The capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, Barcelona, is famous for its football team, especially the successful star player Lionel Messi, but also for its lively culture and outstanding architecture.
In the end of July 2021 my boyfriend Pascal and I spent four days in this amazing city and instantly fell in love with it.
If traveling from other western european cities you have the option to take the bus or train which will drop you off right in the city centre. However, most of you will probably arrive by plane, like us. As the airport is 15km (about 10 miles) southwest of the city, you will have to take a cab, the metro or a bus to get to your accommodation.
In my opinion, the airport shuttle bus is the best option with the ride costing 5,90€ one way and 10,20€ for a round trip per person and taking about 35 minutes. Stopping at Plaça d'Espanya, Gran Via - Comte Borrell, Plaça de la Universitat and finally at Plaça de Catalunya, it also has airconditioning, wifi and USB-outlets.
Barcelona's most iconic sight is without question the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, which is an unfinished Roman Catholic basilica designed by the legendary Antoni Gaudí.
Unsurprisingly, it is one of Spain's most visited sights. The unusual looking facade already shows that this basilica is unlike any other in the world, but what impressed me the most was it's interior beauty. The light shining in through the colourful windows brings the biblical stories depicted on them to life.
The basilica is currently only open on weekends due to the Covid-19 pandemic so the waiting time could be quite long if you don't book your tickets in advance. The admission costs 26€ and includes an audioguide which you can access on your phone.
As the Sagrada Família is a catholic church, your shoulders must be covered and trousers or skirts must come down to at least mid-thigh.
To find out further information, current opening hours or to buy tickets visit the basilica's official website.
Another impressive sight of Barcelona is the gorgeous Park Güell, also designed by Gaudí. The entrance to the park is free of charge, however, you have to purchase a 10€-ticket to see the famous mosaic bench and lizard. Since the park is located on Carmel Hill a stunning view of the city is included in the price.
Since Barcelona is a very popular tourist destination, I recommend purchasing your tickets for all attractions in advance.
More of Gaudí's astonishing works are scattered all over the city, such as several impressive houses. It is possible to enter those to admire the interior design, however, the tickets are quite pricey.
The works of Antoni Gaudí were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, originally including Park Güell, Palau Güell and Casa Milà. In 2005, however, the list was extended to also include Casa Vicens, the crypt and nativity façade of Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, and the crypt at Colònia Güell.
Another remarkable attraction in Barcelona is the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, which was a functioning hospital until June 2009. After restoration, it was reopened as a museum and cultural centre in 2014.
In my opinion, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is one of the most impressive and underrated places in Barcelona. Designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the building complex' architecture is simply baffling and resembles a huge work of art rather than a hospital.
Tickets cost 15€ but I recommend additionally booking an audio guide for 2€ and learning about the hospitals interesting history and fascinating design.
Barri Gòtic, the historic centre of Barcelona, is the disctrict where the Bishop’s Bridge and the Cathedral of Barcelona, also known as Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia, are located.
For an entry fee of 9€, you can enter the Gothic cathedral, which is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona.
Keep in mind that when visiting religious sites in Spain, your knees and shoulders must be covered. Even though it is not as impressive as the iconic Sagrada Família, I really enjoyed the visit, especially the peaceful fountain in the Atrium and the amazing view from the top.
Being a coastal city, Barcelona will not disappoint, when it comes to beautiful beaches, the most central of which is loated in the La Barceloneta district.
If you choose to spend time at the beach, be aware of pickpockets and don't leave your valuables unattended or better yet don't bring them with you at all.
Those of you who love chasing beautiful views will enjoy Montjuïc, a mountain next to the port of Barcelona. You can hike up the mountain or take the cablecar, which costs about 15€. You can enjoy an incredible view of the city from up there and visit the old military fortress, Castell de Montjuïc, for 5€.
A very beautiful place to take a walk in Barcelona's is the picturesque Parc de la Ciutadella.
Nearby you can pass the impressive Arc de Triomf, which crosses over a wide central promenade that leads to the Ciutadella Park.
Another beautiful place worth exploring in Barcelona is area around Plaça d'Espanya, one of the city's most important squares with two remarkable towers, the Torres Venecianes.
You will have a gorgeous view from a previously undiscovered corner of the city if you walk up the steps to the National Palace.
The magic fountain at the foot of the stairs usually features light shows after dusk, which we unfortunatelly did not get to see since all shows were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the shows are now being shown again as of 2022.
Our visit coincided with the teamLab Art, Technology and Nature exhibition, located at the CaixaForum, close to Plaça d'Espanya, which displays digital at.
If you are interested in the exhibition, it is on display in Barcelona until January 9th 2022, however, teamLab shows their artwork at several museums around the world. You can check out all permanent and temporary locations on the company's official website.
The general admission fee for the CaixaForum is 6€ and allows you to visit all current exhibitions, including teamLab Art, Technology and Nature.
When possible, I prefer to get around cities by walking, but since Barcelona is pretty big, the distances between certain sights are quite long, so I had to resort to public transport.
On the metro, a single ride costs about 2,40€, however, a family ticket, costing 10€, can be used for a total of 8 rides regardless of the amount of people in your group.
A very big advantage of walking through a city though is that you can discover many charming less famous gems on the way. Barcelona has many unique and interesting buildings hidden in its streets, just waiting to amaze you.
Food:
When travelling to Spain, one of the first things that will cross your mind is the amazing food the country is known for. However, I personally do not recommend restaurants unless I had a really incredible experience. In Barcelona two restaurants met this criteria:
TAPS Bar is an undescribably great tapas place near Plaça d'Espanya with a very good food selection, where we spent about 20€ per person.
Elche Restaurant's ambience is a bit fancier thus it is accordingly a little more expensive. Here we had an amazing seafood paella, a few tapas and a bottle of fine Spanish wine and paid about 30€ per person.
Of course, there is much more you can see and do in Barcelona and its surrounding area, so we will definitely come back and explore more of this impressive metropolis.
Comments