15 places that you can't miss out on seeing in Barcelona - Part 1

Hi, everyone!

This time, I want to talk to you about a city that everyone will know quite well. Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in the world, and maybe in another post I will talk to you about the effects of having so many tourists visiting the city. But today, I want to tell you about the places that you can't miss out on seeing in Barcelona. There are lots of other ones, and the truth that it was difficult for me to choose which ones to include, but these are the ones which I think are the most incredible.

As I have done on other occasions, I am going to split the post into two parts so that it isn't too long.

They say that anyone who visits Barcelona can't help but go back there. And this seems to be true since in my case, the first time that I went to Barcelona was now quite a few years ago with my family; but I went back there in 2015 to spend a whole month living in the city with my friend. I was lucky enough to have a family member working there, so he was able to host us for these weeks and I could afford it.

We also went with the intention of going to a street dance school called "The Urban Dance Factory" during this time as it is considered one of the best ones nationally

As you will understand, a month is plenty of time to get to know the city in-depth, and I have to say that I have always considered myself someone who isn't made for living in a big city - but in the case of Barcelona, I wouldn't think about living there twice. There is something special about the city that makes it different to the rest and that it has even, at least for me, become a good place to live.

And this isn't all, as a couple of weeks ago I returned to the city for a couple of days to visit a friend who is studying there. I never get bored of seeing Barcelona and if one of you who are reading this have already been there, you will understand why. For those who still haven't been lucky enough to go, I am going to inspire you to check it out.

As I said, Barcelona is a really special city. I don't know it is due to all of Gaudi's architectural works, for its lively atmosphere, for being next to the sea... What is clear is that this city offers an infinite possibility of places to visit and here, I have tried to select 15 of the ones that I feel are the most important.

Barcelona has a really good public transport network, which by using the metro or buses you can get anywhere really easily. Getting around by car is crazy, as we are talking about a really big city and finding somewhere to park would probably be chaos. Also, you have to try to make use of public transport, even more so when it allows us do everything that we want to do, like in Barcelona's case.

Park Güell

This park is a complete work of art. It is full of bright colours, really strange shapes and a viewpoint with perfect views of the city. It is said that Guadi tried to imitate nature with all these shapes and colours.

There are lots of things to see here, therefore it is a good idea to dedicate a couple of hours to enjoy it tranquilly.

To get to the park, you can get there by metro or bus, and from the stops you walk for around 15 minutes to get to the park, but it is really well signposted.

The general entry is 8. 50 euros for an adult. There is also the option of getting in with the entry and a guided tour, paying 7 euros for adults. Only Barcelona residents can go inside the park for free.

Outside of these times, access to the park is free, but it's not worth going as there is barely any light to enjoy the park.

The access to the park has been restricted for quite a while now. Each time more and more tourists go there, which has turned almost into a theme park, where it is difficult to enjoy it with so many people there. This is why they regulate it and now, the situation has improved a little.

Citadelle park

This park, as well as having an enormous monumental complex, the Castle of the Three Dragons, a lake which little row-boats go down, numerous sculptures, etc, is also really special due the atmosphere there. It is very common to see people sitting on the grass having a beer, chatting with their friends, playing an instrument, or even doing juggling or acrobatics.

It is considered one of the lungs of the city people and it is the perfect place where you can relax outside of the city.

It was built at the end of the 19th century and in fact, it was the first park specifically designed to be a public park.

Arc de Triumph

Really close to the Citadelle park, if not practically next to it, is the Arc de Triumph.

This big monument, which has a classic style and is built in red-brick, was created due to the celebration of the First Universal Exhibition which took place in Barcelona in 1888. The purpose of the Arc was to welcome all the exhibition's visitors.

Nowadays, it is one of the most visited places in the city, as much by tourists as by Barcelona locals.

It is also used as the finish line for popular races in the city, such as the Barcelona Marathon, and as a place where they celebrate festivals and other music events.

The Barceloneta

The Barceloneta neighbourhood is the nearest one to the beach and one of the most popular ones in the city. It is a former fisherman's neighbourhood and nowadays, it has transformed into one of the most lively places in Barcelona, where there are always people walking, cycling, or skating, having a drink...

