Experience Barcelona’s diverse architectural heritage. You’ll become well acquainted with Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona’s celebrity architect – his unmistakable style with its organic shapes, twisted iron sculptures and colored tiles is hard to miss. Begun in 1883, it remains unfinished to this day. Enjoy an inside visit at his towering masterpiece, la Sagrada Family (The Holy Family). Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, with a mosaic façade and undulating roof. You´ll wander through the “Poble Espanyol”, an open-air architectural museum, which was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. It consists of 117 full-scale buildings, which are replicas of the most characteristic buildings from all over Spain. It also contains restaurants, artisan workshops and shops offering quality souvenirs. There will be free time in the Old Quarter to explore, shop or have lunch on your own while strolling its narrow streets and handsome squares, lined with medieval buildings contemporary shops, bohemian artist workshops and cool bars and restaurants.

Begin your tour with the view from the top, as you head to Montjuic hill for a panoramic view of Barcelona. Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, with a mosaic façade and undulating roof. View his controversial and towering masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church.

It is about an hour’s drive to Montserrat, an unusual multi-peak mountain topped by pinnacles that look like fingers reaching for the sky and offering stunning views of Catalunya. According to legend, villagers discovered a statue of the Madonna in a grotto a millennia ago. As a result, it became a pilgrimage site, and still draws many of the faithful to venerate the image, which now resides in a grand basilica.

Over the centuries the image has darkened by the smoke of millions of candles and she has come to be known as the Black Virgin. You’ll visit the basilica, and have free time to shop and have lunch on your own.

Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Mila, with its arches and spiral chimneys. It is known locally as “the stone quarry,” because of its wavy facade of rough stone. Originally designed as an apartment building, it now houses a cultural center. Stop for a photo of Gaudi’s controversial and towering masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church. Begun in 1883, it is still unfinished. A panoramic drive takes you through the memorial Arch of Triumph and Ciutadella Park, home to State of Catalona’s parliament, museums and a monumental fountain designed by a student of Gaudi. You’ll also enjoy spectacular views of the harbor and the Olympic Stadium from the top of Montjuic. Last but not least, stroll at your leisure the narrow streets and handsome squares of the old Quarter, lined with medieval buildings contemporary shops, bohemian artist workshops and cool bars and restaurants.

Enjoy an enlightening panoramic drive around Barcelona as a prelude to a hands-on cooking class, after which you will dine on the paella that you have prepared. You will see some of Barcelona’s most iconic architecture, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites that famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí designed. One is his La Sagrada Familia, a masterpiece church begun more 130 years ago that is still unfinished. The other is Gaudi’s imaginative Casa Batllo, a whimsical residence with undulated balconies and a façade covered with mosaics inspired by nature. Upon reaching the Paella Club, you will be treated to an immersive culinary experience during which you will learn the foundations of Spanish cuisine and how to make authentic paella. Your host chef will show you exactly how to prepare the dish and different versions of it at your workstation. The cooking class will culminate by dining on the paellas, perhaps the most well-known dish in Spain.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• See Barcelona’s architectural treasures, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites. • Learn to prepare authentic paella in a hands-on cooking class at the Paella Club. • Dine on the paella and the different versions of it that you just made in class.

HELPFUL HINTS:
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing. • Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Experience Barcelona’s diverse architectural heritage. After a short panoramic drive, walk up to the Sagrada Familia and get acquainted with Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona’s celebrity architect – his unmistakable style with its organic shapes, twisted iron sculptures and colored tiles is hard to miss. The Sagrada Familia, which you will admire from the outside, was begun in 1883, and it remains unfinished to this day. Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, with a mosaic façade and undulating roof. You’ll wander through the Spanish Village, where you’ll find full-scale replicas of the most characteristic buildings from all over Spain, as well as craft workshops, exhibitions of contemporary art and shops offering quality souvenirs. There will be free time in the old Quarter Quarter to explore, shop or have lunch on your own while strolling its narrow streets and handsome squares, lined with medieval buildings contemporary shops, bohemian artist workshops and cool bars and restaurants .

Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia, one of Barcelona’s most important shopping and business districts, lined with wrought-iron street lamps and some of the city’s most celebrated Modernist architecture. Both the Passeig and the Rambla radiate out from the enormous Catalunya Square, considered to be the heart of the city. Stop to admire Gaudi’s controversial and towering masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church. Begun in 1883, it is still unfinished.

For the grand finale you’ll head to the Spanish Village, where you’ll find full-scale replicas of the most representative buildings and squares from all over Spain. At the Tablao de Carmen in the Andalusian Quarter you’ll be entertained by a lively flamenco show. This very expressive Spanish dance form features guitars, song, dance, and much rhythmic foot stomping and hand clapping.

Experience Barcelona’s diverse architectural heritage. You’ll become well acquainted with Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona’s celebrity architect – his unmistakable style with its organic shapes, twisted iron sculptures and colored tiles is hard to miss. Begun in 1883, it remains unfinished to this day. Enjoy an inside visit at his towering masterpiece, la Sagrada Family (The Holy Family). Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, with a mosaic façade and undulating roof. You´ll wander through the “Poble Espanyol”, an open-air architectural museum, which was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. It consists of 117 full-scale buildings, which are replicas of the most characteristic buildings from all over Spain. It also contains restaurants, artisan workshops and shops offering quality souvenirs. There will be free time in the Old Quarter to explore, shop or have lunch on your own while strolling its narrow streets and handsome squares, lined with medieval buildings contemporary shops, bohemian artist workshops and cool bars and restaurants.

Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Mila, with its arches and spiral chimneys. It is known locally as “the stone quarry,” because of its wavy facade of rough stone. Originally designed as an apartment building, it now houses a cultural center. Stop for a photo of Gaudi’s controversial and towering masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church. Begun in 1883, it is still unfinished. A panoramic drive takes you through the memorial Arch of Triumph and Ciutadella Park, home to State of Catalona’s parliament, museums and a monumental fountain designed by a student of Gaudi. You’ll also enjoy spectacular views of the harbor and the Olympic Stadium from the top of Montjuic. Last but not least, stroll at your leisure the narrow streets and handsome squares of the old Quarter, lined with medieval buildings contemporary shops, bohemian artist workshops and cool bars and restaurants.

Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia, one of Barcelona’s most important shopping and business districts, lined with wrought-iron street lamps and some of the city’s most celebrated Modernist architecture. Both the Passeig and the Rambla radiate out from the enormous Catalunya Square, considered to be the heart of the city. Stop to admire Gaudi’s controversial and towering masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church. Begun in 1883, it is still unfinished.

For the grand finale you’ll head to the Spanish Village, where you’ll find full-scale replicas of the most representative buildings and squares from all over Spain. At the Tablao de Carmen in the Andalusian Quarter you’ll be entertained by a lively flamenco show. This very expressive Spanish dance form features guitars, song, dance, and much rhythmic foot stomping and hand clapping.

Explore the wonders of Barcelona at your own pace by riding a double-decker bus around the city, hopping on and off whenever you please at the attractions you find most intriguing. After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a brief but scenic drive to Plaça Catalunya, an expansive plaza surrounded by shops and department stores. Being centrally located, the plaza is an excellent place to begin your Hop On Hop Off tour of Barcelona. Using the complimentary bus pass, you can explore the destinations that are most appealing to you. Simply hop on one of the buses and then hop off when it reaches an attraction of interest from the dozens of designated stops on the two different bus loops. You might hop off at the 14th-century La Seu cathedral, Barceloneta beach at Nova Mar Bella and at the hilltop Olympic Ring that was constructed for the 1992 Olympic Games. If you wish to see some of the architectural treasures that architect Antoni Gaudí designed, his masterpiece Church of the Sacred Family is a great choice. Stay for as long as you like, and then hop on another bus whenever you’re ready. The buses operate throughout the day and make a continuous loop around Barcelona’s must-see landmarks. Once onboard, you will receive a route map and headphones that explain the destinations, making it easy to choose your favorite ones. You can remain in the city for up to five hours before returning to Plaça Catalunya for your transfer to the ship.

Delve into the world of chocolate and the sparkling wine cava, two classic Catalan products that are as traditional as they are delicious.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a picturesque drive through the country to the town of Roses, where you will find the Simón Coll chocolate factory. During an enlightening tour and through audiovisual exhibits, you will learn fascinating details about the chocolate-making process and how it has changed at Simón Coll over the past 100 years.

A sampling follows, during which you will discover how texture, creamy fillings and the percentage of cocoa affects the taste of the chocolate. As you will see firsthand, chocolate tastes even more extraordinary fresh off the production line. You might also purchase favorites such as cocoa nibs, milk chocolate bars with almonds and white chocolate drops.

You might even find delicacies such as chocolate in the shape of a cava bottle cork. It couldn’t be more appropriate, as your next destination will be Pagès Entrena, a winery that has been making cava in a converted 18th-century paper mill since 1987.

A tour of the winery will reveal much about cava, a sparkling wine made from indigenous Spanish grapes. You will gain great insight into how the grapes are harvested, the process of fermentation and why the wine bottles are periodically turned by hand during storage.

Afterwards, you will be served tapas and several cavas to taste. Weather permitting, you will dine outdoors in the beautiful Catalan countryside.

Enjoy an enlightening panoramic drive around Barcelona as a prelude to a hands-on cooking class, after which you will dine on the paella that you have prepared. You will see some of Barcelona’s most iconic architecture, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites that famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí designed. One is his La Sagrada Familia, a masterpiece church begun more 130 years ago that is still unfinished. The other is Gaudi’s imaginative Casa Batllo, a whimsical residence with undulated balconies and a façade covered with mosaics inspired by nature. Upon reaching the Paella Club, you will be treated to an immersive culinary experience during which you will learn the foundations of Spanish cuisine and how to make authentic paella. Your host chef will show you exactly how to prepare the dish and different versions of it at your workstation. The cooking class will culminate by dining on the paellas, perhaps the most well-known dish in Spain.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• See Barcelona’s architectural treasures, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites. • Learn to prepare authentic paella in a hands-on cooking class at the Paella Club. • Dine on the paella and the different versions of it that you just made in class.

HELPFUL HINTS:
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing. • Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.