When surveying friends and family about traveling to Spain, I have yet to meet someone who does not put Barcelona on their list. Naturally, it was a main, last and longest stop for our visit to Spain. We were glad we spent the most time here; we had tons to do, places to eat and areas to explore in and around Barcelona. We understood immediately why it is everyone's favorite city. Barcelona has everything anyone can ask for: beaches, mountains, city life, culture, history, architecture, Michelin-star dining, and the list literally goes on and on...
In preparation for our trip, we asked family and friends who have visited and came up with a list of things to see and do and restaurants to try. Honestly, it became overwhelming; there are so many recommendations, it just became impossible to do it all. We knew we had to hit up Gaudí's architectural marvels (including La Sagrada), explore the Gothic center, take a city bike tour, and whatever else we can fit in. Restaurant reviews and food pics are here.
The first stop on most people's lists is La Sagrada. We booked our tickets weeks in advance and we were glad we did; the queue was already long in the morning. Do we need to list all the facts about La Sagrada Família. I think most everyone is familiar that this Basilica is 135 years in the making and has a tentative completion date of 2026. Antoni Gaudí knew he was not going to live to see it completed, but he drafted up plans so it would be completed in his vision. Unfortunately, because of fire, war and rebellion over the early parts of the 20th century, many of his plans and his models were destroyed. Add to that financial instability, and you have a very long project in the making.
No pictures can really ever do it justice. La Sagrada is just one of those things not to be missed in a lifetime.
With being short on time (as usual), we decided to do a walking/city bike tour combo to cover the most ground in the shortest amount of time. We started in the Gothic Quarters. Although we had a private guide, the Lonely Planet's walking tour hit the highlights of what we saw. The best thing about touring a city with a guide is getting a local's perspective.
Catalunya and it's capital, Barcelona, has a distinct culture and language separate from the rest of Spain. It has aways been economically stronger than even the capital. There's been a lot of political controversy with half of Catalunyans wanting independence. For now, the future of Spain and Catalunya is yet to be determined.
We had lunch at tha Plaza Real, which was the perfect place to appreciate Barcelona's architecture. It reminded us of Plaza Mayor in Madrid.
Trivia: What is the Gaudi's first commissioned art work?
Answer: The red lamp post pictured above.
Barcelona's Cathedral
Trivia: What is the difference between a Cathedral and a Basilica?
Answer: A cathedral houses the throne of a bishop.
One thing that surprised us about Barcelona is the amount of Roman ruins that have been discovered. It seemed Barcelona is a layered city; one city built on top of another, and so on.
After hopping on some bikes, we headed to Ciutadella Park.
We ended the day by accidentally running into the Mercado de la Boquería. In hindsight, we would have opted to have lunch here. There are tapas bars there and one, el Quim, came highly recommended.
We finished our bike tour at the beach. In a single day, it was easy to see why Barcelona just has it all.
When visiting Barcelona, it is impossible and not advisable to miss out on Gaudí's architectural sites. We decided to spend a morning at Güell Park. Originally built as a luxury housing development between 1900-1914, financially it never realized. Instead, the development was turned into a park in 1926 for all of Barcelona citizens and visitors to enjoy.
We recommend visiting later in the day. It was so busy, it was really hard to enjoy the park with such large crowds.
In Barcelona, Guadí is everywhere you look. The legacy he built is one that is ever lasting. Imagine a man that can exist forever through his work.
Inside the Casa Batlló, you can view all the different rooms and how it would have been designed in the early 20th century. These houses were obviously built for the bourgeois, so you really feel transported back in time and place of wealth.
Taking advantage of long summer days and mid afternoon naps, we thought we would explore the National Art Museum of Catalunya. Although we are not usually museum goers, the museums architecture is not one to be missed and the views are pretty incredible, particularly at sunset.
If you can afford the time, watch the Magic Fountains. It's like a mini Bellagio fountain show but with the Barcelona city as backdrop.
One museum, a thousand years of art. A fitting slogan for Catalunya's National Art Museum.
Although associated with French art, Pablo Picasso was a Spanish expatriate.
With another full day of exploration, we flipped coins and John won; he wanted to visit the Olympic Stadium. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. The stadium and other Olympic venues were located in a large hilly park called Montjuïc. We took quite a long walk through the park; you can easily spend a whole day here.
Now we can say we have been two 2 Olympic stadiums!
There are museums within the park, and parks within the park that can easily take up a whole day.
One of the coolest sites in Montjuïc was the Castle on top of the hill. Once a military fort, it held prisoner the Philippines national hero, José Rizal.
Looking back, we are proud to say we optimized our time in Barcelona, but there certainly is more to Barcelona than what we saw. Three days of exploration was definitely not enough, but it gave us a reason to come back.