Barcelona is a beautiful city, full of inspiring architecture and enchanting culture. It’s one of the few big cities that has managed to keep its historic Spanish charm without getting lost to a melting pot of cultures.

Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous region of Catalunya, which is unique in that the people speak Catalan as opposed to Castellano Spanish, and they are trying to gain their independence from Spain. In fact, talking politics is definitely a topic to avoid in Barcelona – but don’t let that stop you from asking a Catalonian his opinion on the topic!

Barcelona was also the home of Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect famous for the great masterpiece La Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, Casa Milà, and the Block of Discord.

FC Barcelona

The first order of business: fútbol. Fútbol is the fuel of life in most of the world, Spain included. Spain’s two major soccer leagues are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. During my year living in Spain, my students asked me daily who my team was until I finally chose. FC Barcelona is my team.

Whether you’re a fútbol fan or not, you will probably recognize names like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez: these are two of Barça’s most famous players. During a game, you can hear fans shouting their names or chanting for Barça.

If you visit Barcelona, try to catch a FC Barcelona game at Camp Nou. Grab a Messi jersey and Barcelona scarf to hold up at the games and chant along with Barcelona’s best!

One thing to note is that, since fútbol is life, fútbol fans can get a little out of hand. So much so that they don’t sell alcohol in the stadium. There is also a strong security team between the seats and the field. It’s different from attending an American football game, but completely worth it!

A Little Background on Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí was born on June 25, 1852 in Reus, the second largest city in Catalunya. He began working in his father’s potsmith’s shop at 8 years old.

Nature was Gaudí’s architect. You can find nods to nature in all of Gaudí’s work. Since there are no sharp corners in nature, all of Gaudí’s walls, pillars, and corners are rounded. The pillars he uses to support upper levels resemble tree trunks. Surfers who visit Parc Güell will see a wave in the rocky portico. Casa Mila was actually nicknamed La Pedrera, meaning the Stone Quarry, because it looks like a big rock. The nickname remains today.

Gaudí would often set up scale models before building something. For domes, he would hang chains to see how they naturally fell and use mirrors to see how they look upright. His furniture was all very ergonomic. He would create doorknobs by balling up clay and gripping it like he was trying to open a door, and model the handle off the gripped clay.

Gaudí was a simple man. He didn’t live luxuriously and he didn’t dress like a famous architect. In fact, Gaudí was known to dress like a person from the street. He was so inconspicuous that when he was hit by a bus in 1926, no one was compelled to rush to his side to help him because they thought he was just another bum. It ultimately lead to his unfortunate death at 74 years old. 

La Sagrada Familia

There is a large, unfinished Roman Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudí that dominates the city of Barcelona. It looks like a drip castle that a child might make on La Barceloneta beach. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site that you can tour. We call it: La Sagrada Familia.

La Sagrada Familia is the Basilica of the Holy Family and takes up an entire city block in central Barcelona. It hovers almost weightlessly above the earth with spires that climb high into the Spanish sky. The massive building has the whimsical feel of a giant sand castle. Its towers have varying heights which seem dripped into existence by ancient giants. The tallest of the 18 points climbs a dizzying 560 feet, higher than the Washington Monument and surpassing the Vatican’s own St. Peter’s Basilica by more than 100 feet.

The body of the church has three façades. To the east, the Nativity façade has sprouting polychrome plants, animals, fruits, and people. On the west side, the Passion façade is made of harsh stone resembling the sinews and bone of a skeleton. Facing the south is the Glory façade, which starts at the bottom as a chaotic collection of demons, idols, sins, and vices and transforms into symbols of ascension, paradise, and virtue as it rises.

The base of the church has the effect of melting, or being plucked up from the inside the mud of the earth. One critic has said the church’s lower half appears as a family of intricate mushroom spires sprouting from a rotting tree trunk. In addition to religious icons, Gaudí included things from nature like turtles supporting columns, sprouting trees, and giant snails and frogs on the outside walls to show his reverence for the natural world.

Once inside the doors of La Sagrada Familia, prepare to be amazed as you stare upwards at the tree trunk columns twisting two hundred feet up to a series of vaults where geometric shapes hover as if in tree branches. The “columned forest” was in reference to God’s natural cathedral – the forest – and encouraging the mind to return to thoughts of the earliest spiritual seekers. Some have praised Gaudí’s forward-thinking architecture as sensual, spiritual, and organic, while others have referred to his works as vulgar, pretentious, and profane, calling La Sagrada Familia a “sacred monster.”

