It has been a great start for Spain in the UEFA Euro 2016. The team looks strong and well poised to go the distance this season. Speaking of Spanish football, we wondered how the legendary Spanish clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid would fare if they had a stand-off as travel destinations. Read on to see how each of them scores in our version of the ‘El Clasico’ .
BARCELONA
With its cosmopolitan feel, relaxed pace of life, breathtaking architecture, fantastic gastronomy, and unbeatable climate, Barcelona really is the city that has everything.
Barcelona has a delightful Mediterranean climate and rarely gets extremely hot or cold. Summer is the most popular time for a Barcelona trip. The beach-side city’s bustling art scene and bohemian vibe make it the offbeat counterpart to the more classic Madrid. Visit Barcelona for its gorgeous beaches and eclectic nightlife, plus it has some of the best seafood in all of Europe. It’s also home to the one of the world’s most beloved soccer teams, Barcelona FC.
Top Attractions
La Sagrada Familia is the most popular attraction in Barcelona, attracting nearly 2.8 million visitors each year. It is a large and intricate basilica designed by Antoni Gaudi.
This is probably the city’s most famous street and is a bustling hive of activity- it is actually a series of several different streets that all have a distinct feel. Visitors will find street performers, lots of bars and restaurants and the fabulous Boquería Market, a true feast for the eyes.
Built between the years 1906 and 1910, Casa Milà is considered one of the artist’s most eccentric and enticing architectural creations with not one straight edge on the exterior.
This place is certainly one of the most emblematic images of Barcelona. The area was originally meant to be a residential property but it was turned into a park. It is home to the famous Salamander sculpture, as well as other buildings and structures designed by the architect. With stunning views of the city, this is a magical experience.
Font Màgica is a fountain with a spectacular display of light, water and music. It attracts hundreds of visitors who watch the show against an illuminated background of the Palau National.
MADRID
Madrid, the Spanish capital since 1561, celebrates itself and life in general, around the clock. A vibrant crossroads, Madrid has an infectious appetite for art, music and epicurean pleasure, and it has been turned into a cosmopolitan, modern urban center while fiercely preserving its traditions.
Madrid is a huge city, and it is easily possible to spend an entire vacation exploring the suburbs itself. The city boasts of an excellent nightlife in terms of bars, restaurants, clubs and entertainment. As the area has been inhabited since Roman times, there are also plenty of historical sites to explore and enjoy. At the other extreme, you can also visit the Bernabéu stadium, home of Spanish football giant Real Madrid.
Top Attractions
The massive size of the Palacio Real is its most imposing feature. Although the palace is still used for official ceremonies, 50 of the structure’s elegant rooms are open to the public, including an armory, pharmacy and the palace’s lavish throne room.
The most famous of Madrid’s many stately plazas, it is identified by the statue of Philip III on horseback, in the middle of the plaza. Three sides of the rectangular cobblestone plaza are bordered by apartments completed in the late 18th century. The structures are decorated with frescoes, ornamented with balconies framed with wrought-iron railings and topped with elegant slate spires.
The museum houses more than 7,000 works of art representing culture and history from the 12th century to the early 19th century. The highlight is the museum’s collection of Spanish artists, including Goya, El Greco, da Ribera and Velázquez.
The park is a 350-acre spread of gardens, fountains and buildings located at the edge of the city center. A favorite spot for tourists and locals alike, the park features a large artificial pond where people can rents kayaks and canoes.
The Gran Vía is known as the Broadway of Madrid because it’s “the street that never sleeps.” The most famous building on the boulevard is the Telefónica Building, which was the tallest building in Europe when it was completed in 1929.
Which one do you think will win a standoff between these travel destinations? Where would you rather travel- Barcelona or Madrid?
