Barcelona

Barcelona had been on our list for years, and in April 2024 we finally booked it: four days in the city and one day up in the mountains at Montserrat.

The city has a bit of everything: Gothic alleys, Gaudí buildings that look like they are melting, a beach in the middle of town and food markets that will ruin every other market for you. It is also very walkable, so most of our days were spent on foot, with the metro for the longer hops.

We split the city by neighbourhood, one area per day, so we never wasted time crossing town. Here is how we did it.

Tip: Barcelona is a short, cheap flight from Porto. We flew out early in the morning and landed before 10am, so the first day was a full day.

Day 1 - Montserrat

We started with the mountains. Montserrat is about an hour from Barcelona by train, a jagged mountain range with a Benedictine monastery built right into the rock, more than 700 metres up.

The basilica is home to the Black Madonna, one of the most venerated images in Catalonia, and the monastery has one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe. Around it there are walking trails, funiculars and viewpoints over the whole of Catalonia.

Tip: Take the R5 train from Plaça d'Espanya and then the rack railway or the cable car up the mountain. Buy the combined ticket at the station, it covers everything.

Day 2 - La Rambla, the Gothic Quarter and the Born

1. La Rambla

The most famous street in Barcelona, running from Plaça de Catalunya down to the sea. It is really five ramblas in a row, each with its own personality: Canaletes at the top, always busy; Estudis, once home to the old bird market; Flors, the most colourful stretch, full of flower stalls; Caputxins, close to the Liceu opera house, Palau Güell and Plaça Reial; and Santa Mònica at the bottom, with bars and restaurants and the Columbus monument at the end.

Tip: Keep an eye on your bag here. It is the busiest street in the city and pickpockets know it.

2. La Boqueria

Halfway down La Rambla you will find La Boqueria, one of the most famous food markets in Europe. Colours, smells, fresh juices, jamón, seafood, sweets... It is loud, crowded and wonderful.

A few of the stalls cook small menus with whatever is fresh that day, so this is the perfect place for lunch. Open Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8.30pm.

3. El Gòtic

The Gothic Quarter is the old heart of the city, and the best way to see it is to get a little lost. Some places you should not miss:

• Plaça Sant Jaume, the political centre of Barcelona, with the City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat.
• Carrer del Bisbe, the pedestrian street that links Plaça Sant Jaume to the Cathedral, with the famous little bridge.
• Plaça del Rei, the old royal palace square, where the City History Museum shows the Roman ruins underneath the city.
• Plaça Nova, next to the Cathedral, where you can still see part of the two Roman towers.
• El Call, the old Jewish quarter. It was abolished more than 600 years ago, but you can still find traces of it in the narrow streets.
• Portal de l'Àngel, one of the best shopping streets in the city.

4. Barcelona Cathedral

The Sagrada Família gets all the fame, but the Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia holds its own with that huge Gothic façade. Go inside and don't skip the cloister, which has thirteen geese living in it. Yes, real geese.

Entrance to the church and cloister is free at certain times. The full visit with the choir, the rooftop terrace and the museum was €11 each in 2024. Go up to the terrace, the view over the Gothic Quarter is worth it.

5. Picasso Museum

One of the most important museums in Barcelona, with a huge collection from Picasso's early years, spread over five medieval palaces in the Born.

Tickets were €14 per adult in 2024.

Tip: On the first Sunday of every month the Picasso Museum is free, but you need to book your slot online in advance.

6. Moco Museum

Just around the corner, the Moco Museum is a small museum of modern and street art, with pieces by Banksy, Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kusama, Warhol and KAWS. Very fun, very colourful and very Instagrammable.

We paid €30 online in 2024, with a student discount for Richie.

7. Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar

A simple and beautiful Gothic church that became famous thanks to the novel Cathedral of the Sea. Inside it is calm, tall and full of light.

Entrance was €5 in 2024, but from Monday to Saturday between 6pm and 8.30pm it is free, so time your visit for the end of the day.

Day 3 - Eixample and Gaudí

1. Passeig de Gràcia

The most elegant avenue in the city, full of designer shops like Prada, Gucci, Loewe and Burberry. Even if you are not shopping (we were not!) it is a lovely walk, and it leads straight to some of Gaudí's most famous buildings.

2. Casa Batlló

If you only visit one Gaudí house, make it this one. Inside there are no straight lines, everything looks like it is underwater, and the roof looks like the back of a dragon.

