Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, one of the most proud and rich cultures in Europe. It’s one of the liveliest, most unusual, most innovative, artistic, and vibrant cities in the world. Although modern day Barcelona is a mixture of Catalan and Spanish, it hasn’t changed for 500 years.
Barcelona is divided into several clearly distinguishable neighborhoods. To really get an idea on where you want to stay, read more about traditional neighborhoods like Gracia, Gothic Quarters, La Barceloneta and others below.
The most popular areas to stay in are the Gothic Quarter and El Raval, due to their historic nature and close proximity to the city center.
Barcelona Hotels, Hostels & Apartments
Use this unique map to find hotels, hostels and apartments spread across various sites like Booking.com, VRBO, Expedia, Agoda, Trivago and Hotels.com.
What to Expect
Language: España / Spanish
Currency: Euro (EUR).
Credit Cards & ATMs: Many Barcelona shops, restaurants, and hotels accept credit cards.
Safety: Spain is one of the safer places to visit in Europe. The biggest issue is pickpocketing. Exercise caution with valuables.
Plugs: The plugs in Barcelona are type F, the standard voltage is 230 V, and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. I recommend buying a universal adapter and using a converter for hairdryers and beard trimmers.
Food and Drinks: Barcelona has superb gastronomy guaranteed to delight your taste buds. Try the famous paella (rice dish with your choice of chicken or seafood and made in a large flat pan with rice, peas, stock, garlic, tomatoes, sherry or white wine and a dash of paprika and saffron) & potato bombas (potato balls, deep-fried in breadcrumbs until golden) as well as sangria.
The Arts: From literature to architecture, theatre to dance, Portugal has a thriving arts scene offering an insight into Portuguese culture. Whether you are looking for music, a vibrant nightlife scene, museums or exhibitions, you will find plenty of interesting places to visit. Don’t forget all the graffiti, you will be sure to see lots of it!
Park Güell
Park Güell is the famous stop you see on all the Barcelona postcards. But it’s not just a pretty view, it has an enormous garden. The Park is named after Eusebi Güell, a rich entrepreneur and count that had a great passion for Gaudí’s work and who became his patron,
A unique Barcelona experience!
Learn how to cook a traditional Spanish seafood paella. Visit La Boqueria with the chef to buy ingredients, and take a walk through the old town. Sample some tasty tapas, make sangria, and watch as the chef prepares a paella de marisco for you to enjoy.
Read More: The Greatest Spain Trip
Barcelona Bucket List Worthy Attractions
1
La Sagrada Famila
2
Park Güell
3
The Gothic Quarter
4
The Magic Fountain
5
Mercado de La Boqueria
1. La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Família is the single most visited monument in Barcelona, with more than three million visitors a year, and the most important work of the Catalan modernist movement.
Since 1882, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has been under construction. When Francisco de Paula del Villar resigned from the project in 1883, Gaudí stepped in to take over as chief architect. Gaudi transformed Villar’s vision in his own way that combined the Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt inside. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.
2. Park Güell
Park Güell is not in the city center, but just outside of the hustle and bustle. So, if you want to get a glimpse of the famous mosaic tile wall overlooking the city, you had better get there early. Park Güell is one of the most popular attractions that Barcelona has to offer. Many postcards and beautiful desktop backgrounds have the image as the poster-child of what one thinks, when one thinks of Barcelona. You may recognize it?
Park Güell is one of the masterpieces of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who projected it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, recognizing its patrimonial and cultural value as a symbol of modern architecture, being one of the biggest exponents of Gaudi’s modernism. This playful urban park features peaceful greens, winding paths and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.
3. The Gothic Quarter
The charming Gothic Quarter, or Barri Gòtic, has narrow medieval streets filled with trendy bars, clubs and Catalan restaurants. The Museu d’Història de Barcelona shows remains of the Roman city. Artisans sell leather and jewelry near the Cathedral of Barcelona, while flower stalls and street-food vendors line busy avenue La Rambla. The Plaça del Pi, named after the adjacent Gothic church, hosts a weekend art market.
No stroll through the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona would be complete without visiting the Cathedral of Barcelona and making your way to the rooftop. This gorgeous church has architectural detail like you’ve never seen before, a must stop!
4. The Magic Fountain
The fountain is much more than just a fountain, its a must-stop area when in Barcelona, in my opinion. The first performance of the magic fountain was on May 19, 1929 during the Great International Exhibition. The amount of water that shoots like a canyon through the air and the ambiance of the area, I quickly understood where the fountain got its name. It’s said that the color, light, motion, music and water acrobatics – if you mix these elements together in just the right combinations, you end up with pure magic at night!
5. Mercado de La Boqueria
La Boqueria is the most famous market in Barcelona. It is located in the center of the city of Barcelona (Las Ramblas).
The market was beautiful. In a way, it was a little bit of organized chaos. It was filled with locals and tourists alike. Some hunting for a bargain on breakfast and some just browsing before the lunch rush. It was mid-morning now and after about 30 minutes of looking at all of our options, we settled on a couple of bacon and cheesy-biscuit croissants, a chicken empanada and a fruit smoothie.
How about trying your skills at a cooking class?
Find Barcelona Tours on GetYourGuide
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Book Your Trip Now!
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- HomeStay – Homestay is a popular form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the city to which they are traveling.
- SkyScanner – Skyscanner is a great flight search engine which searches a lot of different airlines, including many of the budget carriers that larger sites miss. While I always start with Momondo, I use this site too as a way to compare prices.
- Booking.com – Booking probably has the widest selection of budget accommodation in the world. In our studies, they constantly found the cheapest rooms. I also like their easy-to-use interface and no-money-down policy.
- RocketMiles – Book hotels on Rocketmiles and earn thousands of miles and points per night on every booking. Or, earn gift cards for your favorite purchases.
- Selina Hostel – This is the best hostel accommodation in the world. Their unique CoLive stays, artwork and location are the best. Not to mention, they are a great value travel brand!
For companies, check out my favorite travel companies section that includes even more of my favorite travel companies that will help you value travel!
