Volume 1 Article 16
Must See Attractions In Barcelona
Tuesday August 8, 2023
travel
As the summer heat cools off and busy season comes to an end, Barcelona is a great place to visit if you are looking to travel to Europe. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona and enjoyed every second of getting to learn the culture and language, devouring great food, and appreciating the country’s history. From spending a summer there, I have put together some of my must see attractions and places to go!
Here are my top 9 must see attractions while in Barcelona:
Park Güell
When doing research and looking into Barcelona, you will see the name Antoni Gaudí. And if you did not already know then you will quickly see that Gaudí had a huge impact on the city and his work can be seen throughout. There are a lot of attractions to see and Park Güell is just one of many.
I do not know about you, but the first time I saw Park Güell was in the background of a Cheetah Girls Movie. After seeing the movie I knew that one day I would have to walk the streets of Barcelona and see all those places. Luckily, I had plenty of time during my study abroad program and got to see Park Güell and the beautiful wall they shot with. Seeing the wall was absolutely amazing, and not just the wall, the whole park is beautiful. Which if I am being honest any work of Gaudí will be. Between the coloring, tiling, and view, sitting at the wall could have been an all day thing. Definitely a must see thing whether you like the Cheetah Girls or are going for history, a great view, or photos!
Casa Batlló & Casa Mila
As mentioned before Gaudí had an impact on the city and is known for multiple homes built, but I was able to see Casa Batlló and Casa Mila. Both are amazing homes, but have two different design approaches.
If you are looking for something of color, then Casa Batlló is the one for you. It has the nickname of House of Bones, because of the skeletal look to the house. Looking at the columns of the house it almost looks as if they are shaped similar to bones. Also the house looks like there is a dragon on the roof. And the dragon can be seen in different design aspects of the house. You can see it from the streets to know that so much thought and effort went into this house. There was not a design aspect that was not thought through.
Now if you are wanting something that is more on the simplistic, neutral, and sophisticated side, then check out Casa Mila. For me personally, I enjoyed both, but Casa Mila fit my personality better and I resonated with that house more. This house also has a medieval, geometric approach to it, with hints of nature. There is a wall in the courtyard that has a door on it, filled with windows that outline a butterfly. The courtyard was one of my favorite spots in the house. If you visit either of these houses, make sure to get the audio guide, it will help in understanding the house and all the hidden meanings.
Sagrada Familia
There is no way that you will visit Barcelona and not see Sagrada Familia. For me I feel like this is one of the must see attractions on this list. Even if you are not religious, still go see it. The church is another piece in the city where Gaudí was the architect for. He took over the project in 1883 and the church to this day is the largest catholic church not finished.
Although it is not finished, you are still able to tour it with being able to see so much. If you decide to take the tour, I recommend getting the audio guide. Similar to other Gaudí pieces, Sagrada Familia has so many hidden meanings that without the guide you would miss them. I toured the church twice, and discovered that I missed certain meanings the first time. Also, in my opinion, I feel that touring during sunset is the most beautiful time of day to do so. At sunset you are able to see the sun light beam through the stained glass windows and light the church up in color. It is beyond pretty seeing the church all colorful!
Tip: Go to the pond that is across from Sagrada Familia. It is a great photo opportunity and minimizes background people. Also SkyBar is another place which is a rooftop bar located on top of a hotel.
La Rambla & La Mercado de la Boqueria
La Rambla, is a very popular street among tourists so I would say be careful in this area. Since it is known to be popular with tourists for shopping, people will hike prices up and pickpockets will be present. Be aware of your surroundings and you will be alright.
My best advice is to check the street out, but make your way to La Mercado de la Boqueria. This is a market that is off of La Rambla and is known for having the best fruit smoothies. And trust me, they are not lying when they say the fruit smoothies are good! Honestly the market had some of the best food that I have eaten. There are a variety of vendors so definitely check it out and get yourself a smoothie. Also make sure to visit Amorino, it is a gelato place off La Rambla. This is a great treat to cool off with and your gelato will come in the shape of a flower.
Arc de Triomf
A symbol of “Welcome,” the Arc de Triomf was designed to welcome people to Barcelona. The arc was the entryway into the Barcelona World Fair in 1888. It intended to welcome those who came to Barcelona as they passed through. Those who came would then continue down the path, making their way towards Parc de la Ciutadella. Now when you go, you can pass through the arc, take photos and enjoy the street entertainment!
This arc is similar in structure to many other cities such as Paris, London, and NYC to name a few. But differs in that it is not of military meaning.
Parc de la Ciutadella
Depending on how long you are in Barcelona or what your schedule looks like, I would recommend visiting Parc de la Ciutadella. Since completion the park been known for being one of the only green spaces in the city. It is perfect for a relaxing afternoon to take a stroll or eat lunch. The park also has a beautiful fountain that may or may not have been influenced by Gaudí.
Along with being a park, there is also the city’s zoo and regional parliament. During the years of 2018 and 2019 the park would be closed from time due to it being a tense period regarding the region’s independence.
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is the water fountain located out front of the Palau Nacional that attracts crowds from all over with its night time show. The fountain is on all day, but it is the night show that people gather around for. Similar to other cities such as Las Vegas, Barcelona has a fountain show where the water goes off in patterns to multiple songs. Going to the show was something my roommates and I enjoyed if we were looking for something fun to do that was chill.
If you have the time, I would definitely catch a show. There is something peaceful about watching water go off to songs while changing colors. It is definitely an activity that can be a breather between a jam packed schedule. Make sure that if you do go that you get there early, as I said it draws a crowd. Also the fountain makes a cameo in the background of the Cheetah Girls’ song “Strut” in their second movie.
Camp Nou
Calling all fans of soccer, football, or fútbol, depending on where you are from. But if you are looking for something to do then this would be the attraction for you. Unfortunately while I was studying abroad in Spain, the season was over and would not start again until after I left. So, I was not able to see a game while I was there, but I did get to tour the stadium. If you are able to visit Barcelona during August through May, I would say do your best to try and catch a game. I wanted to so badly but the season was already over.
Although I was not able to catch a game, the stadium, Camp Nou, where FC Barcelona plays does offer tours which I was able to do with my roommate. The tour was great and goes into a lot of detail that allows for you to learn about fútbol and the club. Along with the museum part, there is a tour that goes through the stadium and takes you just about everywhere. The only place we were not allowed in was the locker room. Which means you get to go on the field. Now do not expect to be able to shoot on goal or play around, but you are able to sit in the seats players would when on the bench.
Bunkers del Carmel
If you want a place with a view, make your way to the bunkers. Which I will say the view is great but kind of hard to get to. This was one of the attractions where I am not sure if it was the directions my roommate and I were following or what, but it was an adventure. I remember us having to take the metro and then walk a little to the bus stop and then take a bus part of the way up the hill. There is no all the way up option for the bunkers besides walking. Although it was not straight forward to the bunkers, the adventure was worth it. If you have time, look for better directions than what my roommate and I found and go to the bunkers. So many people go that there has to be a better way up.
This list is not exhaustive of what there is to do in Barcelona, but is what I found to have enjoyed the most while being in Barcelona. There is so much to do in the city that seeing everything is not possible unless you are there for a bit. I tried to include a little bit of everything that there is in the city whether that be inside or outside attractions, attractions influenced by Gaudí, sports, food, and history. Bonus…if you are looking for art there is the Picasso Museum and Palau de la Música Catalana, along with many concerts such as Vance Joy and Barcelona Music Festival.
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