Barcelona, Spain April, 2017
Our 1st visit to Barcelona was many years ago now, a short one-day car trip from Montpelier, the south of France. During that visit, we found ourselves falling in love with this beautiful and cosmopolitan city. Since then, we have made several more visits here. Barcelona is packed full of things to do and to see, and it is also a great place for a weekend getaway. We are based in London, so the flight here is fairly short. We were here for 5 days, and spent most our days exploring. We visited most of the tourists destinations and enjoyed some amazing authentic Spanish food.
Here are a few of the major Barcelona attractions that most visited by tourists.
The Las Ramblas
We stayed locally in this area, so we spent a lot of time hanging around the place. Around here, there are so many things to do and to see, the area is vibrant, bustling with excitement. Here you can go shopping, visit la Boqueria market, enjoy a glass of sangria, be entertained by street performers, or treat yourself to some of the most amazing food on this planet. There are so many affordable accommodations here, make sure you stay in the one with good reviews.
La Boqueria Market
This is a fairly large local market just off Las Ramblas. La Boqueria market is one of Barcelona’s most visited location, a must visit place when in Barcelona. You will find so many varieties of food and drink here. The seafood selections is just to die for. Try some local delicacies here, you won’t be disappointed. The market is located not far from the opera house and Liceo, so you in in the most central part of the city here.
La Sagrada Família, the grandest of Gaudi’s Architecture
Apparently, the foundation of this church was laid in the 19th century, and the church is designed by Antoni Gaudi. Sadly in 1926, Antoni Gaudi (the architect) passed away, then everything came to a halt for a while. The building of this church is still ongoing today, and apparently will be going on for some time (not sure how long it will take to complete). I am not sure how to describe this church, very quirky or a bit spooky in some corners. A very modern statue of “naked Jesus” on the cross, how cool is that :-). You can also enjoy other buildings designed by Gaudi here in Barcelona such as the Casa Milà, Park Güell (designed in partnership with Josep Maria Jujol), and the Casa Batlló, two very grand and quirky buildings indeed.
Park Güell
Whilst touring the outskirt of the city, don’t miss this gorgeous park. It is a little off-the-beaten-track, you will need a lot of walking going up here, but it is truly worth the effort. You can see the whole of Barcelona city from the top, really breathtaking. There is part of the park which is free but there are sections which are ticketed. Do take your time to enjoy the scenery and don’t forget to take loads of photos.
Barcelona Cathedral
This 114th-century cathedral is located in the Gothic Quarter. This cathedral is officially named the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, but more commonly known as the Barcelona Cathedral, a truly grand church which holds a lot of history. Join a group tour from the tourist office, to get the most of Barcelona’s history, particularly on their historical buildings like this one.
Santa Maria Del Mar
An outstanding example of the Catalan Gothic architecture with magnificent architecture. The church was built around 1300’s and was built using the slender stone built columns in the world. Entrance to this Cathedral is free, don’t miss it.
We went all over the city, and took heaps of photos. Please visit my photo gallery below for to see how gorgeous Barcelona is.
