School trips to Barcelona

Parc Güell

“Park Güell has the appearance of something from a fairytale: it is strange, eccentric, even somewhat dream-like but undeniably beautiful. The park has the ability to awaken even the sleepiest imaginations.

This leafy park in the north of the city contains more examples of Gaudi’s work, namely a series of colonnades winding up the hill leading to a large central terrace projecting over a hall with a forest of distorted Doric columns. The park contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. At the entrance to Güell Park there is a picture showing the Guadi dragon fountain. The dragon is adorned in beautiful coloured tiling with something rather hypnotic and magical about it.

At the top of Güell park is a terraced area where you get a wonderful view of the park and of Barcelona City. The vibrant colours of the tiles are truly breathtaking. The Güell Park is a fantastic example of a movement of contemporary art guaranteed to inspire many students.”

Dali Museum (Figueres)

“The Dali Theatre and Museum is a museum of the artist Salvador Dali in his hometown of Figueres, in Catalonia, Spain. Salvador Dali is buried there in a crypt below the stage. The man himself said ‘I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a great surrealist object. It will be a totally theatrical museum. The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation of having had a theatrical dream.’

The heart of the museum is the building that housed the town’s theatre when Dali was a child. The museum displays the single largest and most diverse collection of works by Salvador Dali, the core of which is the artist’s personal collection. It contains the broadest range of works spanning the artistic career from 1980-1989. In addition to Dali paintings from all decades of his career, there is Dali sculptures, 3-dimensional collages, mechanical devices and other curiosities from Dali’s imagination.

Figueres is situated around 75 miles from Barcelona.”

Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA)

“The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is situated in the Placa dels Angel’s area. In 1959, art critic Alexandre Cirici Pellicer formed a group of contemporary artists showing work in a series of 23 exhibitions, with the hopes of beginning a collection for a new contemporary art museum in Barcelona.

In 1986, the Barcelona City Council recommended the American architect Richard Meier Partners to design the museum. The permanent collection of around 5,000 works dates from the mid-20 th century onward. The three periods of modern art represented are the forties to the sixties, the sixties and seventies and the last are contemporary. The collections focus on post 1945 Catalan and Spanish art, and the museum also stages seasonal exhibitions, which can be viewed on the museums website.

This is a great experience for students to observe contemporary artwork in a beautiful building with stunning views from Barcelona through the glass panels.”

Picasso Museum

“The Picasso museum is located in the quarter El Born and was founded after Jaime Sabates, the former secretary and friend of Picasso, devoted a large collection of works to the city. For this purpose the Palacio de Berenguer d’Aguilar, an old city palace from the 15th century, was converted into a museum to house the collection.

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona reveals the genius of the young artist through more than 3,500 works that make up the permanent collection. The museum also reveals his relationship with Barcelona an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, continuing even after his death. This is a fantastic opportunity to see Picasso’s younger works of art and his early influences.”

Guided Sightseeing Tour of Barcelona

The city tour is an excellent introduction to the city, and will typically visit places such as the Sagrada Familia and other Gaudi landmarks, the Olympic Port, Montjuic and the Olympic Ring, the Old City. City tours can be tailored to meet your programme.

Montserrat

Montserrat is one of Catalonia’s most important religious sites but is also a Natural Park. Made of conglomerate rock, the name means “saw mountain” in Catalan reflecting its distinctive serrated limestone pinnacles caused by erosion and weathering. A visit here can include a funicular ride to the summit or the Collbató caves inside the mountain itself.

Flamenco Show

Although not traditionally famed for its flamenco, Barcelona does still offer a range of shows and workshops to demonstrate this Spanish art form.

Tapas Tour

Go where the locals go and have fun while learning something in the experience. Spend an evening strolling along the historic streets of Barcelona with a knowledgeable guide while tasting a variety of Spain’s culinary treasures.

Sagrada Familia

Plan a visit to Sagrada Familia and see it in all its glory now the towers stand tall and completed! Worked on for over 100 years, the Sagrada Familia represents Gaudi’s dedication to build a church replete with precise symbolic meaning. Located in the church crypt, the museum tells the story of how the building work evolved.

Port Aventura

This is now Spain’s number 1 tourist attraction, and one of the biggest theme parks in Europe with the usual mix of shows, white knuckle rides and of plenty of shops and places to eat. Study workbooks on Business, Tourism and Spanish Language are available to accompany your visit.