Barcelona: My top stops
I recently escaped winter for a month in Spain studying Spanish. Here are some of my favorite places and food in this amazing city! Plus some stuff that made it all a little easier.
Map
Things to See
It's not possible to see it all in one trip (even a long one!) These are my “Don't Miss” picks
When I'm in a new city, I like to find a central site for the day and wander from there. Plaça de Catalunya is a great starting spot for a day or shopping, eating, and soaking up the city.
It's worth the hype! The outside is amazing (and free) but the inside is awe inspiring and mind blowing. It's worth the ticket price! Plan to take your time to sit and absorb the beauty.
For classical music lovers! This a cool shop for sheet music, books, and more about music. If you've ever picked over a music library or spent hours roaming a library the old fashioned way, you'll love this. It's easy to miss - next to the Oficina Ci...
The other Gaudi houses appear further up on the guide book lists, but this one was my fav. I'd like to move in and stay!
This is a museum of replicas - which seems to me like a total Bansky sort of thing. Worth the stop.
Loved it here. Fascinating work - most it from earlier in Picasso's career. There was a Míro exhibit while I was there, which was wonderful.
Mt Tibidabo is a great excursion on a pretty day. The views are incredible, the funicular is fun, and the church is breathtaking. The “amusement park” is a few county fair type rides. There is a spot to by drinks, ice cream, and souvenirs and then si...
I always ride the “hop on hop off” bus in a new city. It's a good way to get the lay of the land, see more sites than you can possible get to, and figure out what to prioritize on your site seeing list. Pick a pretty day to ride on top!
Must see for sports fans!
Another sports fan favorite!
Another great starting spot for a day of exploring. Av Diagonal runs across the city and is full of everything - restaurants, bars, shopping, bus and metro stops, people watching, strolling through the city, site seeing, etc.
Gorgeous church tucked away in a plaça. Shops, cafes, etc nearby. Pretty courtyard in back to take a break.
Stuff to make travel easier
Travel is great, but can also be rough. These are some things that made everything better.
Bad knees need help! I took a set of trekking poles, but when I only had a carry on bag, I needed something that would fold up. Found this, and it's an upgrade from my current set.
These were the Tassimo pods in the apt - really, really good! If I replace my current machine, these will be what I drink.
Being away from my carefully honed coffee routine is a challenge when traveling. Barcelona is a great place to drink coffee, but I usually want some before I leave my apt or hotel room! This was in my apt and was wonderful. I would even consider it f...
Eating & Drinking
There is SO much good food in Barcelona - here are some spots you might miss.
These were the best empanadas! There are empanadas everywhere in Barcelona and I tried a lot of them. These were the best! I had pollo, on my way to Spanish class
Cute and Delicious! This was around the corner from my apt. Delicious food, even better cafe con leche, and a cute corgi to boot!
Beware the churros! It would be easy to eat only churros in Spain, but no one walks enough to justify that! I saved them for end of this trip, and it was worth the wait. These were amazing.
Shopping
I'm not a big shopper - as this list will attest. And there are plenty of guides that can tell you where to find the high end stores. These are some fun, useful, and out of the way stops that I enjoyed - or needed!
Great for strolling, better for shopping and wandering into the Gothic Quarter
I was looking for notebooks and pencils and found this. It is the cutest store! I went back for gifts for my nieces and nephew
All the things - seriously, all around department store for what you need. I needed some shoes!
This is where I finally found the shoes I needed. The sports version of the larger department stores