Gaudí began working on La Sagrada Familia when he was 31 years old. He worked on it up until his death, at 74. He dedicated the last 12 years of his life completely to La Sagrada Familia, serving God through architecture. Gaudí knew he would never see La Sagrada Familia complete in his lifetime, but he wanted to make sure he completed as much as he could to guide future architects on his vision. However, he had finished less than a quarter of the entire church when he died.

Construction finally passed 50% completion in 2010 and should be fully completed by 2026, exactly one year after Gaudí passed away; you can see cranes working on the basilica today. This is one of the top attractions in Barcelona and you must book tickets at least a day in advance to avoid long lines. Ticket options to go inside the cathedral vary depending on party size, the tower option, guided tours, audioguide, or just a basic entrance fee. Fees start at 17€ (as of May 2019).

The reason for the long undertaking and still unfinished cathedral is in part due to its strange financial situation. La Sagrada Familia’s construction is entirely funded by private donations, receiving no financial support whatsoever from the Vatican or the world Catholic leadership.

Construction had to halt at times due to periods of near bankruptcy, but the church shows a strong Darwinian will to survive by enduring the death of its architect, a civil war, terrorist attacks, and modern-world advancements like the subway system which threatened to ruin its foundation. Today, ticket sales have drastically improved the church’s finances, with more than four million visitors each year paying about 25 euros or more to tour the masterpiece.

Parc Güell

Deep in the heart of Barcelona, past the Gothic Quarter and Block of Discord, down a few extra metro stops and up some hills, way back in the locals’ area of Barcelona, you’ll find the Hansel and Gretel houses, tree trunk pillars, and fake salamander of Parc Guell.

Parc Güell is a public park of gardens and famous architecture by Gaudí. It’s also Gaudí’s home, now the Gaudí House Museum. The park hosts artwork by Gaudí and several of his collaborators. In Park Güell’s buildings you can find the key to the Gaudiesque interaction between nature and architecture. The Park dates back to 1900-1914 and opened as a public park in 1926. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Parc Güell is one of Gaudí’s best known masterpieces, a groundbreaking vision for which normal rules do not apply. Gaudí’s inspiration comes from organic, original forms, like in nature. He used “God’s natural world” to design Parc Güell’s smooth and flowy structures, which seem to have grown right out of the ground. It’s true that there are no straight lines in nature, and Parc Güell’s architecture has no straight lines either.

Taking a stroll through Parc Güell is like walking through a fantasy land of elevated walkways over twisting tree-like columns, cloud- and snake-like misshapen benches, fountains resembling fish and dragons, and the famous white wall so fluid that it looks like waves washing up on the beach. Everything in Parc Güell supports Gaudí’s concept for nature as organic art.

La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

There is no shortage of Gaudí art in Barcelona, and Casa Milà is yet another example of structural innovation from Gaudí.

Casa Milà was designed by Antoni Gaudí between 1906-1910. It’s one of his most famous buildings Barcelona has to offer. This dazzling house has tiered façades, undulating stone balconies, and self-supporting stone columns that make the building resemble an excavated mountain earning it its nickname La Pedrera, meaning The Quarry.

Gaudí conceived the house as a perpetual curve with a billowing limestone exterior. His refusal to use straight lines is apparent in the wavy balconies and uneven lines of the house, giving the building a naturally organic aura and appearing as if waves carved the house out of coral over hundreds of years.

After seeing Gaudí’s success with Casa Batllo, the owner of the 2000-square meter space on Passeig de Gracia, Pere Mila i Camps, commissioned Gaudí to build him the most unique house in Barcelona. However Mila, along with the locals, became unhappy with Gaudí’s line-defying style, shunning the modernist design. They nicknamed it La Pedrera, or the stone quarry. Over 100 years later, the name still sticks. However, it now attracts more than a million visitors annually and has been universally praised as one of Barcelona’s architectural jewels.

A fun and true fact about Casa Milà is that the entire house has no right angles.

