Barcelona is a metropolis which wants little introduction. It’s one of the vital bustling, charismatic and common vacationer locations in Europe. The Catalan metropolis, on Spain’s north-west coast, attracts in round 27 million vacationers yearly.
With a surprising shoreline, booming inventive scene, thriving nightlife, luggage of historical past, fairly structure and scrumptious meals, it’s simple to see why. There is a lot to do in Barcelona and when planning a brief break, it’s simple to be over confronted with the variety of well-known websites and issues to see.
We’ve streamlined the method for you, so you’ll be able to hit the bottom operating in your go to, whereas additionally avoiding the massive queues and vacationer traps, which include a big metropolis like this.
Join us as we talk about the most effective issues to do in Barcelona…
11 Best Things To Do In Barcelona
#1. SagradaFamilia
Sagrada Familia is among the most uncommon and jaw-dropping architectural initiatives in the entire of Europe, designed by world well-known Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Construction started on the UNESCO World Heritage website again in 1882 and nonetheless to at the present time work continues.
Its hanging design makes it not solely a residing museum of Gaudi’s work, but additionally ever altering, as new components of the church are added. Our high tip is to get there early within the morning, beat the queues, and go to this stunning website earlier than the hordes of tour teams arrive.
The exterior is a sight to behold, however you may also discover inside for a charge and go as much as the highest of church in an elevator, with views throughout town.
Planning to go to the Sagrada Familia?
Get the common admission ticket to skip the traces and discover Barcelona’s most-visited landmark at your personal tempo with an informative audio information.
#2. Gaudi recognizing
Since we’re on the subject of Gaudi, it will be impolite of us to not point out a few of his different websites round Barcelona. The architect and designer, who died in 1926, is among the most revolutionary and celebrated to have ever lived.
And you’ll be able to’t go far round Barcelona with out recognizing a few of his work – there are quite a few different vastly spectacular websites across the metropolis. Casa Batllo, within the coronary heart of Barcelona, is a big mansion home, now museum, which was renovated by Gaudi again in 1904.
It’s a surprising instance of his work and ingenuity. You also can watch live shows on the roof of the constructing within the hotter months, a beautiful approach to spend a night in a surprising setting.
Want to Discover Casa Batlló?
Casa Batlló, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in an immersive expertise. Explore considered one of Gaudí’s masterpieces whereas studying all about his inspiring life.
#3. Mercado de la Boqueria
Now let’s discuss meals. On Barcelona’s massive pedestrianised road, La Rambla, which runs from the centre of town, all the best way all the way down to the seaside, you’ll discover a thriving meals market known as La Boqueria.
It’s a feast for the senses with gorgeous native recent produce, together with many small eating places, set amongst a community of passage methods.
It operates year-round and is a superb place to seize some tasty grub at lunch-time. Do because the locals do and revel in an ice-cold beer from one of many stalls and wander round till some meals takes your fancy.
Top tip – watch out of your pockets and luggage on this space, the community of alleyways are a haven for pickpockets. Keep your luggage tight to you and hold costly possession hidden away.
#4. Camp Nou
We’ve already talked about one vital Barcelona non secular website in Sagrada Familia, however the Camp Nou is town’s cathedral of soccer. The Camp Nou is the house of FC Barcelona and one of many largest soccer stadiums in the entire of Europe. It’s a feat of engineering, holding near 100,000 individuals, and sometimes promoting out.
FC Barcelona is among the most adorned soccer groups in European soccer historical past, with many legends of the sport having worn the membership’s crimson and blue shirt – together with Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff – amongst many many extra.
Watching Barcelona play is a bucket listing second for a lot of soccer followers and it isn’t not possible to supply tickets, however vacationers can discover themselves paying approach over and above the beneficial retail value. Our high tip – solely purchase from official channels, don’t purchase from resale web sites.
There’s additionally a unbelievable soccer museum on website, which celebrates the historical past of this legendry soccer membership.
#5. The artwork of skateboarding
This may not be an apparent one for some, however Barcelona is a Mecca for skate boarders. The metropolis’s liberal perspective in direction of skateboarding in public locations and town’s revolutionary design and format, makes it an city playground for skateboarding.
Some of the world’s finest skate boarders dwell in Barcelona because of this and lots of thousand skate vacationers are drawn to town yearly from all around the world.
Some of town’s websites have legendry standing within the sport, together with MACBA, town Museum of Contemporary Art. Every day 100s upon 100s of skate boarders observe in a giant public sq. exterior the museum, with among the world’s finest typically seen within the space.
After you’ve been to have a look at the artwork, chill out with a beer within the sq., which is commonly thronging with life, and watch skate boarders on the high of their craft.
