Barcelona is a city with an infectious energy, a city that literally doesn’t stop. Yes, you’ll find some who make this city their home enjoying an afternoon siesta, but this city is buzzing. It’s busy, it’s chaotic and it’s alive. The sense of culture is everywhere in the art, the architecture, the heritage, the food and the people. Like many big cities, Barcelona has attracted a melting pot of people from all over the world, so while its Catalan heart beats strong and proud, this is now one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe.
Don’t come to Barcelona for just a night or two – big cities like this deserve three or more nights, even a week. It may be large in scale, but Barcelona is extremely well connected and very easy to get around. Jump on the metro to get you across town, but don’t forget to look up and enjoy the scenery and sights when on foot. It’s simply beautiful.
Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia and the city has a history that spans some 4,000 years, with the influence of the Roman, Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Iberian people still very evident today. Once a Roman settlement that grew into a thriving medieval city, it is now a sprawling European city made up of many neighbourhoods displaying a myriad of architecture styles, many of which have made this city famous.
A great start to any city experience is a city tour and seeing Barcelona by bike is an excellent way to orientate yourself. Barcelona is a cyclist’s dream; it’s almost dead flat with 200 kilometres of integrated bike lanes and it’s easy to rent a bike from one of the many bike rental shops. Or, if you want to take a guided cycle tour, try Cycling Tour Barcelona (cyclingtourbarcelona.com) with guide Martin Miranda who spent 16 months in New Zealand learning English before he started his tour company. Martin offers enjoyable morning cycle tours of many of the key downtown sights followed by a great local tapas lunch (and excellent photography, too).
Once you’ve got the lie of the land, you’ll have a list of sights that you’ll want to revisit with more time. This is when you’ll be grateful that you’re here for more than just a couple of days. Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella (Old Town) including Barri Gòtic is the oldest part of the city which was settled by the Romans and originally named Barcino. This district is home to many impressive sights and at least a day should be spent wandering its narrow lanes and backstreets.
The stunning Cathedral de Barcelona and La Rambla are in this area, and both cannot be missed. The chaotic La Rambla is like an artery running straight through the area and you’ll undoubtedly find yourself back on the street often. No visit to La Rambla would be complete without a stop at the famed Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, simply referred to as La Boqueria. You will be absolutely dazzled by the selection of produce available here along with super tapas sellers. Come hungry and make the most of it! And if you leave some room for something sweet, pop around the corner to Chök Pastelería (chok.shop/en/tienda-online) for a mouthwatering doughnut (hint: try the pistachio cream one).
While in the Old Town, you also have the chance to visit some of Barcelona’s most popular attractions: the Museu Picasso (museupicassobcn.cat) and right next door, the Moco Museum, a fantastic independent collection of modern art (mocomuseum.com) housing works by Banksy, Yayoi Kusama and more. Book in advance as it sells out most days. You will have worked up a thirst, so pop into nearby Right Side Coffee (rightsidecoffee.com) for a great local brew.
For many visitors to Barcelona, the city is about one man’s life work: Antoni Gaudí. There are simply exquisite examples of his works throughout the city, the most famous of which is the Sagrada Família (sagradafamilia.org/en/home), the yet-to-be-completed basilica that commenced construction in 1882. Hoped to be completed by the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death in 2026, this is considered to be the artist’s greatest masterpiece and it is truly a sight to behold. Book several weeks in advance if you wish to visit inside.
Gaudí’s other buildings and locations are equally impressive and also all worth visiting. Casa Batlló (casabatllo.es), also called The House of Bones, was converted by Gaudí for a wealthy Barcelona family and completed in 1906. The exterior symbolises the legend of St George slaying the dragon, while the inside is full of organic features and shapes. Just a few blocks away is another stunning example of his work, La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà (lapedrera.com). And you can complete your Gaudí architecture tour with a visit to Parc Güell (park.barcelonatickets.org), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, displaying several of the artist’s mythical creations and designs.
Possessing the largest port on the Mediterranean, the city relies on it to provide access not just for goods and services, but also for the many hundreds of thousands of visitors who arrive by cruise ship each year. The port area itself has undergone significant regeneration in the last decade and what was once considered a dangerous place to visit is now one of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. The beaches are bursting every summer day with thousands taking to the water and the nearby Barceloneta district has become an extremely popular dining precinct with great tapas spots such as La Cova Fumada (lacovafumada.com) and Cervesería Vaso de Oro (instagram.com/vasodeoro.barcelona) proving extremely popular.
If one thing is true, it is that Barcelona is an eater’s city. The culinary influences here abound. With a proud Catalan heritage, Barcelona has its own culinary traditions, but it also offers tastes and flavours from around Spain and the world. Doing a food and wine tour at the start of your visit can be a useful introduction. Try tours by the likes of Spanish Trails (spanish-trails.com) or Food Lover Tours (foodlovertour.com/barcelona) to get a taste of a few off the beaten track places. Be prepared to eat late with many restaurants not even opening their doors to their first customers until 8pm or even 8.30pm.