The underground garage was also innovative in its day. The steep spiral ramp underneath the building is like a corkscrew into the earth. This was the first ever garage built for coaches and cars in a residential building. Today, the garage is used for weddings, concerts, and trade shows.

For 30 years, Peter Milà and his wife resided in the main apartment and rented out the 20 remaining flats. Today, it is headquarters of the Fundació-Catalunya La Pedrera, which manages exhibitions, activities, and public tours. It also still houses three families grandfathered in (as of May 2019), but you can no longer rent any of the Casa Milà apartments on Airbnb.

The building is open from 9:00 am-8:00 pm. After 8:00 pm, La Pedrera creates a 3D audiovisual show on the roof using lights, sound, and projections call Origins. The presentation is meant to show you how originality means returning to the origin of all things.

Did you know it’s cheaper to buy tickets online to La Pedrera? There is also a discount to buy a day and night ticket, and you don’t have to go the same night. Finally, if you are interested in touring Casa Batllo across the street, a combined ticket for both Casa Milà and Casa Batllo will give you a discount.

Block of Discord (Casa Batlló, Casa Amatller, Casa Lleó-Morera)

Casa Batlló is an iconic landmark and another amazing masterpiece by Gaudí on the Passeig de Gràcia. It’s noticeable from afar due to its eye-catching design and color. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Josep Puig i Cadafalch constructed Casa Amatller from 1898-1900. Together with Casa Batlló and Casa Lleó-Morera, these three important buildings make up the Illa de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord) for the unique modernist buildings.

Designed by modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Casa Lleó-Morera is also on Passeig de Gràcia. Together with Casa Amatller and Casa Batlló, the trio of modernist buildings make up the Illa de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord).

Gothic Quarter

La Rambla is the most famous street in Barcelona, located in the Gothic Quarter. It’s a central, tree-lined pedestrian street with street vendors, shops, and restaurants. It stretches three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) from the port to Plaça Catalunya, and the Gothic Quarter extends out in both directions via winding alleys.

Barri Gòtic, or the Gothic Quarter, is the center of old Barcelona, stretching from La Rambla to Via Laietana and from the Mediterranean to Ronda de Sant Pere. The Barri Gòtic is a maze of cobblestone pedestrian only walkways with squares, including the Royal Plaza (Plaça Reial) and all kinds of shops. The Cathedral of Barcelona is in the Gothic Quarter.

Cathedral of Barcelona

Also known as the Gothic Cathedral, the Cathedral of Barcelona is in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. It’s the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. The Cathedral dates back to the 13th century. The cloister, pictured above, includes the Well of the Geese. In the 19th century, a new-Gothic façade replaced the previously nondescript outside. The roof is famous for its gargoyles, both animal and mythological.

Plaça Reial

The Plaça Reial translates to Royal Plaza because it’s fit for royalty! It’s a beautiful open square is elegant, accentuated by the streetlamp, fountain, and palm trees. It’s busy, vibrant, and well-loved.

The two streetlamps were designed by a young Antoni Gaudi. Palm trees tie the plaza an exotic feel. The buildings around the square were the home of important Barcelona families. Today, the porticos and terra-cotta decorations in the square conceal restaurants, bars, and popular nightlife spots.

Plaça de Catalunya

Catalonia Square, the unofficial city center, is a large square in central Barcelona. It’s the place where the old city and 19th century city meet. Many streets come together at this square. It’s especially known for its fountains, statues, and flock of pigeons constantly looking for food.

Plaça d’Espanya

The Plaça d’Espanya is one of Barcelona’s biggest squares, dating back to 1929. Josep Maria Jujol, one of Gaudí’s collaborators, designed the fountain in the center. Venetian Towers lead the way into the National Museum of Art of Catalunya. The Arenas de Barcelona was historically a bullring built in 1900 in the Moorish Revival style, and is now a shopping center. For 1€ you can ride the elevator to the top of the Arenas for an exceptional panoramic view of Barcelona and the Plaça. This is also where you’ll find the Magic Fountain of Monjuïc on weekend nights.

Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is a fountain located below the Palau Nacional on the Montjuïc hill. The fountain dates back to 1929. The first show took place on May 19, 1929, but was badly damaged in the Spanish Civil War and didn’t run again until 1955. Today, the fountain dances with lights to music on weekend nights (for specific dates and times, check the Magic Fountain’s website). It’s one of the few free shows you can find in Barcelona!

