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What to do in Barcelona - 13 tips for experiences

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Looking for tips on things to do in Barcelona on holiday? Then you've come to the right place! We present a list of our 13 best tips for your Barcelona trip. Here you'll find tips on both sights and things to do in Barcelona, whether you're planning a weekend in Barcelona or travelling around Catalonia. Barcelona is a wonderful holiday city that offers everything from sun and bathing to folk life, good food, architecture, art and history. The capital of Catalonia is simply a city that is easy to fall in love with!

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Posts updated in 2019

What to see and do in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city full of things to see and do! When it comes to attractions, the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi stand out - you don't have to be interested in architecture to be fascinated by these imaginative creations. Those interested in history will also find plenty of fantastic castles and churches.

If you prefer to get active on holiday, there are plenty of things to do in Barcelona, from sunbathing and swimming to eating delicious Catalan food or trying out the nightlife. Here's our big list of 13 things to do in Barcelona on holiday.

Barcelona

1. walk on La Rambla

One of the must-do things to do in Barcelona on holiday is to stroll up and down La Rambla. Packed with tourists and shoppers, this pedestrianised street is also home to the famous Bouquiera food market, where you can browse cheeses, fruit and pastries.

Barcelona på semestern: Peter på La Rambla
Barcelona on holiday: Peter on La Rambla

2. Strolling in El Barri Gotic

"The 'Gothic Quarter' is a neighbourhood in Barcelona and is the oldest part (old town) of the historic centre of Barcelona. Here you can visit the Jewish quarter and see plenty of religious, cultural and political buildings, including a powerful cathedral and a royal palace.

Det finns många fantastiska sevärdheter i Barcelona!
Many attractions in Barcelona! Don't forget Santa Maria del Mar.

3. go on a guided city walk

Strolling around the old quarters by yourself is cosy, but if you want to get some history, booking a tour with a guide is perfect. We booked the Barcelona Highlights tour via Expedia, and had a really good experience. The guide was very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot of exciting details about the history of the city. The highlight of the tour was the visit to La Sagrada Familia!

Här berättar vår guide entusiastiskt utanför Catedral i El barri Gotic
Our guide talks enthusiastically about the sights of Barcelona, outside the Catedral in El Barri Gotic.
De här gamla romerska pelarna upptäcktes när man skulle bygga, och har nu bevarats inuti en byggnad
These Roman columns have been preserved inside another building.
Det finns massor av fantastiska sevärdheter i Barcelona, här ett kungligt slott
Plenty to do in Barcelona, guided tour of a royal castle

4. Visit La Sagrada Familia

Construction of La Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and in 1883 Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi took over the work. He devoted the rest of his life to this enormous project, which is still unfinished. The plan is for the church to be completed by 2026, but it seems unclear whether this will happen. Among other things, the construction of the central, and highest, church tower remains to be done.

La Sagrada Familia
Will it ever get its central tower?

That Gaudi designed this creation more than 100 years ago is hard to believe. The interior is designed to mimic a Catalan Mediterranean forest, with pillars reminiscent of trees branching up to the ceiling. The light fixtures embedded in the roof structure are meant to mimic daylight, which penetrates the overgrowth of a forest. 

We highly recommend a visit here! You can, of course, visit the church on your own, but the queues are long, so there are advantages to buying 'skip the line' tickets.

La Sagrada Familia Spanien
Interiors to mimic a Mediterranean forest
Kyrka Barcelona
Old and futuristic at the same time

5. Experience Gaudi's masterpiece Casa Batllo

Casa Batllo, or 'House of Bones' as it is popularly known, is another of Gaudi's masterpieces. Located on Passeig de Gracia, the house was designed in the early 20th century by Antoni Gaudi for the Batllo family. Today it's on public display - and it's definitely worth seeing among all the beautiful buildings!

Casa Batllo

The Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi was born in 1852 and died in 1926. Gaudi began his career as an architect in the neo-Gothic, Moorish and Orientalist style, but over time he developed his own style with organic, expressionist and surrealist features. Much of what he created feels imaginative and almost alive.

Casa Batlló i Barcelona
Casa Batlló in Barcelona

Casa Batllo is a truly imaginative house, with almost no straight lines and inspired by the soft shapes of nature and the boundless imagination of fairy tales. Gaudi also thought a lot about light, and every room has sophisticated ways of letting in light.

Casa Batllo Barcelona
Even the chimneys blend in with the design!

6. Stroll around Parc Guell

A third Antoni Gaudi attraction is Parc Guell, built in the early 1980s. The park is completely free to visit, but if you also want to access the houses, you have to pay an entrance fee. The park also offers great views of the entire city.

Parc Guell
Ready for a weekend in Barcelona? Don't miss the Parc Güell and the view of the city! Photo: Pixabay

6. See art at the Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum must be Barcelona's most famous museum. Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga in 1881 and as a young man he studied at various art schools in Barcelona. Although he subsequently spent the rest of his life in France, he chose to locate the museum of his art in the city where he lived as a young man.