We paid €29 with a student ticket in 2024 (adults €35). Open every day from 9am to 8pm, last entry at 7.15pm.

3. La Pedrera - Casa Milà

Another Gaudí masterpiece, a few blocks up the avenue. The highlight is the rooftop, with its strange chimneys that look like soldiers.

Tickets were €25 for adults and €19 for students in 2024.

4. Casa de les Punxes

Casa Terrades, better known as the House of Spikes, looks like a castle from a fairy tale dropped in the middle of the Eixample. It was designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, another big name of Catalan modernism. It is worth a stop even just to see it from the outside.

5. Sagrada Família

The most famous building in Barcelona, and still unfinished more than 140 years later. We booked a late afternoon slot, when the light comes through the coloured windows and the whole church turns orange, green and blue. Nothing really prepares you for it.

Tip: Book your tickets weeks in advance and choose a late afternoon slot for the best light.

Day 4 - Montjuïc

1. Palau Güell

We started the day back near La Rambla, at Palau Güell, one of Gaudí's first big works, built for his patron Eusebi Güell. The rooftop with its colourful chimneys is the best part.

We paid €8 each with student tickets in 2024 (adults €12).

2. Plaça Reial

Just across La Rambla, a neoclassical square full of palm trees and terraces, with lamp posts designed by a young Gaudí. In the morning it is much calmer than at night, a good moment for a coffee on the square.

3. Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys

Up on Montjuïc hill, the main stadium of the 1992 Olympic Games. It is free to peek inside.

4. National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC)

The museum lives in the huge Palau Nacional, and its collection of Romanesque art is said to be the most complete in the world. Even if museums are not your thing, go up the steps for the view over Plaça d'Espanya.

Adults €12, students 30% off in 2024. Closed on Mondays.

5. Poble Espanyol

An open-air museum that recreates 117 buildings, streets and squares from all over Spain. A little bit kitsch and a lot of fun, a whole country in one afternoon.

Tickets were €14 per adult in 2024.

6. Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

Normally the day would end here, with the light, music and water show of the Magic Fountain, between Plaça d'Espanya and the MNAC. In 2024, though, it was switched off because of the drought in Catalonia, so we only saw it dry. A good excuse to come back!

Tip: Check the show times (and whether it is running at all) before you go.

Day 5 - Barceloneta, the Born and Gràcia

1. Arc de Triomf

Barcelona's own triumphal arch, made of red brick and built for the 1888 Universal Exhibition. The perfect start for a walk down to the park.

2. Parc de la Ciutadella

A green oasis in the middle of the city, with a lake, palm trees and a huge monumental fountain.

3. Barceloneta Beach

The city beach, a short walk from the park. In April the water is still cold, but it is perfect for a walk on the sand and a drink at one of the beach bars.

4. Port Vell

The old port starts at the Columbus monument at the end of La Rambla and runs to Barceloneta. Hundreds of sailing boats and a lovely wooden walkway over the water.

5. Maremagnum

A shopping centre right on the water in Port Vell. Handy if it rains or if you need a break from the sun.

6. La Ribera

On the way back up we walked through La Ribera, the old neighbourhood around Santa Maria del Mar, better known as the Born. Narrow streets, little design shops and lots of bars for a late afternoon break.

7. Vila de Gràcia

Gràcia used to be a separate village, and it still feels like one: narrow streets, little squares full of terraces, independent shops and a very relaxed vibe. Any time of the day is good to sit down and watch Gràcia go by.

8. Casa Vicens

Gaudí's first house, open to the public only since 2017. It is very different from his later work, full of colourful tiles and Moorish details.

We paid €18 each in 2024.

9. Park Güell

Originally planned as a luxury housing estate, it became a park that looks like it came out of a fairy tale, with the famous mosaic lizard and the curvy bench overlooking the city. UNESCO World Heritage since 1984.

Adults €10 in 2024. Book a time slot online, it sells out.

Where to Sleep?

We stayed at Hostal Barcelona Travel, in the Eixample. It is simple and comfortable, and the location is great: walking distance to Passeig de Gràcia and with metro stations close by to reach everything else.

Going Home

On our last day we had time for a final walk before an evening flight back to Porto. Barcelona, we'll be back, if only to see that fountain dancing!