Here is where you will find the most famous beach in the city, Barceloneta Beach. This beach is really crowded, especially in the summer season, of course. When I went in September it was practically impossible to find a space to put down my towel. Also, everyone will warn you that it is really dangerous to leave your belongings without keeping an eye on them because it is really easy to have them stolen without you realising. Therefore, it is important to always keep an eye on your things.

In my opinion, I am used to the beaches in Galicia which are a lot smaller and quieter since I was little, so, to be honest, I didn't enjoy spending the afternoon at Barceloneta beach. Firstly, because there is barely any space to sit down, so, therefore, it is almost possible to relax or do any sports on the beach. Also, literally every ten minutes different sellers come over to you with drinks etc... as well as women offering massages on the beach.

Without a doubt, I'm sticking with the beaches from my home. But this doesn't mean that the atmosphere there isn't great to go for a walk and have a drink.

From this beach, you can also take a cable car to go to the Miramar viewpoint, from which you can enjoy views of the port.

Also really nearby are different interesting places to visit, such as the Museum of the History of Catalonia, Barcelona Aquarium, or if you want to go shopping, the Maremagnum shopping centre.

Casa Batlló

Casa Batllo is located on the Passeig de Gracia, one of the most important avenues in the city, as there are important shops and pretty modern buildings on it.

It was built between 1904 and 1906 and it is another one of the works of the artist Gaudi in the city.

It is also known as the House of Bones as its structure looks a bit like a skeleton. It is said that the balconies look similar to fragments of the cranium with openings for the eyes and nose, whilst the columns of the first flat also are in the shape of human bones.

Also, in the inside of the building, we found various corners where the main colour was blue, to imitate the sea environment. Also, the walls are wave-like and decorated with a fish-scale pattern. All of this definitely makes you feel like you're by the sea.

During the visit, you are given an audio guide with the entry which explains all of this really well, and lets you enjoy the visit more as it gives background to the shapes and the colours.

Casa Batllo is open every day of the year from 9 am to 9 pm.

The entrance is currently 25 euros for an adult, with discounts for students, children, OAPs and Barcelona residents. I think I remember that when I went to Barcelona for the first time it was a bit more expensive, but currently, in February, they are restoring the whole building, thus the experience is quite different. I saw it the last time that I went to Barcelona and it was impossible to see the front of it because it was covered in scaffolding.

I went to visit it some years ago now, when of course it wasn't under renovation, and I definitely recommend seeing the inside, even though the ticket is expensive, because it is worth admiring this work of art. For us, the visit took about an hour.

The Pedrera.

This building, which is another of Gaudi's works, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also the last civil building designed by this architect.

It is really characteristic because on its entire front it is impossible to draw a straight line due to its design. Gaudi was inspired by nature to build it.

It is also known as the Casa Mila, as it was the home of the Mila family.

It is worth paying the entry and enjoying it, especially its rooftop. This part of the building has come a kind of an icon of the city and from it, you can enjoy incredible views of the city.

Another one of the best parts of the visit is called the Piso de Epoca on the fourth floor, where you can observe how the rich families lived 100 years ago.

The visit lasts around an hour or an hour and a half and there are 2 options: to visit it in the day or the night.

In my case, I only did the day option and I loved it. In the night, the whole rooftop is lit up, it is a really different way of seeing it, but it would definitely also be worth doing that one day.

Las Ramblas and the Boquería

Las Ramblas is the most famous street in the city. The whole area is full of kiosks, souvenir stalls, flowers, bars and restaurant terraces, street artists...

As you can imagine it is a very frequented area, in fact, it is the area that they warn you the most to keep an eye on your bags or rucksacks, since there are quite a lot of thieves there.

Along the route, there are quite a lot of incredible stops to make. The first, and it couldn't be otherwise, is the famous Boqueria market, with a multitude of stalls selling products, and also restaurants where you can have some tapas. If one day you go through here it will end up making your mouth water, I'm telling you from experience.

On this street, you can also find the El Liceo theatre, which is the most famous theatre in Barcelona.

From Las Ramblas, you can access other very famous neighbourhoods in the city such as El Raval, El Born or El Gotico.

And that is all for now! In the next post, I will tell you about the rest of the places that you can't miss out on for the world if you visit Barcelona.

Thank you again for reading my posts!

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