Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona

The vibrant, stylish, dynamic capital of Spain, Barcelona is easily on par with the best of the best of wondrous travel destinations. Cobblestone streets and incredible architecture (not to mention the amazing array of artistry) are the landscape of Barcelona, with beautiful views from the hills and rooftops of some of the most unique structures in Spain and even the world. The city will captivate you so deeply youll regret having to leave.

When to go

Barcelona is continuously alive with activities and events, therefore tourist seasons is a very loose term associated with this city. A more essential factor than crowd volume in determining your trip date is weather. You surely want to avoid the hot summer season, which usually lasts from mid-July to the end of August. Spring is the most pleasant, but be ready for floods of people there for the same reason you are. Wintertime is chilly but can be great if the currents are calm and the skies are clear.

Getting there and around

The airport connecting you to Barcelona is not far from the city centre. It is busy, granted it is one of the key flight destinations in all of Spain. You have a wide range of options of travel to the city from there, but we recommend taking the bus, since it is the cheapest.

Getting around Barcelona is simple with the city metro. There are other options, such as trains and buses with set routes to get you to major destinations throughout Barcelona, but the metro is the easiest and quickest way to get to specific places within the inner-city. You will most-likely be spending most of the time taking strolls down the boulevards and alleyways but if youre in the mood for a change of pace there are numerous bicycle rentals available.

Where to go

In Barcelona, festivals and celebrations are at a constant buzz, and there are a number of events we think might strike your interests.

During the Festival del Grec, Barcelona is alive with music, dance, and theatre. The festival runs roughly from the end of July through August. A few days after the end of the Festival del Grec, Barcelona holds the Festa Major de Gracia, in the Gracia neighborhood, with wonderful music and decorations galore. Another summertime festival, which is actually Barcelonas unofficial mark to the end of the summer season, is the Festes de la Merce. Concerts, dancing and the traditional swimming race across the harbor are there to enjoy. An annual Jazz Festival is held in Barcelona as well.

An enchanting destination in the city is Barri Gotic, a medieval complex, with architecture sure to dazzle. You can also find inexpensive accommodations, should you choose to spend your nights there. Barri Gotic holds the Catedral, as its known to those in Barcelona. It is one of the most spectacular gothic structures in all of Spain. Barri Gotic is also home to the Ajuntament and Palau de la Generalitat, both holding great significance to those in Barcelona.

This city was home to one of the most (some argue the most) influential artists/architects in the world, Antoni Gaudi. If you visit La Padrera, you can see his distinct work in the buildings faade and iron-work. It holds a small museum, and rooftop views are magnificent at night.

La Rambla is home to the renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu, an opera house built in the 19th century, and also home to the Royal Shipyards, or Rials Drassanes. The Shipyards house the Museu Maritim, with wonderful displays of seafaring tokens and memorabilia.

Barcelonas most beloved cathedral, La Sagrada Familia, was designed and built by Antoni Gaudi. It was left unfinished, because of his untimely passing, but after long bouts, discussions and inquiries, La Sagrada Familia is on its way to completion, with its Passion faade and towers finished. It is a magnificent site, and a visit to Barcelona must not go by without a visit to this Gaudi masterpiece.