There are endless things to do in Barcelona, considering the uncountable range of opportunities this unique city offers to all its visitors. As a matter of fact, whether you live there or are planning to spend a fortnight, three days or a couple of years becomes irrelevant. There will always be a place to discover, a building of dazzling art, a piece of history hidden in some corner, and a fancy night waiting for you to have fun.
Things to do in Barcelona
In order to enjoy the stay as much as possible, find here some of the most popular tourist attractions. Additionally, these ´musts´ will come along with a hotel recommendation according to its respective location. Nevertheless, it has to be stressed that public transport runs like clockwork there. With very little time needed to transport oneself from one end to the other. Actually, experiencing public transport services could also be included among those things to do in Barcelona.
Las Ramblas
Imagine the worst-case scenario that you just have one day to be in the city. Let´s say your plane got rescheduled and you are about to get an unexpected hotel night in Barcelona, with little time to enjoy but yet a couple of hours to relax. Then Las Ramblas is a must. These cluttered and always overcrowded promenades connect Plaza Catalunya, a timeless classic point, with the monument to Christopher Columbus in the harbor. In between, you will become delirious with faces, accents, smells, and sights from all over the world.
Art, history, and future
Barcelona is also worldly known for its outstanding living art treasures, a vivid reflection of the rare talents embodied in one of the greatest geniuses of all times, Antoni Gaudí. Among his masterpieces, everyone goes crazily delighted with the Sagrada Familia, a basilica that accomplishes a perfect combination of a Gothic style, Art Nouveau and Modernism. A similar reaction causes other emblematic places as Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (aka La Pedrera). Same for Parc Güell, a public park with some architectonic secrets and beauties. In order to enjoy even more of these visits, it is highly recommended to read Gaudí´s biography. Understanding what inspired this incomparable man and the time he lived in, makes his creations even more stunning.
Sitges
Many things to do in Barcelona will inevitably relate to the Mediterranean Sea. Located on its eastern coast, the fresh sea breeze is a permanent companion for any city walk, regardless of being in town or its surrounding areas. Fortunately, Barcelona does not demand to drive a lot in order to lie on a beach. Actually, there is a nudist beach minutes away from Las Ramblas, in case you want to sun yourself completely.
Nevertheless, if you want to enjoy the promenade, and a short ride by the sea, find Sitges. Almost forty kilometers away, it offers one of the many calm beaches nearby, with crystalline water, and sparkling sand under a clear blue sky.
Things to do in Barcelona – bonus track
As you may imagine, it is not possible to embrace in one article every attraction offered by this city. Moreover, each and every one of them keeps secrets. Therefore, this recommendation will finish with one. When walking by Las Ramblas, look for the wax museum, but just before stepping into it turn right and you will find Bosc de les Fades, “Forest of the Fairies”. Once there, enjoy a beer in an unparalleled decoration that simulates an enchanted forest.
Summarizing, in spite of these tips, Barcelona must be lived, walked, discovered, enjoyed in every possible way. In order to do so, forget about what you may have read, just go and do it.
