Barcelona is a wonderful city, and I’m fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of visiting it multiple times now. In fact, it holds very happy memories as a weekend break to Barcelona was my finishing my Master’s Degree / Christmas gift one year from Sam!
(For laughs, you can see some absolutely terrible photos of Barcelona from that trip before I started blogging properly, had a camera and knew how to frame things. )
10 Things to do in Barcelona, Spain
1. Go inside the Sagrada Familia
It’s a somewhat expensive tourist activity (tickets start at £18) but it’s a must. It’s one of the most unforgettable places I’ve ever seen and it will literally take your breath away. I highly recommend paying a tiny bit extra to take the lifts up to the top to walk amongst the spires and see Barcelona from above.
2. Explore the Gothic Quarter
The Gothic Quarter in Barcelona is filled with stunning, narrow medieval streets and trendy bars. It’s the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Carre del Bisbo and the Pont del Bisbe are some of my favourite architectural details in the whole area.
3. Walk down Las Ramblas and try all the food in the Mercat de la Boqueria
Las Ramblas will be on every single tourist guide to Barcelona that you’ll ever read. It’s a massive boulevard through the centre of the city filled with stalls, cafes and street performers. The world-famous Mercat de la Boqueria is located right off of Las Ramblas where you can nip inside and find basically every food in the whole world.
4. Catch some sun on Barcelona Beach
My first trip to Barcelona was in mid-December and even then Sam and I were able to kick off our shoes and dig our toes into the sand. On a sunny day, Barcelona Beach is the place to be so go early to nab a premium spot in the sand.
5. Take a tour of Gaudi’s masterpieces around the city
When I first visited Barcelona, it was free to visit Park Güell. Tickets to the park now cost about £6 but it’s so worth the admission price. Park Güell is whimsical and wacky but relaxing, beautiful and just so much fun to visit. Besides the Sagrada Familia, it’s worth looking at architect Guadi’s other pieces: Casa Vicens, Palau Güell, Casa Batlló, Casa Calvet, and the Cascada Fountain at Park de la Ciutadella.
6. Visit Barcelona Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Spain and it is a sumptuous cathedral. It’s fairly typically Gothic, but it’s absolutely massive and free to visit.
I’ve been to many cathedrals in my lifetime, but Barcelona Cathedral is one of the only ones that I’ve ever seen quite strictly enforce a dress code of being covered down to your knees and not having your shoulders show. Just something to keep in mind if you are visiting in the summer.
7. Eat Tapas
I love eating tapas. I love the very idea of tapas. I often want more than one thing on the menu, so eating a few tiny plates of different things is my ideal way to eat. It’s a bit of a stereotype, but you can’t get around the popularity of tapas in Catalan cuisine.
Definitely try “bombas” (a type of croquette), pa amb tomàquet (bread and tomatoes), and Calçots and romesco sauce (a type of green onion).
8. Ride the funicular to the top of Montjuic
Montjuic is basically just a big hill (or small mountain depending on how you look at it) in Barcelona. There is a funicular (cable car) that takes you to the top and saves your legs from a very steep climb. It overlooks the entire city and was held by both sides at different times during the Spanish Civil War. It was the site of several events during the Barcelona Summer Olympics and you can have a nose around some of the old venues whilst you are up there. Make sure you are there when it starts to get dark because the Font màgica de Montjuïc (Magic Fountain of Monjuic) in front of the Palua Nacional lights up at night and is stunning.
9. Go inside Casa Batlló
I briefly mentioned Casa Batlló when I recommended touring Gaudi’s works in Barcelona, but Casa Batlló is worth spending a little bit of extra time in (like the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. Tickets cost around 25€ but it’s worth the money.) I think it’s probably Gaudi’s masterpiece. There are few better examples of modernisme and art nouveau architecture in the whole world and it’s now a UNESCO World-Heritage site.
10. Head to the mountains of Montserrat
If it’s your first time in Barcelona and you’re on a quick weekend-break you’ll probably miss this one out, but if you are there for any extended amount of time, or are on a repeat visit to the city I highly recommend venturing out to Montserrat. It’s an easy day-trip from Barcelona and the mountains are incredibly jagged and pink looking. They are definitely a sight to behold!
If you are going to visit Montserrat, plan to arrive there early in the morning so that you can also visit Montserrat Monastery. It’s about an hour train journey between Montserrat and Barcelona.
What would you recommend doing in Barcelona?
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