#6. Eat native meals
Many vacationers go to Barcelona and anticipate tonnes of tapas eating places to be dotted across the metropolis’s streets. And though you can find tapas spots to eat at, tapas aren’t a Catalan dish.
Understanding Barcelona’s historical past is import – town is the most important within the Catalonia, an autonomous group, which has fought all through the years to interrupt away from Spain and return to being impartial.
As a end result, they’ve their very own delicacies and might typically fiercely combat in opposition to Spanish dishes like tapas. So, be sure to get among the native conventional tasty meals.
Pan Catalan is an absolute staple right here, typically eaten for breakfast – its skinny crispy bread layered with crushed tomatoes, olive oil and salt. Delicious. Escalivada is one other easy, but stunning dish – roasted crimson peppers, eggplant and onions blended collectively.
They additionally take charcuterie very severely and you will discover wonderful hams and salamis on this space.
Arros negre is one other highly regarded dish, which is shared with buddies or in massive household teams – just like paella, it’s a black rice dish, which is given its color by squid ink, and stuffed with pretty sea meals.
#7. Exercise on the seaside & get your cycle on
You may really feel fairly heavy after a couple of days of munching your approach round Barcelona, so getting a bit sweat on gained’t go a miss. Fortunately, Barcelona has you lined for that.
The metropolis’s seaside is filled with individuals exercising year-round – with many sports activities amenities on the sand and alongside the massive promenade which runs north alongside the coast.
It’s additionally an extremely cyclable metropolis, on account of its largely flat geography, with an important community of cycle lanes.
Our high tip – try to minimise your use of the busy metro system, which might be crowded and stiflingly scorching in the summertime. Get out on a motorcycle as a substitute.
#8. Street artwork and graffiti recognizing
Barcelona is an extremely inventive place and though it has many unimaginable artwork galleries and exhibition areas, we predict among the finest work is out on the streets. The metropolis is among the most painted in the entire of Europe and you may’t go far with out seeing color oozing out of the partitions.
From full constructing commissioned jobs, to bucket a great deal of unlawful graffiti on the facet of vans, trains, metros and all-over public areas – it’s a pleasure to stroll round.
Some of the most effective hotspots for road artwork embrace the El Raval and Poble Nou districts of town – the place you’ll be able to see works by among the world’s most well-known road artists.
Get on the market and get recognizing – what’s extra, it’s completely free.
#9. Craft beer
Barcelona has a rising popularity on this planet of craft beer. The metropolis’s is awash with unimaginable craft beer bars and town is residence to considered one of Europe’s most adorned and well-known craft breweries, known as Garage.
It’s a paradise for beer lovers, with many taprooms by world well-known brewers located within the metropolis, together with the Danish Mikkeller, however there are additionally smaller operations cropping up on virtually a every day foundation.
Bar hopping is an absolute should whereas visiting Barcelona.
Our favourites:
- Garage
- Biercab
- Freddo Fox
- Mikkeller
#10. Life by the harbour
The space round Barcelona’s harbour is buzzing with life all year long and it’s an important place to relax and chill out on one of many many heat days within the metropolis.
Take within the rays and watch the yachts depart the harbour or do because the locals do and curler skate or skateboard in one of many pretty waterside public areas.
If that’s not for you, why not go to the native aquarium, wine and dine at a harbourside restaurant or take a cable automotive from the harbour to the hillside Parc de Montjuic.
The space is a central hub of exercise within the metropolis and isn’t a spot to be missed.
#11. Nightlife
People come from far and huge to soak up Barcelona’s nightlife. The metropolis has a booming music scene and town has a packed occasions calendar as end result with gigs and DJ occasions on virtually each night time.
You can see world well-known musicians play within the metropolis or get misplaced in cavernous, underground, techno nightclubs. It’s a metropolis which dances well beyond dawn on weekend nights and for those who’re on the lookout for a celebration, you’ll all the time discover one in Barcelona.
Final ideas
Barcelona is kind of rightly one of the vital common locations in the entire of Europe. It attracts in hundreds of thousands of vacationers yearly who come to see town’s world-famous websites and soak in its inventive bustling vibe.
It’s simple to see why it’s so common, with greater than 300 days of sunshine, a pumping nightlife, stunning eating scene, a big seaside and world main sights. But there may be extra to town than simply the headline vacationer websites.
We have tried to present you a flavour of each, in our greatest issues to do in Barcelona information, and hope you’ll now go to town and take in each the touristy and the genuine facet of town. Now get on the market and get dancing, tasting and ingesting your approach round considered one of Europe’s hottest metropolis locations.