Forgeries and copies are always to be blamed, except when they appear with the authorities' permission. That is how the Spanish Village, Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum where copies of various Spanish buildings are collected, appeared in Barcelona. Unlike many museums of miniatures, here, almost all replicas are life-sized. While it's too early for your child to make long trips around the country, invite him to run all over Spain in two hours.
Poble Espanyol was built for the 1929 International Exhibition. Its creators travelled all over Spain, visiting 1600 cities and villages in search of the most characteristic examples of architecture. As a result, a little more than a hundred buildings and architectural ensembles were selected, copies of which are presented in the Spanish Village. There are practically no famous buildings among them — houses were chosen that are typical for different parts of the country. Maybe that's why they coexist so peacefully, that's why the Main Square and the streets of this "ideal" village are so cosy. Each street is a prototype of one of the Spanish autonomous communities.
The museum buildings of the Spanish Village in Barcelona are active: they employ artisans who teach everyone pottery, embroidery, weaving and other crafts. Workshops alternate with souvenir shops where you can find a cute trinket and a traditional Spanish guitar.
Adjacent to the unusual village is an equally unique sculpture garden. The modernist figures may baffle adults, but not children, who can immediately find an explanation for any abstraction. There is also the Fran Daurel Museum, which exhibits works by Picasso, Dali, Miró and other famous painters on the grounds of Poble Espanyol.
The Spanish Village is also ready to introduce visitors to the country's culinary traditions. The restaurants serve typical dishes, and the delicatessen shop offers all sorts of delicacies. But you can also picnic on the lawn. In the evening, the number of tourists in the open-air museum only increases. This is when the flamenco theatre and other shows begin.
The open-air museum takes a few hours to explore, but if you have time left, you can dedicate it to other attractions in Barcelona's Montjuïc.
