Best things to do in Barcelona

It’s an undeniable fact that Barcelona is full of tourists all year round. It’s because the city has a large number of tourist attractions. The homeland of Antonio Gaudi, famous architect of the 20th century, the city amazes with its historical and culinary diversity.

Let’s dive into discovering what are the best things to do in Barcelona.

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is probably the first thing people want to visit while being in Barcelona. Inspired by gothic and Art nouveau style, this church is out of ordinary. It’s a huge building which is under construction since 1882. The main architect is Antonio Gaudi. By the way, he has played a significant role in the design and architecture of many buildings in Barcelona.

La Sagrada Familia is a mixture of ancient and modern architecture styles. Its look is very contradictory. The majority of the building has preserved Gaudi’s style. The other part which is under construction is more modern. Even the material used to build modern parts is different. This is why the cathedral seems strange. The interior of the cathedral is also spectacular. The windows are furnished with colorful mosaic. There is always a lot of crowd waiting in front of the entrance. Make sure to book your ticket in advance.

How to get to La Sagrada Familia: The metro station Sagrada Familia is located in the intersection of the L2 and L5 metro lines.

The best time to visit: Unfortunately, there is no “less-visited” day or hour. This is the number 1 tourist attraction in Barcelona. However, it’s better for you to be at the entrance before the opening hour (9 am).

Park Güell

Park Güell is an iconic park situated on a hill called “El Carmen”. It’s the second mostly-visited sight by Barcelona visitors. The park is divided into 2 parts: monumental area and free access area. It’s an iconic place to discover Catalan art. The monumental area requires a ticket. The open area is accessible to everyone without a ticket. But, it’s highly recommended to buy a ticket to visit all the important parts of the park.

Some of the iconic monuments are:

• The Dragon and the stairs
• Rooftop from which opens fantastic views of the city

It’s recommended to buy your tickets in advance. Otherwise, you will need to wait for 30 or 40 minutes to buy a ticket on the spot. Buying online allows you to choose the hour of your tour. Be sure to get there 15 minutes in advance because long waiting lines can be formed easily.

How to get to Park Güell: The nearest metro station is Alfons X. Your entrance ticket includes a free shuttle bus from this station. Count approximately 15 minutes to reach the park.

The best time to visit: The best time to visit Park Güell is early in the morning to catch the beautiful light. This site is always crowded. So, don’t expect to get a beautiful photo without people around.

Casa Battló

Casa Batlló is an architectural gem designed by Antonio Gaudi. The facade and the interior of this building are furnished in colorful mosaic. Visit Casa Battló is to explore an architectural treasure in which the visitor will have access to the following areas:

• The noble floor, originally dedicated to the family of Gaudi,
• The terraces,
• The majestic inner courtyard
• The entrance hall and the main staircase

We recommend you buy your tickets in advance. Otherwise, the waiting time can be very long and exhausting. You can even buy a skip-the-line ticket which gives you priority access without waiting for too long.

How to get to Casa Battló: The nearest metro station is Passeig de Gràcia accessible by line 3.

The best time to visit: It’s one of the most visited places in Barcelona. You can plan a tour to this place early in the morning when it’s less crowded.

Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas is as much known as the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris. Las Ramblas is a pedestrian boulevard that leads down from Plaça de Catalunya to Port Vell. Here one can find luxury boutiques and cozy restaurants. Las Ramblas is also famous for its street artists. There are many pickpockets here, so pay attention to your belongings.

How to get to Las Ramblas: Las Ramblas is served by 3 metro stations. It’s ideally located in the central part of Barcelona city and links the different sites of the city. Here are the 3 metro stations that spread along Las Ramblas:

• At the southern part, you have the Drassanes metro station (line 3).
• At the middle, you have the Liceu metro station (line 3).
• At the northern part, you have the Catalunya metro stop (intersection between L1 and L3).

The best time to visit: Las Ramblas is especially crowded during the evening. Morning is the best time to walk along this iconic boulevard.

Camp Nou

During your stay in Barcelona city visit the iconic FC Barcelona stadium. Being the biggest stadium in Europe and the third biggest stadium in the world, Camp Nou will amaze you with its size. The official resident club of the FC Barcelona, it is the scene of many international matches, including several finals of the Champions League. Off the match days, the visitors can discover the most mysterious corners of the stadium including the FC Barcelona Museum.

How to get to Camp Nou: Palau Reial (line 3) and CollBlanc (line 5).

The best time to visit: You need to book a visit to get access to the stadium. The visits are organized off match days. You can easily check the match days and plan your visit.

Montjuïc

Montjuïc hill hosts gardens, parks, and museums. The locals love visiting this park to do sport and relax in a lung of greenery. There are a lot of museums to visit in this park: the Joan Miró Foundation, Olympic museum, Modern Art museum, etc. Then, you can visit the sanctuary of Montjuïc after which you can walk through different botanical gardens and parks.

How to get to Montjuïc: There are several ways to reach Montjuïc. You can get there by metro (lines 1, 3, 8). Or you can take a funicular which you can pick up at the Paral-lel metro station (lines 2 and 3). The funicular will take you to the Joan Miró Foundation.

The best time to visit: The busiest month to visit Montjuïc is May. There is no specific day or time to prioritize for your tour. You can try to get there early in the morning to feel the fresh air and enjoy all the sightseeings.

Picasso Museum

If you are planning to visit Barcelona, don’t forget to visit the Picasso Museum to admire the greatest works of Pablo Picasso. The idea of opening a Picasso Museum belongs to the famous artist. You will be amazed by the gothic architecture and incredible artwork of this museum. You will visit the 5 palaces that compose the museum. You will discover the youth work of Picasso and his relations with Barcelona.

How to get to the Picasso Museum: There are 2 ways to reach the museum. The first one is Jaume I metro station (line 4). The second one is the Arc de Triomphe metro station (line 1).

The best time to visit: The lines are shorter at the opening hours.