7. Climb the Montjuic mountain

Montjuic Mountain: Another thing to do in Barcelona is to go to Montjuic Mountain, where a whole range of interesting sights are gathered. Here you'll find a castle, an art museum, the Olympic Stadium, the town of Poble Espanyol with its special architecture, the Miró Museum and the famous Fount Magica fountain, which is illuminated in the evening.

Montjuic-berget: Här hittar man gott om sevärdheter i Barcelona!
There are plenty of attractions in Barcelona!

8. Eat Catalan food

Catalan food is not the same as Spanish food, which means that tapas are not really native to Barcelona. Despite this, you can of course find many tapas restaurants, and tapas is never wrong! Catalan food is often eaten more traditionally with a starter, main course and dessert, preferably late in the evening and ideally with a glass of wine.

Tapas i Barcelona - gott, men egentligen inte inhemskt
Tapas - delicious, but not really indigenous to Catalonia

9. Experience Barcelona's nightlife

People go out late, so don't start too early if you want to experience the city's nightlife. We started at a Mexican bar/restaurant called Rosa Negra. You go here for the atmosphere and the crazy decor, with dolls and colourful flip-flops on the walls. The atmosphere was great and Mojitos were being made on a conveyor belt. 

At half past twelve we took a taxi to the big club Opium, located at the beach in Barcelona. The club is really fresh, with large rooms and a nice outdoor bar, where you can sit back in white sofas and look out over the beach.

Att göra i Barcelona: Testa nattlivet!
Why not have a weekend in Barcelona with great nightlife? In the bar at Rosa Negra
Opium Barcelona
Opium nightclub

10. Sunbathing and swimming

Maybe you just want to take it easy and enjoy a relaxed weekend in Barcelona? In the centre of the city is a long and beautiful sandy beach. If you come here at the right time of year, just bring your swimwear and towel to the beach.

Stranden i Barcelona
Barcelona is right by the sea. Photo: Pixabay

11. Visit Camp Nou

A different type of attraction in Barcelona perhaps? If you like football, you might want to visit the huge Camp Nou football stadium. If you're lucky, you can get tickets to a match, or you can take a guided tour of the stadium.

Camp Nou
Camp Nou, photo: Pixabay

12. Relax in a central hotel

When you visit Barcelona on holiday, you need a hotel where you can go in and recharge your batteries between stops. One of the most important things when choosing a hotel is to choose a hotel with a good location. We stayed at a hotel called Petit Palace Barcelona, which is located in the centre of the city. We enjoyed it very much!

Petit Palace Barcelona
Weekend i Barcelona: bo på hotell
High standard and cosy at the same time

13. Learn more about Catalonia

While in the city, you can also take the opportunity to learn a little more about Catalonia! Did you know that Catalonia is an autonomous region and that Barcelona is the capital of this region? Did you also know that the language spoken is Catalan? This is a Romance language, which is also spoken in Andorra, some parts of France and the town of Alghero in Sardinia.

Det katalanska Barcelona
Catalan Barcelona

Under Franco's rule, the inhabitants of Spain were forbidden to speak Catalan, so he was not liked by the Catalans. According to our half-day tour guide, Catalans still celebrate Franco's death anniversary with great joy. In Barcelona, Catalan is the main language, but signs and menus are often in both Catalan and Spanish (or Castilian).

Katalonien Barcelona

More things to do in Barcelona on holiday?

What to do in BarcelonaWant to see more on your tour of Catalonia or during your weekend? In addition to the things we've listed, you can explore the El Raval neighbourhood, which offers vintage and unusual shops. There are also several parks, such as the Parc de la Ciudadella, or perhaps the huge flea market Els Encants vells.

If you have plenty of time, you can also travel further outside of Barcelona along the coast and visit the historic and charming city. Tarragonawhich is very nice, but is often overlooked in favour of the Catalan capital.

Barcelona gränder
Sit back and enjoy Barcelona on holiday!

Facts about Barcelona

  • Language? Catalan and Spanish (some also speak English)
  • Residents? 1.6 million in Barcelona (2016)
  • Currency? Euro
  • Price point? Cheap (cheaper than Sweden)
  • Time difference? None
  • Emergency number? 112
  • El? Like Sweden
  • Water? Drinkable
  • Religion? Christianity (mostly Catholicism)

Travelling to Barcelona

  • FlightsThere are plenty of flights from Sweden, including the low-cost ones mentioned here, and the flight takes about 3 hours. There are two airports to choose from just outside Barcelona.
  • Car: The driving time from Stockholm to Barcelona is about 29 hours (279 miles), calculated in pure driving time.
All our top tips about Spain. Click on the image!

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