I have visited this vibrant city twice, for someone like me that loves art and architecture, Barcelona is a wonderland!
Where to stay in Barcelona
On our first trip we stayed in the amazing Hotel Majestic. Centrally located, the rooftop pool was a hit with the kids and the rooftop bar was a hit with me! With views over the city right out to the port, it was especially magical at night.
For our second visit to Barcelona, we stayed in apartment style accommodation for a week. With more time, we really got to explore the city in depth.
Places to see in Barcelona
La Rambla
We walked down La Rambla, the main central street running through the heart of the city. It is also the main tourist strip, with street vendors galore and also the entrance to the colourful Mercat markets (these markets are huge, make sure you go in and have a look around). At the end of La Rambla, you will reach the port, we spent some time here looking at the impressive Port building and waterfront.
Palau de la Musica
The Palau de la Música, Barcelona’s concert hall, is a gorgeous building. With colourful mosaic columns decorating the exterior and a spectacular stained-glass ceiling, it is a must-see! There is also a lovely cafe here, where you can refuel before hitting the pavement again.
Montjuic Castle
Catch a cable car up to Montjuic Castle and the nearby botanic gardens. Montjuic Castle was the site of political executions as late as 1940, and has a violent history. The fortification and the gardens have breathtaking views back over Barcelona and the port.
The Barcelona Cathedral is worth having a look at, and you are able to go up on the roof for a unique perspective. We also visited the maritime museum where there is an impressive royal galley ship on display.
Montserrat
We did a day tour to the Montserrat Monastery, located on said mountain and which houses the Black Madonna. The line to get in to see the Madonna was enormous, so we just enjoyed walking around the Basilica, the monastery and surrounding mountainside. Having returned to Barcelona in September, I have to say, the crowds were a lot more bearable than in summer.
Take a sunset cruise to view the city from another angle, it’s a little bit romantic.
Where to eat in Barcelona
What I did enjoy is just wandering the streets, discovering smaller markets, and amazing food and bars. I loved a local café where the guacamole ingredients come out on a platter, and you mix them together yourself at the table. This was served with a delicious pitcher of Sangria – you can’t come to Barcelona and not try a Sangria! We ate traditional tapas at Quimet & Quimet, Barcelona’s busiest, tiny little, standing room only, tapas bar. Another dining highlight was our meal at Barcelona’s oldest restaurant, Can Cullerettes.
Art and Architecture in Barcelona
Salvador Dali Day Tour
Spanish artist Salvador Dali, famous for his Surrealist paintings, had a residence in Port Lligat just outside Barcelona. Highly recommend a fantastic day tour we did, visiting his museum in Figueres, and the home he shared with his wife and muse, Gala.
I especially liked touring his home and seeing his artist’s studio. He had an easel that lowered into the floor so that he could paint while seated. The pool area was a highlight too, pretty out there! He certainly was an odd one, who seemed to have an obsession, with eggs and Hollywood! I admired his traditional work more than his Surrealism, but I did appreciate his individuality. Who else could have thought of creating a car that rains on the inside?!? The museum was incredible, so much to see!
I’m so glad we went with a tour as his home would have been a little tricky to get to without a car. It is just in a little fishing village, but it was lovely and I’m glad we didn’t miss it. You also get a chance to explore the nearby beautiful coastal village of Cadaqués, where we had a wonderful lunch by the water. You can book the same tour here.
Gaudi
You cannot visit Barcelona without seeing some of the buildings designed by the Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. On our first visit to Barcelona a highlight for me was our half day Gaudi tour. The tour took us out to Park Guell and past some of the buildings he designed. Disappointingly, we didn’t get to see inside a lot of them as it was summer, and the crowds were next level! The line to get into La Sagrada Familia was around the block. Thankfully, I remedied this on our next visit.
Barcelona 2.0, this time we got to go into the Gaudi buildings and see the amazing work he did. I loved viewing his designs, and Barcelona has quite a few to choose from, for example Casa Mila and Palau Guell, Casa Vicens and the spectacular Sagrada Familia.
Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. It has been under construction for over 135 years. It has a bold design with flying buttresses and twisted towers. The Nativity facade depicts scenes celebrating Jesus’ birth, and the Passion facade depicts his crucifixion. The interior has 36 ‘forest-like’ columns, with 4 grand central columns representing the Evangelists. Gaudi died when he was hit by a tram on his way to confession. He was mistaken as a beggar due to his unkempt appearance, eventually rightfully identified, and is buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia.
Palau Guell
Palau Guell is a magnificent mansion designed by Gaudi for an industrial tycoon and built between 1886-1868. There are a total of 20 chimneys on the roof!
Casa Mila
Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera, was Gaudi’s last civil work. Built between 1906 and 1912, the facade has been built mainly with stone and it has one of the most iconic terraces in the city due to the sculptured chimneys and air vents. The building contains two enormous inner courtyards.
Casa Batllo
The Casa Batllo, has no straight lines in the whole building! Gaudi reasoned that ‘There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature. Therefore, buildings must have no straight lines or sharp corners.’
Casa Vicens
Casa Vicens is considered to be Gaudi’s first major project. Built between 1883 and 1885. The building is covered in spectacular green and white tiles and the design incorporates a variety of natural elements – from the palm tree leaves on the cast iron gates, carnation flowers that feature on the external tiles and the stunning floral ceramics inside the house.
The beauty of staying in one place for longer than a few days is that you get to try experiences above the usual tourist must-dos. We went to a very cool jazz bar one night and ate in fantastic restaurants. I felt we got a true feel for the city.
