Barcelona

Barcelona – the city of cava, sangria, jamón ibérico, Antoni Gaudí, and the home of Barça (FC Barcelona!). There are so many things to see and experience! Some you certainly should plan in advance, and others you can stumble upon, making your trip as peaceful or lively as you wish!

The most prominent tourist attractions are the works of Gaudí. He was a prominent architect and pivotal in cultural heritage for Barcelona. Considered the face of Catalan Modernism, his works are scattered throughout the city. You probably are familiar with his most famous work – la Sagrada Família. It’s been in the works since 1883, and still being worked on today! The hope is to finish by 2026.

If you want to see inside la Sagrada Família, you MUST reserve your ticket in advance. Click here to take you to the official website. There’s also an app, but personally I find downloading another app annoying.

Where to Stay

Barcelona is broken up into neighborhoods called barrios. Each has its own vibe and things to see! A couple key streets to note: Passeig de Gràcia has all the high-end shops (like the Casa LOEWE Barcelona!), while 10 minutes away is La Rambla, featuring quirky lower-priced shops with handmade goods. Needless to say, everything is very close, and an easy train ride or metro stop away.

Old City: El Born and Gothic Quarter – where Barcelona Cathedral, Picasso Museum, Arc de Triomf, and La Rambla are. Some of the best restaurants are here and Eixample!

Beach: Barceloneta – the old city is closest, so you can still get the charm, and the beach vibes run strong. East is Villa Olympica, the Olympic village when Barcelona hosted in the summer of 1992. Probably best time to stay in this area would be the summer, when the water is warmer!

Iconic Barna: Eixample – classic and charming with the famous avenues of Diagonal and Passeig de Gràcia. You’ll find most of Gaudí’s architecture here, including his famous houses – Casa Batlló and Casa Milá (aka La Pedrera). This is where we stayed – it is the most centrally located!

Touristy: Sagrada Família – the vibe says it all! If you’re looking to only visit this church, look no further.

Hidden artsy: Gràcia – kept a local secret and known for their festivals. Plaça del Sol is where the hangout spot is!

Things to Do

Full disclosure, most houses, churches and even some parks WILL require in-advance reservation or tickets. It’s hard to be spontaneous here, but my advice would be to pick some major sites you want to see below, and choose by location, then explore areas in-between!

Montjuïc – history and iconic overlook of Barcelona. There’s a castle on the hill, with stunning views of the city and sea. Click the link above to book tickets (I did this the day of our visit). You can go by metro – take line L2 or L3, getting off at the Paral-lel station. Take the funicular up to the Montjuïc Cable Car. Highly recommend if you want incredible views overlooking the entire city of Barcelona. Read here if you need more convincing!

While you’re up there, you can see the iconic castle, current location of Olympic training, eat at the most wonderful restaurant, see a Magic Fountain show, and check out the gardens.

Below are some pictures of our lunch! Lunch is the main meal of the day in Barcelona, and keep in mind it’ll take a few hours, but it’s worth it. If a restaurant offers a “special menu”, this is how you should do it! You’ll be able to choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert. Sometimes even wine and beer are included 🙂

This was my favorite meal of the trip. You MUST try the anchovies with the pan con tomate (bread with tomato) – it’s a classic! If you go to Montjuïc, make a reservation for La Terazza Martinez. Click the link to reserve. Choose anytime between 1 and 3 pm for ideal lunching!

Plaça Catalunya – located in Eixample and Barcelona’s most central area. If you are looking to people watch, or not sure where to start, come here! It´s right in the middle of La Rambla and Passeig de Gràcia, so you could start here if you´re shopping for gifts.

Parc Güell – you MUST make a reservation in advance for this iconic park (you know, the mosaic benches!). Click here to reserve, which is easier, or you can walk down to the entrance and see if there are tickets available. We did this because I forgot to plan in advance but were able to get a slot in 48 hours! You can do guided tours, which I recommend if you want a more historical perspective. However, we just walked around, and it took about 1.5 hours. Keep in mind it´s located approx. 30 min away from Eixample, with a LOT of walking. Wear comfy shoes!!

You´ll find local artists selling their work inside the park. We found a beautiful rendition of the park, even mimicking the mosaic, and bought it for 100 euros. I love supporting local artists, and this guy was from Monserrat (about a 50 min drive from Barcelona). He commutes into Barcelona daily to bring his artwork!

Gaudí’s Houses – Casa Vicens (his first important building and residence!), Casa Batlló and Casa Milá (aka La Pedrera). Click the house name for links to each website so you can book if you wish!

THIS is a great website to help you summarize Gaudí‘s impact in Barcelona and details his work. I recommend making a list of everything you want to see and checking that website. There´s an option for an all-inclusive pass for some of the sites, which will save you money! Fun fact, many of the cement tiles in the city are Gaudí´s work. Below is the iconic “flower of Barcelona”, but if you walk down Passeig de Gràcia, you’ll see his hexagonal design.

St. Josep Market La Boqueria – the best market featuring fresh food and beverages! If you’re a food lover – definitely stop in here and just look around. Open from 8 am to 8:30 pm, it’s a local hot spot to buy products from around the world! The pictures below were some I captured 🙂

Paella Cooking Class – this was our most fun and memorable experience. I found it on “Get Your Guide” (I highly recommend this website and app for any city you travel in!). It included wine, all the ingredients for paella (three different types to choose from – including a vegetarian option!), plenty of cava, and a three-course meal at the end, eating the paella you cooked! We booked through Get your Guide, but you can find the experience through several sites like TripAdvisor as well. You can book the option of a La Boqueria tour as well as the cooking class, if that sounds interesting! We just booked the class 🙂

They’ll keep the cava flowing, walk you through each step to cook paella, and give some historical background on each ingredient. We ended up purchasing the iconic smoked salt, truffle-infused olive oil, and some dried mushrooms to make a stock with. Keep in mind, you can’t find these living in Egypt! So we jumped at the opportunity to stock up our kitchen.

You can take the metro to get anywhere, and we paid for a 72-hour pass only for Zone 1. You can ride lanes L2 and L3 to get pretty much anywhere in Barcelona within that zone. You don’t need to download an app, as you can simply use GoogleMaps to route your path. The metro runs until ~1 am, so plan accordingly if you stay out late!

Well, this concludes my 3-day Barcelona summary! We did a LOT of walking, eating, and simply exploring. As always, I love learning new cultures, and immersing myself into the history of new places. Hope you learned something new, and it maybe sparked your interest in exploring Barcelona.