Catalan food is utterly delicious and not overly fussy, with simple ingredients prepared well. Throughout Barcelona you will see many of the same dishes, all with an individual take on their preparation. Bacallà (salted cod), fideuà (similar to paella, but made with chopped noodles), coca de tomate (crystal bread – similar to ciabatta – rubbed with garlic, tomato and lashings of olive oil), and escalivada (smoky grilled vegetables) are some regional highlights. There is also no shortage of jamón Ibérico. Ensure you check out the sellers at La Boqueria with some of the black label options fetching up to €500 a kilo. A tasty plate of black label served with manchego cheese and crystal bread can also be enjoyed down near the port at Pisa Morena (pisamorena.es).
There are great eateries across the city offering a mix of both traditional favourites and contemporary Catalan cuisine. Bar Brutal (barbrutal.com) in Ciutat Vella has an extensive natural wine list and a largely vegetarian menu. The Maitake mushroom with celeriac cream and black garlic is off the chart. Another bistro worth searching out is Bodega Bonay (casabonay.com/dining-drinks/bodega-bonay) in the Casa Bonay Hotel in the L’Eixample district. Again, the stellar dish here is vegetarian, a celeriac carpaccio with lemon-infused olive oil and parmesan. Slightly further out of downtown, but not too far away, is Bar Salut (salutbistro.es), a friendly little neighbourhood spot with delicious veal on the menu, and back in elegant L’Eixample try the house sangria selection and pasta risotto with black truffles at Casa Lolea (casalolea.com). Sensi Tapas (sensi.es/tapas) down near Port Vell is a buzzing tapas bar with delicious bites to share including succulent pig and apple croquettes – yum! And just down the road is a neat little wine bar, Bodega 8 (instagram.com/bodega8_barcelona) to enjoy a glass of a local drop.
It goes without saying that you should try Spanish classics including tortilla (Spanish potato omelette), patatas bravas (paprika potatoes), croquettes (a variety of flavours), berenjenas con miel (fried eggplant with honey), calamari fritto (lightly fried calamari) and pimientos de padrón (salted peppers). If you fall in love with tortilla, as many people do, there’s a specialist in L’Eixample, Los Tortillez (lostortillez.com), offering more than 15 varieties of tortilla with anything from the most simple to anchovy, pesto or salt cod flavoured.
The real highlight of being in Barcelona is to try the enormous range of traditional tapas and pintxos that are part of the fabric of the culinary landscape of Spain. Tapas are typically smaller portions of a larger dish and are perfect for sharing, while pintxos (hailing from San Sebastián) are bite-sized snacks, usually made up of different ingredients skewered with a toothpick on a slice of bread. Being a port town, seafood features prominently on the menu with the likes of freshly grilled sardines, anchovies, scallops, prawns, salmon and oysters featuring alongside a vast selection of both meat and vegetable options.
While there are no shortage of tapas and pintxos bars, there are some well-known and longstanding establishments that are definitely worth the pilgrimage. Quimet y Quimet (quimetiquimet.com), established in 1914, is a must-visit. Lunch time is a good time to visit and get there early to avoid the queues as you can’t book. Be sure to try the salmon with truffle honey as it is positively delicious. Do your best to get to Bar Cañete (barcanete.com), where everything is remarkable and it feels like you stepped back in time into a true European bistro. Other notable tapas bars are Bodega del Vermut (facebook.com/bodegacaladelvermut) and El Xampanyet (elxampanyet.es). The most incredible pintxos are available all over the city and the selection at Irati (iratitavernabasca.com) is hard to beat.
One of the most surprising food highlights of Barcelona are the pastries, cinnamon rolls and doughnuts. If you have a sweet tooth, are you in luck! Delicious churros can be found at Xurreria Laietana (facebook.com/xurrerialaietana). Near the Hospital Sant Pau, try the croissants at Obrador del Croissant Frances (instagram.com/obradordelcroissant) or Maxime Petit Patisserie (instagram.com/maximepetitpatisserie). The cinnamon rolls are just heavenly at Demasie (cookiesdemasie.com) and they come in about six different varieties every day.
The wine offering in Barcelona is abundant and well-priced with great rioja, grenache and tempranillo among many other varieties to try. But what the Catalan region is most famous for is cava and vermouth, known locally as vermut.
The regions south and inland of Barcelona are the predominant grape growing areas and many visitors make an easy day trip from the city to the regions of Penedés (best known for cava), Pla de Bages (known for the picapoll white grape, only grown in this region in Spain) and Alella (best known for pansa blanca and grenache varieties).
