Barcelona you can’t miss this things!

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I went to this beautiful city twice this year (in February and October 2019), I must admit that while the first trip was intended, the next visit was the result of a few unfortunate events, which I will tell about on another occasion. I will say right away that I absolutely do not regret that everything turned out like this and I will definitely be back in the near future.

I already talked about planning a trip from the technical side: flights, accommodation, budget in the previous post, so here I will focus mainly on elements related to visiting this wonderful city.

GETTING AROUND BARCELONA

Personally, I assume that when visiting the city it is best to do it on foot, although it takes much more time than a quick metro trip, it has many advantages, especially in nice weather. When traveling by subway / bus, etc., we actually move from point to point, ignoring all the pleasure of discovering the nooks and crannies of the city, wandering in narrow streets and making contacts with the locals. When choosing hiking, we can see many more details related to a given place, moreover, for me, such walks also have the aspect of rest, in fact I get tired physically, but on a daily basis I rarely find time and strength for leisurely walks that give me a break from the incessant rush.

So, during my first stay in Barcelona in 4 days, we did 90 km on foot, the next time it was only 70 km, because in order to save time some parts of the city are worth getting to after all. As for the organization of transport in this city, it is close to the ideal, I did not wait more than 7 minutes at any stop, and buses reach the farthest parts of the city.

A great option for people who do not plan to use the metro all the time, but only occasionally is the T10 ticket, it costs 10.20 Euro and is a ticket for 10 journeys. What’s more, the ticket can be used by more than one person, for example, I bought this ticket for me and my aunt, so each of us had 5 rides to use, when getting on the bus / metro I validated the ticket twice (this way the ticket was valid for each of us). In addition, after validating the ticket, it is valid for 75 minutes, during their duration, you can change the means of transport, e.g. when going from the vicinity of Park Guell to the Tibidabo hill, first by train, then by rail and finally by bus, all for 1 €! The ticket can also be used to travel from Barcelona city center to Barcelona El-Prat Airport.

For people planning to use 100% public transport, I recommend day tickets or a T50 ticket, but remember that the T50, unlike the T10, can only be used by one person.

SIGHTSEEING

Here are the places that I visited during my visits, below I will also present suggestions that I missed due to lack of time, and I consider them worth seeing.

Gaudi’s pearls

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Casa Mila and Casa Batlló are on the same street and are among the most famous buildings in the Catalan capital. Due to the architectural values, both buildings are worth visiting inside, but if I had to choose one of them, it would be Casa Batllo. The prices for admission to the buildings range from 25 € to 40 € depending on the chosen option, there are also student and senior discounts and discounts for children between 7 and 18 years old, admission for children under 7 is free, all tickets can be purchased online. Passeig de Gràcia is located in the city center, the walk from Placa d’Espanya took us about 35 minutes, of course it is also possible to get there by public transport.

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Park Guell – a place known to everyone thanks to the fabulously colorful bench and glazed houses. In the public area there are mainly paths bathed in vegetation, stone columns and La Casa Trias, which can only be admired from the outside. For 5.5 € we can visit the Casa Museu Gaudí located in the park, it is a museum created in the place where Antoni Gaudí lived and worked for some time. Admission to the most recognizable part of the park costs 10 €, tickets are bought for a specific time (entries every 30 minutes). Personally, I was inside twice, due to the fact that the first time there were renovation works in the park, for which half of the upper part was closed. The park is truly amazing, it is full of mosaic elements, full of juicy colors, it is something everyone should see at least once. The thing that surprised me the most is the size of this part of the park, looking at the photos I imagined it as much larger, meanwhile, a slow walk, stopping for photos (most people want to take a photo on a centrally located bench, so you should wait for your turn and make the best use of 1/2 minute), we can easily visit this part in about 20 minutes, not including staying in the souvenir shop or visiting the museum located in one of the frosted houses. If you have the option, I recommend buying a ticket online, buying tickets on the spot, first of all, you usually have to wait 30 minutes in the queue at the box office to buy a ticket, which is usually for entry in about 1 hour, so it is more convenient to buy tickets in advance.

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Casa Vicens is one of Gaudi’s first works and is considered a manifesto of the new style. The building is extremely colorful, it combines the neo-Gothic style with the neo-Moorish (Arabic) architectural style. Of course, it is also possible to visit it inside for a fee of 12 to 18 euros. I decided not to look inside, although I think it was worth the 15 minutes walk from Park Guell.

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Sagrada Familia

A place that makes an amazing impression on me every time, when I enter it, I am immediately filled with a magical atmosphere. Every detail of the building, from the entrance door on which we can see countless numbers of small forest inhabitants, through the amazing stained glass windows, to the facade of the temple and the columns with the ceiling in its interior are the work of a real architectural genius. Undoubtedly, it is a must-see place at least once in your life!

