A Delightful Mix of Fanciful Architecture, Sun-drenched Beaches, and Immeasurable Culture
Table of Contents
ToggleA. About Barcelona
Nickname: The City of GaudiBarcelona, Spain’s second-largest city with a population of around 1.6 million, captivates visitors with a delightful mix of fanciful architecture, sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches, vibrant nightlife, fascinating museums, and immeasurable culture.
The famous architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926) has left here a legacy of extraordinary works. These include the Park Güell, the Pedrera House, and his still-unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia.
👍 Positive Aspects:
Above all, the Catalan metropole scores are consistently high in almost all of the relevant categories.
Particularly noteworthy are the fantastic weather and geographical location, and the huge, pedestrianized city center.
The nightlife and public transport are among the best in the world.
👎 Room for Improvement:
Barcelona is a rather expensive city.
In addition, the sights apart from the Sagrada Familia are very interesting but not that impressive for a city ranked third in the world (all rated at 6/10 or lower).
B. Top 10 Best Things to Do in Barcelona in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)
In total, we counted more than 130 sights in Barcelona. The following sights contribute to an impressive score of 7.2/10 in this most important category:
# SAGRADA FAMILIA (Church of the Sacred Family) 9
Designed by the famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), this large Roman Catholic church is fascinating on the outside, but certainly, the best part is the stunning colorful interior.
Construction of the Sagrada Família began in 1882 and is now approximately 70 percent finished.
Church World Heritage Site: since 1984
by Thomas Quine / CC BY-SA 2.0
# CASA MILÀ ESPAI GAUDÍ (LA PEDRERA) 6
Constructed between 1906 and 191 the spectacular modernist building Casa Milà, named after the businessman who commissioned it, is popularly known as La Pedrera ("the Stone Quarry", for its appearance distantly similar to an actual quarry).
Widely considered Antoni Gaudí's most famous secular building, it features a spectacular rooftop chimney park and an extraordinary structure, supported entirely by pillars.
Historic Building World Heritage Site: since 1984
# PALAU DE LA MUSICA CATALANA 6
Famous for its spectacular interior decorated with statues and mosaics and a striking inverted stained-glass dome, this concert hall was inaugurated in 1908.
It was designed in the Catalan modernista style by the Spanish architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who was a contemporary of Antoni Gaudí.
Historic Building World Heritage Site: since 1997
# PARK GÜELL 6
Commissioned by Count Eusebi Güell this splendid surrealistic park overlooking the city is one of Antoni Gaudí's most artistic works.
Inside the large park, which was built between 1900 and 1914, marvel at the colorful main staircase with its famous multicolored mosaic salamander, fanciful pavilions, statues, creative ceramic benches, and giant columned halls.
Park World Heritage Site: since 1984 | Land Area: 0.14 km2 / 37 acres | Opened: 1926
# CASA BATLLO 6
Topped with a visionary wave-shaped roof, like that of Casa Milà, this Antoni Gaudí-designed home is one of the most characteristic Modernist buildings in the world.
Its fantastical interior is just as remarkable as its ornamental facade.
Historic Building World Heritage Site: since 1984
by Mstyslav Chernov / CC BY-SA 3.0
# Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic) 6
The largely pedestrianized Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is the most beautiful of three neighborhoods in Barcelona's Old Town.
Explore the maze of steep and narrow cobbled streets, home to elegant churches, fine plazas as well as Roman and Medieval walls.
# Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya – MNAC 6
Situated on Montjuïc hill and housed in the impressive Palau Nacional with its striking cupola, the MNAC is Barcelona's most important museum.
It is especially notable for its outstanding collection of Romanesque (11th to 13th centuries) church murals, meticulously relocated from abandoned churches in the Pyrenees, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This is our selection of the five best paintings of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya:
1) Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll, Master of Taüll (ca.1123)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of the Apostles, Anonymous (la Seu d'Urgell, Catalonia) (1125-1150)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) Altar frontal from Durro, Anonymous, Catalonia (mid 12th century)
4) Madonna of Humility, Fra Angelico (between 1433 and 1435)
5) Saint Peter and Saint Paul, El Greco (Doménikos Theotokopoulos) (1590-1600)
Museum Gallery Space: 10,000 m2 / 113,000 ft2 | Established: 1934 | Visitors [2014]: 718.000
by Victor Grigas / CC BY-SA 4.0
# Picasso Museum 6
While not displaying any of Picasso’s most famous paintings, this fine museum still has an impressive collection of more than 4,200 (mostly early) works, which reveal the remarkable development of his work.
The highlight of the large museum, pleasantly located in a row of five 13th and 14th-century Catalan-Gothic style palazzos in the Old Town, is the fifty-nine paintings of the "Las Meninas" series.
This is our selection of the five best paintings of the Museu Picasso:
1) The Wait (Margot), Pablo Picasso (1901)
2) Portrait of Jaume Sabartés with ruff and cap, Pablo Picasso (1939)
3) Las Meninas (group), Pablo Picasso (1957)
4) Science and Charity, Pablo Picasso (1897)
5) First Communion, Pablo Picasso (1896)
Museum Gallery Space: 13,000 m2 [139,930 ft2] | Artworks on Display: ca. 4,000 | Opened: 1963 | Visitors [2017]: 1,046,190
by 1997/ CC BY-SA 3.0
# Barcelona Cathedral 5.5
Built at the end of the 13th Century, Barcelona's colossal Gothic cathedral is located in the center of the Barri Gòtic. Don't miss the chance to take an elevator in one of the chapels of the ambulatory to enjoy the spectacular view from the roof.
Cathedral Opened: 13th century
# Las Ramblas 5.5
This broad, tree-shaded shopping avenue in the middle of Barcelona connects the Plaça de Catalunya with the city's waterfront.
C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in Barcelona
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- Fundació Joan Miró (museum) 5.5
- Montjuïc (hill and viewpoint with cable car) 5.5
- SANT PAU ART NOUVEAU SITE (building, World Heritage Site since 1997) 5.5
- Tibidabo (hill and viewpoint) 5.5
- Plaça Reial 5.5
- Palau Güell 5.5
- Santa Maria del Mar (church) 5.5
- Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes (monastery) 5.5
- Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) 5.5
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB) 5.5
- Castell dels Tres Dragons 5.5
- Barcelona City History Museum5.5
- Passeig de Gràcia (city district) 5.5
- Magic Fountain (fountain) 5
- Gran Teatre del Liceu (opera house) 5
- FC Barcelona Museum and Camp Nou (museum and stadium) 5
- Barceloneta Beach (City Beach [Jun-Oct, 21-23° C]) 5
- Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Pavilion 5
- Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) 5
- Aquarium Barcelona 5
- Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes 5
- La Boqueria Market 5
D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Barcelona
Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey (61 km from Barcelona) 6
E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Barcelona (including close-by excursions)
To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Barcelona for at least three entire days.
SAGRADA FAMILIA (church by Gaudi) 9
CASA MILÀ (LA PEDRERA) (building by Gaudi) 6
PALAU DE LA MUSICA CATALANA (concert hall) 6
Park Güell (Gaudí-designed park) 6
CASA BATLLO (building by Gaudi) 6
Gothic quarter (Barri Gòtic) (city district) 6
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya – MNAC (museum) 6
Museu Picasso (museum) 6
Barcelona Cathedral 5.5
Las Ramblas (street) 5.5