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Sites to See…Centre Pompidou Museum, Málaga (Spain)

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Opened in 2015 as the first “pop up” of the famous Parisian Centre Pompidou to open outside of France, the Málaga Centre Pompidou was set up as a pilot for a 5 year time period. The pilot in Málaga proved to be so successful that it has been renewed until 2025. The experiment also spawned other outposts, with a Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum Project inaugurated in Shanghai in 2019, and another one scheduled to open with a full collection in Brussels in 2023.

The museum is housed in a large, multi-color glass cube on the waterfront on Muelle Uno (dock one) next to the Port of Málaga. Its permanent collection includes over 80 works by major artists such as Picasso, Miró, Bacon, Magritte, Frida Khalo and Giacometti. The museum will also feature 2-3 temporary exhibitions that will be on display from 3 to 6 months or longer. The exhibitions will be curated by the Musée National d’Art Moderne and draw from various segments of the collection, such as photography, design, architecture, video and more.

On March 12, 2020 the museum launched the exhibition “From Miró to Barceló: A Century of Spanish Art” that will be on display until November 1, 2021.

  • Pasaje Doctor Carrillo Casaux, s/n
  • Muelle Uno, Puerto de Málaga
  • Málaga, Spain
  • Phone: (951) 92 62 00
  • Website: Centre Pompidou Málaga

Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information, click here.

Photo credit: Adrian Scottow

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Sites to See…What to See in Alicante (Spain)

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Alicante is the capital of the popular vacation area of the Costa Blanca located on the eastern coast of Spain. Many visitors come to Alicante to enjoy the white sandy beaches and the historic city center. The centerpiece of the city is the Castle of Santa Barbara, a medieval fortress with Arab origins that is perched on a hilltop. From the castle you can enjoy panoramic views of this charming city, the Mediterranean and the surrounding mountains.

Here is a list of some of the things to see during your stay in Valencia:

  • Castle of Santa Barbara – medieval castle last renovated in the 1500s
  • Museum of the City of Alicante (MUSA) – museum inside of the castle that offers a journey through the history of the city, with archaeological remains, photographs and audiovisual displays
  • Explanada de España – stroll the marble-laid promenade that starts in the old town and continues along the city’s seafront next to the marina
  • Casco Antiguo – explore the whitewashed walls and cobblestone streets of the Old Town
  • Provincial Arcaeological Museum (MARQ) – features exhibits that trace the history of Alicante from Palaeolithic through to Contemporary Modern Culture
  • Postiguet Beach – popular beach next to the Old Town
  • Basilica of Santa María – oldest church in the city, dating from the 14th C.
  • Contemporary Art Museum (MACA) – located in Alicante’s oldest building, the Casa La Asegurada, dating from 1685

Photo credit: Dormidon

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Sites to See…Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Barcelona (Spain)

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Casa Milà, or La Pedrera (the quarry house) as it is more popularly known, was the last private residence designed by famed architect Antonio Gaudí before he dedicated himself to the construction of the Sagrada Familia Church. The house is located in the upscale Eixample neighborhood on the Paseo de Gracia, once of the city’s most famous boulevards.

The building was designed for the family of a local businessman, Pere Milà,  and was constructed between 1906 and 1912. Mr, Milà had seen the house that Gaudí had recently completed on the same block, the Casa Batlló, and immediately commissioned the architect to build him a new home. The design of the building was considered quite controversial when it first opened, as it has an undulating stone facade with twisting wrought iron balconies and windows designed by fellow Modernist architect,  Josep Maria Jujol. However, the building was quickly heralded as a work of art, and it was also recognized for the structural innovations, natural ventilation system, and the sculptural elements of the roof that were all groundbreaking for their time. The building was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Casa Milà is one of Barcelona’s most visited sites, and the best way to fully appreciate Gaudí’s brilliance is to visit the interior of the house.  Visitors can tour an apartment that recreates what the home of a bourgeois family would have been like when the building was constructed, and they can also tour the  former residence of the Milà’s, which is now a temporary Exhibition Hall.

No tour would be complete without visiting the famous rooftop of Casa Milà, with its beautiful chimneys and vents, and its outstanding panoramic views of the city.

Casa Milà is open to the public daily from 9:00am to 8:30pm, and from 9:00pm to 11:00pm. Please note that opening hours may vary throughout the year, and they are closed on Christmas day. For more information, including updated opening hours, ticket prices and advance ticket sales, click here.

Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on our Gaudí tour, click here, and for information on all of our Barcelona tours, click here.

Photo credit: David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.