles for the pavement and a myriad of grand buildings including two of Gaudí’s houses: Casa Batlló and Casa Milà also known as La Pedrera.

Casa Batlló guided tour

Casa Batlló, one of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces, is not just a building but an artistic legend; hidden behind an exceptional façade which reflects a tranquil sea is a world of surprises and refined architectural details. This apartments building enchants visitors with its remarkable design and the vast repertoire of visual solutions employed. In every corner, with the help of our guide you will discover something surprising, details full of life that will fascinate everyone who can appreciate imaginativeness. The tour includes a visit to the legendary Noble Floor (it used to be the home of the Batlló family), the Attic (it was used by the residents as stores and laundry room), the Rooftops and Chimneys which presents the well-known spine of the multicoloured dragon killed by St Georges. As well as the magnificent lobby, main staircase and light well (it used to be the main staircase for the rest of the neighbours).

Sagrada Familia guided tour

The jewel in the crown of Gaudí’s works, the temple is a synthesis of his overall conception of architecture. The richness of detail and its significance need explaining in order to appreciate this fascinating and extraordinary building in full.

Gaudí wanted the temple to be financed voluntarily by the people, not by taxes or funding, and that’s just what your entrance fees do (included in our tour price): finance the completion of the building started in 1882.

         

 

Old Barcelona City (Gotic) (Half day tour)

HALF DAY TOUR (Available 17th, 18th and 19th September) PRICE: 40€ (bus & guide included, part of the tour walking). AM tour. 09.00h to 13.00h

See the historic city center of Barcelona with a professional guide  

The Gothic Quarter (in Spanish: Barrio Gótico) in Barcelona is one of the best preserved medieval areas in Europe. The Gothic Quarter is packed with history, interesting details, nice plazas, beautiful churches and cozy streets.

The density of imposing buildings scattered around the narrow streets of the medieval city core bear witnesses to a rich history from a time when Barcelona was a super power in the Mediterranean together with cities like Venice and Genova. It was here the famous Inquisition spread fear and that Columbus was received by the Catholic Kings when he came back to Spain after discovering America.

The Barcelona Gothic Quarter Tour takes you through the most important sights of the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, from the Cathedral of Barcelona (La Seu), the cobbled streets of the Born area, the narrow streets of the old Jewish Quarter (the Call) to the Roman ruins.

• The Ramblas (probably the most famous street in Spain) • Boquería (also called Marcat Sant Josep, one of the best markets in Europe) • The Liceu Opera (made famous by José Carreras and Montserrat Caballé) • Plaça Sant Felip Neri (remains from the civil war) • Plaça Reial (one of the most beautiful plazas in Barcelona. • The Jewish quarter (important area in the Middle ages) • Plaça Sant Jaume (with the town hall and Generalitat) • The Cathedral of Barcelona (where the local saint Santa Eulalia is buried) • The Temple of Augustus (Roman temple from 15 BC) • The Aragonese Archive (the second biggest medieval archive in Europe) • Plaça del Rei (here Columbus was welcomed back after his first trip to America). • Pati Llimona (ruins from the Roman city Barcino) • Santa María del Mar (The Cathedral of the Sea decribed in ildefonso Falcones'

novel with the same name) • Wine and food specialty shops in Borne (the quarter has some of Barcelona's

best specialty shops) • Montcada and the Picasso Museum (part of Barcelona's medieval heritage) • The Roman Walls (and remains of the Roman Aqueduct)