Barcelona the largest city on the Mediterranean
How to get there
Barcelona International Airport, now known as Josep Tarradellas Airport sits 12 km south west of the city center. It has two Terminals and has a wide list of connections to destinations throughout Europe and internationally with most of the main carriers having a presence there. The Renfe train runs every 30 minutes from the airport directly into the city center at Barcelona-Sans station. There is all a good airport bus service to the city which takes you to the Placa de Catalunya.
As like all of Spain, Barcelona has excellent train connections to the rest of the country and thereby with the rest Europe. The main hub station for the city is Barcelona-Sants with Renfe being the main high speed company that offers connections across Europe. There are a number of other local providers.
Barcelona-Sans Train Station
You can also make Barcelona part of a European road trip as once again it has excellent motorway connections with other regions of Spain all be it the traffic within the actual city can at times be extremely busy.
Finally Barcelona is a major European and Mediterranean Cruise Port with many cruises beginning and ending in the city as well as visiting it.
The city therefore has 2 Cruise Terminals. One at the World Trade Center near the bottom of La Rambla caterers in the main for smaller size vessels where as the other Terminal at Adossat Quay is split in fact into four identified as Terminals A, B, C, & D
If you visiting and the ship docks at Adossat Quay then you could walk into the city center with the bottom of La Rambla being a 40 minute walk away where as you could be at Placa de Catalunya in around a hour. However there are always plenty of taxi's at the Quay and the cities Hop on Hop off bus does visit here also.
Cruise Terminals in Barcelona, World Trade Center with Adossat Quay in background
Accommodation
Being one of Europe's major cities and a extremely popular holiday destination as well as a city that has hosted many World Class sporting events including the Olympics means that there is a wide and varied choice of accommodation within the city. All the major International Hotel companies have offerings in the city, there is also some excellent Boutique Hotels available. If self catering is your preferred choice then again there is a wide choice including many AirBnB options. Finally if your travelling on a budget there are a also a good selection of hostel options close to the city center.
What to see and do.
Barcelona is a city we have visited a few times and with each visit it gives you something more to enjoy, for us the city as a whole is in itself an attraction it just has that vibe about it and we love just walking around its different areas and coming across some great experiences such as a street wine festival on one visit to a impromptu beach party on another it really is that kind of city.
Street wine festival
However the city also has many world famous attractions to see and enjoy so here are a few ideas of what you could plan to see on your visit to the city.
La Rambla
Possible the most famous street in Spain and on any visit to the city it is one place you just have to visit. Its a tree lined street / promenade that runs from the center of the city at Placa de Catalunya to the waterfront at Placa del Portal de la Pau with the monument to Columbus at its center. La Rambla is a busy vibrant street flanked by shops, cafes, restaurants boutiques and apartments. It also has street performers, flower stands, living statues and bird sellers, its just one of those things as a visitor you have to do.
La Rambla
Yours truly on La Rambla
La Bouqueria
This busseling iconic market is located on La Rambla and is well worth a look. Its been in its present site for 200 years and is a under a covered roof where you find a grid of permanent stalls selling a selection of fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses and seafood. There are also a number of authentic Tapas stalls within it that you can sit with locals and tourists alike to grab a fresh snack prepared on the stall. It really is a experience worth trying.
La Bouqueria
Inside La Bouqueria
Logistics Manager enjoying a snack in the market
Sagrada Familia
This iconic unfinished Cathedral is the masterpiece of one of Barcelona's most famous residents the gifted Antoni Gaudi. So 140 or so years after Gaudi first conceived the idea of this Gothic masterpiece it remains under construction. If it does get finished its spires will be the tallest of any religious building in the world but the structure does not resemble anything you will have seen before and both the outside and inside is truely spectacular with not a single inch of the structure not being unique. It really has to be seen to do it justice. I will give you one tip here and that is plan ahead, it is a very busy location and the queues to visit the Cathedral are extensive, but you can reduce the wait time if you book ahead so go online and secure your ticket prior to your vist.
Sagrada Familia
Inside this incredible masterpiece
Park Guell
This park that is home to Barcelona's famous mosaic Lizard that features on on thousands of postcards has spiral towers that resemble something from a fairground as well a large Nature Square surrounded by mosaic covered walls. This landscape again owes much to the brilliance of Gaudi, who along with Eusebi Guell created the park.
The park is free to enter but another tip is if you want to see and enjoy its best features and a terrific view across the city buy the Monumental Cove Ticket which was only €10 on our last visit there, then you really get to experience this park as you should.
Park Guell
This incredible building which is covered in shards of stained glass is another Gaudi creation, he said it's design was influenced directly by nature and as a result there are no straight lines in the building. Also its roof tiles look like the scales of a huge dragon. Inside the unusual features continue in true Gaudi style for example a mushroom shaped fireplace which was originally a spot for couples to warm up next to in a cold winter. You can find this Barcelona landmark on Passeig de Gracia only a few minutes walk from the Placa de Catalunya.
