My Favourite Places in Barcelona
Barcelona is, without a doubt, one of my favourite cities in Europe. I love the wonderful mixture of having the beautiful beach next to the chaos of city life. I think it’s the best of both worlds! There’s also some amazing architecture, delicious tapas, friendly locals and so much to see and do.
Here’s my pick of the best the city has to offer…
Las Ramblas
Las Ramblas is the most famous street in all of Barcelona. It begins at the edge of the port and runs all the way to Plaça de Catalunya. The street is lined with some absolutely beautiful architecture and is always buzzing with people, both tourists and locals, which gives it a great atmosphere.
Plaça Reial
Plaça Reial is a gorgeous square which lies just off Las Ramblas and is lined with lots of cosmopolitan cafes, bars and restaurants. It’s the perfect spot to sit and relax for a few hours with a drink, good food and to do a spot of people watching. There’s also usually plenty of artists and street entertainers performing here to keep your interest.
Sagrada Famillia
The Sagrada Famillia is the still unfinished, most famous work of Antoni Gaudi. Work began on The Sagrada Famillia in 1882 and it is not due to be completed until 2026. The construction of the striking building is now entirely funded by anonymous donations and entrance fees of the people who pay to explore the inside of Gaudi’s masterpiece.
Camp Nou
A visit to the Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona, is an absolute must for any football fan visiting the city. The stadium holds just under 100,000 fans and a visit to the museum to learn all about the clubs history is incredibly impressive.
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
The so-called magic fountains of Barcelona are definitely worth a visit. They lie below the Palau Nacional which sits on the Montjuïc hill, near the Plaça d’Espanya and Poble Espanyol de Barcelona. The Palau Nacional is an impressive building in itself and when the giant fountain below it begins moving and changing colours along to the music it’s brilliant. It’s also absolutely free.
Park Güell
This is another of Gaudí’s creations and can be found at the north of the city and in my opinion it is absolutely worth a visit for the views over the city alone!
It is a huge park which has many features such as mosaic covered houses with spindly roofs that are so typical of Gaudí, interesting stone sculptures and some of the best views over the entire city. The park is free to visit however if you wish to enter the monumental zone, the most intricate and detailed part of the park, there is a charge. Queues for this section of the park can be ridiculously long and in summer the waiting time can be two or three hours. I’d recommend buying your tickets in advance to avoid waiting.
Have you been to Barcelona before? What are your favourite things to do and see in the city?
I’m Emma, a twenty-something Scottish girl who’s obsessed with travel.
I’ve been to 38 countries so far and had some incredible adventures around the world.
My passion for travel and writing led me to create my person blog Emma’s Travel Tales.