| To name only ten of Barcelona's attractions for | | | | experience if you've been to a wrap-around |
| families with young children would be to sell the | | | | screen cinema before. With movies in three |
| city short, because it has much more than that. | | | | different formats on 600 square metre screens, |
| However, most families do not vacation in | | | | including 3-D movies with special polarized glasses |
| Barcelona, or even visit the city, long enough to | | | | and the massive hemispherical screens that seem |
| visit much more than ten, so here are the top | | | | to wrap around you, Imax is something to be |
| ten as we see them: | | | | experienced for children and adults. Your standard |
| 1. Las Golondrinas or Swallow Boats | | | | movie theatre at home will never seem the same |
| These small boats offer you two tours: one round | | | | again! |
| the harbour and the other round the coast and | | | | 6. The Wax Museum |
| the harbour. One takes about 35 minutes, and the | | | | The Barcelona Wax Museum, in the Passatge de |
| other 90 minutes. These tours are great for | | | | la Banca, is a great way to spend a rainy day - |
| children and adults alike, and details of where to | | | | even any day in fact! It is full of marvelous |
| catch the boats, when and how much they cost | | | | representations and the kids will love the horror |
| are on our website. | | | | exhibitions, the trip between the decks of an old |
| 2. Tibidabo Amusement Park | | | | sailing ship and the stone-age men. A great place |
| This Barcelona attraction is wonderful for small | | | | to take them when you are stuck for something |
| children - it might be a bit young for the | | | | to keep them occupied. |
| teenagers in your family, but who knows? | | | | 7. Cosmocaixa Science Museum |
| Perhaps a return to their childhood would do them | | | | This is a magnet for children, and if you are |
| good. It offers over 30 traditional attractions, both | | | | looking for a way to stop them complaining then |
| traditional and modern, and you get there by | | | | bring them here. The geological wall and the |
| means of train, tram and funicular railway! That's | | | | planetarium will astound them, and the Amazonian |
| fun enough for most kids, but wait till they get | | | | rainforest is very educational, particularly about |
| into the park! The simulation airplane ride is very | | | | the difficulties the world would face without it! A |
| popular as is the traditional high Ferris wheel. If | | | | visit here both educates them and entertains |
| you have a young family they will love it. | | | | them. |
| 3. Barcelona Zoo | | | | 8. Parc de Ciutadella |
| Most kids love zoos, and here at Barcelona Zoo | | | | The Parc de Ciutadella is the largest public park in |
| we have a large number of animals kept in the | | | | Barcelona, and offers you a great play area for |
| most humane conditions and offering you the | | | | the toddlers when they have to let off a little |
| opportunity to allow your children to come across | | | | steam. This is in the El Borne area, and offers a |
| many animals, birds and reptiles that they have | | | | boating lake that the kids normally love, and some |
| only ever seen in books. Imagine their faces when | | | | wonderful Spanish architecture. It used to be a |
| they see the real things looking at them. On top | | | | prison during the Napoleonic Wars. |
| of that you get pony rides, a mini train and | | | | 9. Barcelona Happy Park |
| electric cars. Add a restaurant and picnic area and | | | | The Happy Park in Barcelona is for young children, |
| that's one day's entertainment for the youngsters | | | | and again is somewhere you can let them expend |
| looked after! | | | | their excess energy. The Happy Park in Barcelona |
| 4. Barcelona Aquarium | | | | is for young children, and again is somewhere you |
| Barcelona Aquarium offers a fabulous array of | | | | can let them expend their excess energy. It's a |
| fish from the smallest to the large sharks, and | | | | huge covered labyrinth-type setup full of bouncy, |
| your kids will just love it. Apart from the normal | | | | touchy, feely, jumpy, rubbery contraptions for |
| glorious display of fish in their own habitats, you | | | | the little darlings to romp around on. Monitors are |
| can introduce your children to marine world | | | | on hand and there is a special enclosed area for |
| through Explora! - a fabulous interactive centre on | | | | tiny tots. A must for every parent with |
| the top floor. This offers over 50 ways for your | | | | boisterous kids - they will sleep well tonight after |
| kids to interact with the fish and other marine | | | | an afternoon here! |
| creatures through sight, sound and touch, and | | | | 10. Port Aventura |
| they can explore these animals in their own | | | | This is last, but the best has been saved for last. |
| underwater domains. This is very popular with | | | | Port Aventura is actually about an hour in the |
| children (and parents!), and also caters for the | | | | train from Barcelona, but this is one of the best |
| tots. | | | | amusement parks in the south of Europe, you will |
| 5. Port Vell Imax Cinema | | | | ever visit. It's well worth a day trip to Port |
| The Imax Cinema at Port Vell is something to | | | | Aventura - your kids will love you for it. |