Casa Batllo
This huge square in the center of the city is at the top of La Rambla and is the meeting point for most people. It is also where the Airport Bus leaves from as well as the starting point for the citys Hop on Hop off bus, it is surrounded by shops bars and restaurants including Barcelona's branch of the Hard Rock Cafe. The Placa itself has a few monuments and impressive fountains, all of this making it a iconic landmark of the city.
Fountains in Placa de Catalunya
Logistics Manager in the Placa at night.
Montjuic
This historic wooded hill in the center of the city is home to the Castle of Montjuic which has been there since 1640 and can be visited today. The hill was also home to several venues of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 including the Olympic stadium itself which dates from a previous Olympics in the 1920's. The hill gives excellent views across the city and over the port. It can be reached by simply walking up there but it is a good climb !! A easier way is to use the funicular railway which is part of the Benidorm Metro to reach the top. Or why not hitch a ride on the cabel car like we did, this runs from Port Vell up to Montjuic, again this ride gives you some great views of the cities beach front, harbour and the city itself.
Montjuic cabel car
Montjuic Castle
Day at the beach
Well remember this is the largest city on the Mediterranean !! So its to be expected it has a large beach front in fact it stretches for miles and can take a couple of hours to walk along probably the most popular spot however is the stretch at Sant Sebastia this can get busy and it is backed by trendy shops, bars and terraces.
Beachfront
Picasso Museum
Picasso moved to the city as a 14 Yr old and revisited during several periods of his life. This museum is spread over 5 palaces with a courtyard including Gothic archways that lead into white galleries that highlight his work. The museum can be found at Carrer Montcada.
Picasso Museum courtyard
Camp Nou
The Camp Nou football stadium is home to one of the world's most famous football teams Barcelona FC and the current home of arguably one of the world's best ever players Lionel Messi. Football is a religion in the city as it is in most of Spain and the Catalans are very proud of Barcelona FC. The club has a history interwoven with that of Catalan history itself. So even if football is not your game a visit to the Camp Nou and its museum is a interesting few hours. If you want to see a actual match it is possible and you can find tickets for the games online also there is a ticket office at the stadium. I am a big football fan as is Christine my Logistics Manager so we have been to the stadium on a tour but also attended a match there on another occasion it is a fantastic experience for any fan.
The Camp Nou
Yours truly outside the Camp Nou
Logistics Manager inside the stadium before game
Santa Maria del Mar
This is the cities Cathedral and it is a excellent example of Catalan Gothic architecture. It is famous for it's stunning stained glass window of Ascension. Outside visitors can also discover the private tombs that give this building not only its character but are part of its long history. The Cathedral is in the Ribera District of the city
Santa Maria del Mar
Shopping in Barcelona
Now hands up here I am not a big fan of this activity but many are and Barcelona has some great shopping with all the main designer brands having outlets here, as well as some of its very own unique boutiques. So if shopping is your thing you will not be disappointed here. There are two main shopping streets in the city center and both start at the Placa de Catalunya, they are Portal de Angel and Passeig de Garcia. If you go further afield in fact close to the Camp Nou football stadium you will find the popular street L'llla Diagonal which has a number of large Department stores and fashion boutiques on it. There are also a number of shopping malls one of the bigger and well known ones being the Maremagnum which sits in the old port area near the bottom of La Rambla.
Maremagnum with the boardwalk that leads to it.
Yours truly on the boardwalk outside the Maremagnum
Tibidabo Amusement Park
This amusement park is in fact not only the oldest one in Spain it is in fact the oldest amusement park in Europe and has some very traditional rides and sits high atop Mount Tibidabo. This again this gives some classic views back across the city with the Mediterranean in the background.
Views from Tibidabo Amusement Park
Where to eat and drink
To be honest you could answer this with one word.... " Anywhere " the city really does have a fantastic range of bars cafes and restaurants of all standards and cuisine spread across the city.
However I will give my on thoughts on what we have experienced.
First if Seafood is your thing then head to the Old Fisherman's area of the City known as Barceloneta, here you will find a fantastic range of hole in the wall fish bars or no frills fish tapas bars. We visited a great place called Bar Electricitat it really was reasonably priced and the food was excellent.
Bar Electricitat
Now I know what I enjoy but I don't class myself as a food expert but we did have a fantastic brunch on one visit to the city in Brunch and Cake a New York style cafe that is based here and was well worth a recommendation.
Carrer d'Enric Granados
In terms of nightlife again the city has much to offer if your looking for a more traditional bar one area which is busy and vibrant is the Gothic Quarter which is close to La Rambla and the Placa de Catalunya. We enjoyed a really good night in this area which is a maze of small avenues and streets.
Gothic Quarter
However one of the busiest and liveliest areas is right on the Mediterranean at Port Olimpic. This large marina next to the beach was built in 1991 for the Olympics and is lined with bars and clubs it can get very busy and is the main nightime destination for many of the cities toursist looking for a night out on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Port Olimpic
Conclusion
So that's some suggestions and tips for a visit to this famous city. It really is a great city to experience on a city break or a day excursion. Its the type of place that once you have been you will want to return and each time you do you will find something new to see or do.
So hope you enjoyed this blog and if you did please share on social media or please like and follow my page on Facebook at Travel the world and Smile Happy travelling with Davie
Davie.
