Originally Posted by Len
Things you MUST do:
1. Spend at least half a day in the Gothic Quarter; roam the narrow streets; visit the Cathedral. Unforgettable.
2. Stroll on Las Ramblas... Then go onto Passeig de Gracia. This is the most fashionable and fancy street in Barcelona; very very beatiful.
3. Plaza Catalunya. Here, you MUST MUST MUST see the fountain. At night it features light show with music. Absolutely unforgettable. So do this at night.
4. Things you may want to skip: Gaudi park (i think that' what it called); the waterfront.
Barcelona is one of my favorite cities, enjoy it!
The fountain show at night is next to Plaza Espanya, on the earlier-mis-mentioned Montjuic. Plaza Catalunya has some department stores and a KFC. It's also the connecting point between the Ramblas and Passeig de Gracia, and a great place to people-watch.
The park is named Park Güell, and is on the west end of the city, near the terminus of Passeig de Gracia. It started as a planned community around the turn of last century but never realy caught on so the city made it into a park in the 20's. I suppose it depends what you want to see, but it's certainly a beautiful example of Gaudí's style. I'd agree that with a short time it's probably not worth the (comparatively) long trip when there's plenty of stuff to see closer in.