Arc de Triomf

The Arc was built in 1888 as part of the Barcelona World Fair. It’s a reddish brick silhouette built in Neo-Mudéjar style at the end of the Ciutadella Park. The stone sculpture on the front says “Barcelona welcomes the nations.”

Ciutadella Park

The Parc de la Ciutadella dates back to the mid 19th century and is the city’s only green space. The 70-acre grounds include the Barcelona Zoo, the Parliament of Catalonia, a small lake, museums, and a large fountain.

Barcelona Zoo

The Barcelona Zoo is the main attraction of the Ciutadella Park, and it became famous because it housed the white gorilla Snowflake until 2004. Currently, it is home to over 7,000 animals. The zoos attractions include a primate house, a terrarium, a “Land of Dragons” featuring Komodo dragons, and an “Aquarama” for dolphin shows.

Poble Espanyol

The Poble Espanyol is an open-air architectural museum and historic village. It’s the fourth most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona. It’s here that you can discover the architectural diversity of Spain with full-scale replicas of 117 buildings from different parts of the Iberian peninsula.

You can stroll around typical squares, streets, and gardens from the different Spanish regions: Andalucía, Santiago, Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid, Murcia, Navara, País Vasco, Islas Baleares, Galicia, Extremadura, Valencia, and Cataluña. The Plaza Mayor is the host of many cultural events including various festivals, concerts, Flamenco shows, concerts, private celebrations, and more.

After 7:00 pm, the price drops to half price because all the shops and demonstrations are closed. You will be paying only to enter and enjoy the architecture and maybe one or two restaurants, but in my opinion, this is the best time to go for photos without the crowds!

Where to Eat and Drink in Barcelona

Spain is full of great restaurants and tapas bars, but it’s easy to get sucked into the tourist traps too. So how do you know which are legit Spanish restaurants and which ones to avoid? Well, I wrote a post on how to spot tourist traps, but now I’m here to tell you where you absolutely MUST eat in Barcelona too!

Vinitus in Eixample

One of the best restaurants in Barcelona! Great for tapas, meals, drink, and socializing, all at the right price.

I was walking back to the Gothic Quarter from La Pedrera after the night show and it was around 10pm. To an American, this is too late to eat anywhere. To a Spaniard, this is prime dinner time. All the restaurants that were emptying out and quiet screamed “tourist restaurant,” so I didn’t even try to stop. Down a side street of the Passeig de Gracia, however, was a crowded, somewhat loud restaurant that called to me.

I popped in and found just one single seat at the bar, so I grabbed it. I sat down next to three girls from Casablanca, Morocco. Two now lived in Paris and one lived in Barcelona. She was showing her sisters the best of Barcelona, and Vinitus made the list. She recommended the seafood salad to me, for 6 euros. I expected a small tapa at that city price, but what I got was incredible! Fresh shrimp, crab, octopus, and peppers with two pieces of bread with tomato sauce showed up. It was plenty for one person, and my bill was only 11 euros with my glass of wine. Perfecto!

When you find a place like Vinitus, crowded at 10pm with locals who know just what to order, you know you’ve found a winner. I can’t recommend Vinitus enough for a great meal in Barcelona.

El Bitxo in the Gothic Quarter

I can’t believe I found this place walking, and then didn’t take a picture of the name and somehow found it again on Google Maps! El Bitxo is a small, hole-in-the-wall bar with some tapas. There are only a few tables and a few seats at the bar, but this is another place I found a local Catalonian, also eating alone at the bar. The bartender was friendly and wanted to travel the world, so of course we bonded over that.

At El Bitxo, your best bet is to grab a local caña (or jarra, if you want a bigger size). That is how you order a beer in Spain – by the size. You’ll get their house beer: Estrella Galicia Especial. It’s delicious. Then order a tapa or two to munch on while you enjoy your Spanish beer. I recommend the patatas bravas, which are spicy potatoes (not too spicy though). If you’re not into spice, try the pimientos rellenos, or stuffed peppers. The ensalada ruso (Russian salad) is also very good!

