10 Cool Things You Must Do in Barcelona
Barcelona is a must-visit place for anybody at least once. Especially if you are an adventure lover and exploring places that excite you, Barcelona should be on your bucket list!
The Catalan capital is a busy city and lives up to its name. Catalan’s culture is thriving and is filled with historic museums, extraordinary restaurants, and the nightlife is an enticing way to keep you awake.
Barcelona is a marvelous place you should explore. But if you’re looking for more adventure, read through this list of 10 things you should definitely try when visiting Barcelona!
Take a Stroll Through Sagrada Familia
Adventure enthusiasts would make sure to start from here when they visit Barcelona for the first time. The dreamy works of Antoni Gaudi are something you can’t miss. His minor basilica which took more than 140 years to complete only three quarters after Gaudi got involved is a great example of a project of incredible scalability.
Once the spires are finished, it would become the tallest church building globally and stand out as the most unique religious structure ever existed.
The best thing about the Sagrada Familia is its combination of innumerable architectural styles, such as the Spanish Late-Gothic, Catalan Modernism, and Art Nouveau. But its beauty will be more justified if you visit it yourself and find yourself standing awe-struck at the ceiling of this marvelous building.
Browse Through Las Ramblas
Maybe a local would feel otherwise for it won’t be a new thing for them to take a stroll through the promenades from Placa de Catalunya to the Columbus Monument at the waterfront. If you’re visiting Barcelona for the very first time, it is one of the things you have to try.
The tall plane trees and huge crowds across the living statues, performers by the streets, bird sellers attracting tourists effortlessly, and flower stands give you proper summer vibes you won’t want to miss.
Sometimes, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll get the aromas of baked waffles to the streets, pulling you in for a taste of these pleasureful eateries.
And once you make it to the water, you can move forward by the boards to the Maremagnum mall or the Barcelona Aquarium.
Visit the Casa Batllo
The Casa Batllo is often compared to Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. That’s so because when shards of stained glass cover it, the Casa Batllo appears blue, then green, and looks like a shimmering lake.
When textile industrialist Josep Batllo saw Gaudi’s work at Park Guell, he commissioned him to design this home. Gaudi took nature as his inspiration and made this home without any straight lines, but stone pillars contorting like animal bones, and Jules Verne-inspired ocean-blue stairwell. And when you visit it, you can see how that turned out to be – incredibly extravagant and intimate!
Spend the Night Dancing in a Hidden Bar
Are you a night-owl who likes to stay the night out while having a good time? If so, then Barcelona won’t disappoint you. Some good food and jazz are just the right combination to keep you on your feet and dance to sultry music with a few drinks.
Even the locals won’t deny about getting that holiday feeling on a Monday night. It doesn’t matter if you’re wandering through the streets or looking for a simple meal, your night will be a memorable one when on the streets of Barcelona!
Discover the place, its music, its people for yourself, and you’ll find yourself hooked to everything!
Take a Stroll Through Sagrada Familia
Heard of Santa Maria del Mar, but wondering what’s so great about it? Here’s what is. Each boulder in its architectural history was gathered from the surrounding mountains and shorelines by civilians.
Citizens were awe-struck by its beauty when it was completed after 54 years of constant labor in 1383. It’s a soaring Gothic temple with the elevated beauty of stained-glass panels, shun bright with natural light, and supported by slender columns.
Despite the internal damages caused by an 11-day fire during the Spanish Civil War (1936), the original structure stands mostly the same.
Indulge in Churros and Chocolate
If you didn’t try the churros in Barcelona, you haven’t really tasted the goodness of the place! The Spanish delicacy is a vivid collection of different dishes, but Barcelona will be incomplete without its churros.
Visit a small cafe in the Gothic Quarter and find a table outside during the afternoon where you can watch people passing by. Try the delicious churros dipping into lip-smackingly thick chocolate dip on a lazy afternoon as you watch the sun disappear into the horizon.
Any better way to spend your afternoon?
Enjoy the Music
Barcelona is a city of music, whether summer concerts or sophisticated Opera!
If you’re a music lover, and you’re in Barcelona, make sure to take a peek at the popular venues of Palau Sant Jordi.
Acts like Mumford & Sons, the Backstreet Boys, and Michael Buble are records in Barcelona. You can simply expect free concerts and open-air jazz for Musica als parcs during June to August.
And if you want to elevate your style and participate instead, you’d be glad to know about the open mic nights all the year round on Thursdays and Saturdays at Freedonia and Belchica.
Visit Park Guell on an Ebike
You’re probably much aware of Gaudi and his great architecture by now!
So, you won’t be amazed to hear about the landscaped gardens on the hill atop the Gracia district. It can be a strenuous trip to the top, but if you ride a 9-speed e-bike, it would be one hell of an adventurous ride!
Recently upgraded in 2022, you can now ride up to Park Guell using an e-bike and get a glimpse of the iconic viewing terrace, the Dragon Stairway, and the Hypostyle without having to get on the metro. And while you’re at Park Guell, the tour will also let you have a taste of places mentioned before in this list, like the Sagrada Familia and the Casa Batllo.
Ride the Cable Car to the Castle
Although not all tourists find it amusing, you should at least give the cable car to Montjuic a try. This coastal hill is the home to many tourist attractions, such as the Montjuic Castle, Olympic Stadium, Joan Miro Foundation, and the Botanical Gardens, and Poble Espanyol, Magic Fountain, and the MNAC Museum.
If you wish to make it to the top of the hill, consider taking the route through the Montjuic cable car. It would be the most fun way to reach the castle, looking at views around the city.
Explore Great Views from a Lookout Point
Barcelona has a lot of these lookout points to view the entire city from! But the most popular among them would be Bunker del Carmel. Formerly anti-aircraft bunkers from the Spanish Civil War are now offering a high viewpoint. Although it can be a strenuous hike, it’s all worth it once you reach the top.
And if you want to put in less effort but want to see great views, consider riding a cable car to the Parc de Montjuic. It will give you a 360-degree view as you ride to the peak. And when you visit the nearby castle, you can perhaps get a hold of the parapets to be at the peak of the city and get an incredible view of the city.
Final Words
Barcelona is a fun-filled place that is worth all your adventurous explorations and strenuous hiking trips. Whether you ride the cable car or the ebikes, you’re only going to make the most of it when you reach your ultimate destination.
The place has its way of surprising you in every way possible!