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Discover Barcelona

The capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, Barcelona is a lively beach city filled with things do to (and to eat).
DESCRIPTION:

A popular beach destination for many Europeans, Barcelona has a very international flavor. It won't be suprising to hear numerous languages at this tourist hotspot, but as it is used to many international guests many people here speak and cater to English speakers. If not, the gesture game is always easy to understand, but a little Spanish manners go a long way (gracias, buenos dias, etc).

 

 

 

 

WHEN TO GO:
Barcelona is a city that has different personalities depending on the time of year you go.
 
January-March- While I was there in January I saw deserted beaches and a rather empty city. This was great for doing tourist things (the bus was half empty) but you miss out on the fun of Barcelona.
April-May- Weather gets better, but there are many holidays around Easter so keep in mind a lot of things will be closed at this time.
June-July- The city comes into it's own in the summer with many outdoor things going on and lively beaches.
August- Super crowded, but the city is in full swing in August with full beaches and a fantastic festival in the neighborhood behind Sagrada Familia.
September-October-The city starts to cool down, but also it becomes their rainy season so bring an umbrella. Also September is full of festivals with the Catalan day September 11th and the La Merce festival at the end of the month, there are plenty of things to do and celebrate in September.
November-December- Barcelona celebrates Christmas in style with their many lively christmas markets lining the streets. Here is a review of the different markets throughout the city.
 
 
                 
 
GETTING AROUND:

Barcelona is a great city to explore by foot, however it is really spread out so it is best to take some help from a Bus or from the Metro.

 

Metro- Although a bit difficult to understand at first, the Metro is organized by color so always remember what color of the line you want to take. Although many of them are based around the tourist attractions, they are usually a bit of a walk from them to always bring a street map with you. Here is a pdf that has the metro and many of the larger streets and below is an overview of the metro (don't get overwhelmed, just note which stops are by the locations you want to visit, and where your hotel is).

 

Bus Tours- I usually don't love the bus tours, but at Barcelona the bus tours were the most direct way to get to all the tourist destinations. I did the 3 day passes with Bus touristic (it has a huge eye on the side of them) both times I was there. As there are 3 different lines, there is certainly a lot to see, but I mostly used it as a regular (educational) bus.

Barcelona, Spain

3-5 days
Highlights:
 

Attractions: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Montjuic, Barcelona Cathedral, Beaches, Festivals

 

Dining & Shopping: Las Ramblas, Placa d'Espanya

 

What to Eat: Rioja, Sangria, Jamon, Paella

 

 

DRINKING & DINING:

Spain has some of the most simplistic yet surpurb styles of food. They showcase it beautifully in not only their restaurants but also their markets. My favorite things to do is wander around the markets and pick up different things to eat and drink and find someplace to sit (whether it be a table in the market or on the curb outside). In addition to their great markets, Barcelona has some of the greatest little simple restaurants found by wandering around the little plazas and alleyways. Be warned, the bigger restaurants, especially by the beach, are INCREDIBLY expensive, also check when you order Paella, they usually charge per person so the price is misleading if you share.

 

Here is only a few of the restaurants and markets I stumbled upon.

 

Tapa Tapa- This place is simplistic, straightforward chain but if you go to the one by the harbor, you have great views.

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Things to Try:

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ANYTHING at the butcher. Get a dessert with every meal and while you go to any bakery keep your eyes open for new breads and pastries!

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STROLL AROUND ON THE STREETS OF SPAIN:

Barcelona is all about enjoying the atmosphere, so it comes as no suprise as the main shopping areas are around the large pedestrian walkways that are full of music, restaurants, streetperformers and the like.

 

 

OVERALL, Barcelona is the perfect city to get lost in and explore. I loved turning down little side streets and discovering new restaurants, squares, and random street art. I would recommend going during good weather, because there is nothing better than wandering around Barcelona on foot.

TOURIST LIFE:

In addition to being a beach hotspot, Barcelona has plenty of tourist attractions as it was the home of the renowned architect Antoni Gaudi, so it comes as no suprise that he has left his mark on the city with some incredible buildings, a park, and a beautiful Cathedral. Aditionally, Barcelona was home to the Olympics in 1992 with the stadium and other remnants still standing. However as I've said for Paris if you book your tickets in advance and time your visits well, you will be one of the select few who spend more of their time exploring instead of waiting (especially for the Gaudi buildings and Gaudi park).

 

Gaudi not Gaudy:

Sagrada Familia- The icon of Barcelona, Sagrada Familia is the church that never ends. Designed by Gaudi and built by practically everyone in Barcelona, the building is usually everyone's first stop in the city so prepare yourself for lines. BUY THE TICKET IN ADVANCE OR YOU WILL BE IN LINE FOR OVER AN HOUR (in August you won't even get in at all). Also, if you have no fear of heights, I highly recommend taking the elevator up and seeing the peaks of the building up close (they're really beautiful). Also don't forget about the basement, they give an overview of the never ending building on the cathedral, and the progress they have made over the past decades. If you want a through tour, grab an audio guide and give yourself 2 1/2-3 hours.

 

Parc Güell- A beautiful park full of Gaudi works, this park was made in the early 1900's and is great to explore during a beautiful day. The part of the park that includes the museum requires tickets, and when I went in August, it was booked for the day so I would recommend getting tickets in advance. After the museum hike up the hill, and get a beautiful view of Barcelona.

 

Additional Gaudi buildings are spread throughout the city, here is guide to the other top attractions.

 

On the Mountain:

Montjuïc Castle - The views from this castle are incredible. As you wander along around the cannons and listen to the history of the castle from the videos, you are transported through the history of the castle as it's defense of the city, and then, unfortunately it's attack of it.

 

Olympic Park- Lower on the Mountain than the castle is the Olympic Park. Here was a main stadium and park for the 1992 Olympic Games. Although the stadium itself has definitely seen better days, its nice to take a brief walk around the park and soak up the feeling of the games (and there is a stand that sells beer so you can soak some of that up too).

 

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya- The imposing beautiful building is on top of the beautiful staircase at the Placa d' Espanya. It is one of the largest museums in Spain and hosts stunning Roman, Gothic, Baroque and Modern Art. If anything, just stand in front of it and take a picture overlooking the city.

 

Classic Churches:

 As a largely Catholic country, Spain has plenty of beautiful Catholic churches. Around every corner you are able to discover one golden guilded masterpiece to another. An important thing to note: as you visit these churches there are plenty of nuns and people checking the length of your shorts and your exposed shoulders, so in the summer bring a scarf around that you can tie around your shoulders or around your waist.

 

Barcelona Cathedral- In the gothic quarter, I stumbled across this beautiful cathedral. The architecture and the ceilings will literally take your breath away. Walk around the area and you'll find beautiful architectural touches along the alleys and courtyards. Also, in the summer I was fortunate enough to find a festival and concert outside the cathedral at night so keep your eyes open!

 

Maria del Mar - A rustic, beautiful church whose simplicity and age are just amazing (especially in contrast to the excess and splendor of the Sagrada Familia).

 

Check out the Views:

 

A former bull ring, but now a mall, you are able to pay 2 euro to take the elevator for amazing views of the city and of the mountain.

 

On the left side of the Park Guell is a mound with a cross on top, if you climb up you can see for miles, great photo ops.

 

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