Restaurant La Font de Prades in El Poble Espanyol

El Poble Espanyol is one of my favorite places in Barcelona because you can travel all over the entire country in about 20 minutes. This includes different architecture, different shops to buy special things, and different restaurants. Of course, Andalucia has my heart. La Font de Prades restaurant in the Mediterranean part of el Poble Espanyol has some of the most authentic and delicious Andalucian tapas you could ever try!

La Font de Prades has outside and inside seating. You can plan for a big, fancy dinner or small plates. Eating solo, I opted for tapas. I ordered Russian salad (which the Russians have never heard of, so don’t let the name fool you, it’s actually a Spanish dish originally), gazpacho (a cold tomato-based soup), and spinach croquettes. I left very full but very satisfied.

Bar Jardí

Bar Jardí translates to the garden bar, and it is literally a bar in a garden. Not only is it in a garden, it’s down a stone alley, through a gift shop, and up on the roof. Bar Jardí is a secret gem, and possibly a Spanish speakeasy. You have to know about it to go to it. I’m sharing the secret because it is such a cool atmosphere that I really want you to go to it!

Bar Jardí does serve tapas, but when I went on Easter weekend they were sold out of everything except chips, so I can’t comment much on the food. They make some fabulous cocktails, though! Sangria, mojitos, wine, and beer are just a few of the options the talented bartenders concoct. Tables are first come first serve, and you order at the bar. Find your zen in the peaceful garden surroundings, away from the hustle and bustle and shopping tourists in the Gothic Quarter.

Update: Bar Jardí is permanently closed after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an unfortunately loss to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter!

Paradiso

Who doesn’t love walking into a secret bar through a deli shop’s refrigerator? That’s how you enter Paradiso speakeasy in the Gothic Quarter. Even though it’s a speakeasy, Paradiso is extremely popular and you will need a reservation to go. Send them a message on WhatsApp +1 (206) 752-9552 or go to the restaurant and scan the QR code at the door to get on the list, but go early because the wait can be up to two hours on a busy night. They will text you when your table is ready. And if you’re hungry, the sandwich shop out front has delicious sandwiches!

The drinks at Paradiso are so fun and exotic. I ordered the Tesla and it came next to a battery. My drink glowed when the glass got close to the battery! My sister ordered Kryptonite. As the server poured the drink, it glowed green. And some girls next to us got the Cloud, a smoky tequila drink that dripped from a mechanism of smoke. Definitely ask your server which drink will be most impressive and don’t be scared of the alcohol in it – order the one he or she recommends!

Bastaix Wine & Tapas Bar

Bastaix is a cool tapas wine cellar in the Gothic Quarter. You enter into what looks like a deli kitchen and go downstairs to the stone wine cellar with a stellar atmosphere. Between Spanish wine and amazing tapas that the locals love, this tapas bar was a winner! Don’t forget to read the instructions for tomato bread – and definitely order it.

Golfo de Bizkaia

I lived in Olvera, a small little local town in Andalucia, for a year. I lived off of papas bravas (spicy potatoes) and tinto con limon (a red wine spritzer). I went all over Barcelona and could not find this Andalucian staple…until I found Golfo de Bizkaia in a small alley with only about five tables in the Gothic Quarter. The server knew exactly what I wanted, and brought them to me. I time traveled. Go here, if you can find it.

Beaches

Barcelona’s most popular and busiest beach is Barceloneta, where you can find sand artists to singing and dancing donut salesmen. The locals think this is the worst, dirtiest beach in Catalunya, but it’s the closest for tourists and cruise drop-offs.

A local recommended Sant Pol de Mar to us, about an hour train ride north of Barcelona. The train tracks run right along the beach all up the coast, so you can watch each beach go by and choose your destination. We chose to go with the local recommendation and traveled all the way to Sant Pol de Mar.

It’s a cute, quiet seaside town. I imagine in summer there are many more places to dine or shop. It’s fairly clean with crystal clear water, boats, and a jetty that is easy to climb out on. The water slopes out gently instead of dropping off quick like the Barceloneta beach. It was a nice day on the beach for about an hour until the clouds hid the sun and warmth!

Have you been to Barcelona? What is your favorite part about the city? Do you think the Gaudí architecture is magnificent or leaves something to be desired? Talk to me in the comments below!

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P.S. You might also enjoy 13 Reasons to Visit Andalucía, Spain or Discovering the White Villages of Andalusia