Curator’s statement
Barcelona was one of my favorite trips to relax while also having all the options of a city. I was able to go with my girlfriends and we had a great time just exploring the city while still doing some tourist things, but also finding thrift stores, smaller restaurants, and some amazing bars. We stayed for a week and found it to be super relaxing while also having plenty to do.
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Things to do in Barcelona
View from Montserrat
La Sagrada Familia: Beautiful church that is still under construction. Go inside and see the amazing stained glass inside. This is a can’t-miss—it is incredible to see the artistry that went into the design and build.
Camp Nou: FC Barcelona stadium and museum. The stadium itself was under construction while I was there, but we went into the museum and it was incredible to see the history and legacy that FC Barcelona has.
MNAC: Art museum on top on a hill overlooking the city surrounded by botanical gardens and a few restaurants. I am not usually one to love art museums, but the location of this one and all the gardens around it made it worth it to me.
Montserrat: Monastery and national park outside of the city but an amazing day trip. Absolutely beautiful scenery and a nice break from the city.
Casa Batlló: Museum for architect Antoni Gaudí. Highly recommend going in—there is a little show at the end which was easily my favorite part. If you don’t have enough time, that’s okay too because it is on a street with all the major shopping so you can still stop by and see the outside.
Miramar Gardens: Just outside the steps of the Miramar hotel are some amazing gardens to walk around. This also sits at the top of a hill so it is incredible to look over the city. You can also walk through all the gardens to Montjuïc Castle, which is incredible to see.
Places to eat & drink in Barcelona
Paradiso drinks
Restaurant Sucursal Aceitera: A farm-to-table restaurant. Easily my favorite restaurant we ended up at. It was just a short walk from where we were staying and it was incredible fresh food. The menu is seasonal so it will change depending on what is ripe at their farm and you can’t go wrong with anything you order.
Paradiso: A cocktail bar with fun and unique cocktails. Best cocktail bar we went to with amazing drinks and a great atmosphere. You can get a cocktail that looks like a brain or maybe one that lights up!
Robata: A sushi restaurant that we actually ended up going to twice throughout our weeklong stay. We loved it both times.
Mariposa: A cocktail bar with unique ceramic cups. You can take different classes, like learning to mix your own cocktail or creating and painting your own ceramic cup to enjoy your cocktails out of.
The Coffee: We stayed right across the street from this coffee shop and went almost every morning. Super friendly staff (very willing to help with our Spanish) and great coffee or tea.
Need to know
I would recommend finding a central place to stay so you can walk most places. We walked almost everywhere we went and definitely got our steps in (10,000 steps a day) but were able to find stores and restaurants we normally wouldn’t have found. There are thrift stores you can stumble on or maybe ice cream or even a wine bar to just sit down and chat for a while. While we did wander the city a lot, we still booked some experiences like Sagrada Familia and Camp Nou since we knew we wanted to do that. Uber is available for longer trips (from the airport or within the city) or public transportation is fairly simple as well. We took the train up to Montserrat and it is a little tricky to find, so give yourself some time if you don’t know Spanish that well as it can be a little confusing.
Travel Advisor
Kristen Epperly
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For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Barcelona page.