It is the most famous and monumental project by Gaudi, which he devoted 4 decades to its design, of which he spent the last 15 years of his life focusing solely on it. The temple is supposed to resemble one large organism. To obtain the most organic form, each element is carved separately, which makes each part of the building unique. Its construction began in 1882. and continues until today, is scheduled to end in 2026. – on the hundredth anniversary of the death of the chief architect. The construction is entirely carried out with voluntary donations from the faithful and admission tickets.

I recommend buying a ticket online, it is possible to buy it on the spot, but usually for dates 5-7 days away from the date of purchase. We were offered a ticket for the next day for about 30 euro or online purchase. The online ticket prices for admission to the basilica are € 17 normal, € 15 for students and people under 30, € 14 for seniors, and admission for children under 11 is free. There are also promotions once in time, for example, the second time I bought a ticket 2 weeks before the visit, I paid 8 € for a student ticket, but it is impossible to predict when and what promotions will appear.
It is possible to visit with an audioguide, with a guide and the possibility of entering the faith. The prices of these attractions start from 25 € and end around 32 € for a normal ticket. You can buy all tickets on the Sagrada Famili website.

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Other attractions

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Casa Amatller – Designed by Catalan architect Joseph Puig and Cadafash features wall to wall from Casa Batllò. Like her neighbor, she impresses with the amazing facade of the building, but in more subdued colors. Inside there is a museum open daily from 11:00 to 18:00. As with other attractions, it is better to buy your ticket online in advance to make sure we enter the day. The cost of the tour (always with a guide) is € 15.

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University of Barcelona – the main building of the university is located at Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585. It is worth taking a look inside while walking, admission is free, entering the last entrance from the Placa d’Espana side you will find a large room with many paintings and decorations, the room resembles the interior of castles.

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Bunkers del Carmel – located about an hour’s walk from Park Guell. From their „top” there is a beautiful view of the whole of Barcelona. This place gains a magical atmosphere in the evenings, both tourists and residents often come there to watch the sunset with a bottle of wine.

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Placa Reial – a square located near La Rambla. It is worth considering this place on the sightseeing route. Sometimes you can come across all kinds of celebrations there.

La Rambla – is one of the most entertaining streets in Barcelona, full of restaurants, bars and shops. It is worth taking a walk both during the day and at night.

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Barri Gòtic – a charming district of Barcelona. Its biggest attraction, apart from the narrow streets, is the Cathedral of St. Eulalia in Barcelona, admission is free during the mass, but you are not allowed to take photos then, except for masses the cost of the ticket is 5 €. The cathedral is open to visitors from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 1.30pm and from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. On weekends, from 8:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya – a museum full of extraordinary works of art from different ages. Admission to the museum with access to the observation deck costs 12 €, while for people under 16 and over 65 it is free, while for students there is a 30% discount. Free admission for everyone is possible: on Sundays from 3:00 pm, the first Saturday of each month, May 18 – International Day of Museums and September 11 – National Day of Catalonia.

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Parc de la Ciutadella – 19th-century park located near the triumphal arch. One of the most beautiful parks in Barcelona. Among the abundant vegetation, paths lead us to a variety of places, from the old greenhouse to the magnificent fountain. There is also a municipal zoo in the park (normal ticket € 21.40 / € 19.25 (online), from 3 to 12 € 12.95 / € 11.65, free entry for under 3 years old).

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The triumphal arch – although it is not Gaudi’s work, it deserves attention. It can be safely said that its craftsmanship is comparable to the Paris arches. I would not consider it as the main attraction of the day, but it is located near Ciutadella Park (2-10 minutes depending on the gate we leave the park) and near the Gothic Quarter.

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Tibidabo – the highest of the hills around Barcelona. At its top there is the Sagrat Cor church, compared to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris, admission to the chapel is free, while the entrance to the higher sections of the temple is payable (3.5 euro).
At the foot of the temple, the Tibidabo Amusement Park was built, where you can take advantage of attractions such as, for example, a mill wheel. From the hill there is also an amazing view of the whole city, all this makes me think this place is worth visiting. Access from Park Guell takes about 30 minutes, requires two changes, but they are very intuitive and easy to find the right way, the bus takes us to the church. An alternative way is to walk, it takes about 1.5 hours one way, but in good weather can be a great idea.

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La Barceloneta – Barcelona’s historic harbor district. The perfect place for a relaxing walk, soaking up the sun on the sandy beach or a glass of sangria overlooking the sea. In the vicinity of the port, there is also a shopping mall and L’Aquarium, or Oceanarium, often chosen by people with children.

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The Church of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona is a beautiful Gothic church from the 14th century. Located on the route between the beach / harbor and the gothic quarter. It is not as elaborate as St. Despite this, Eulali is impressive and remains in the memory.

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Placa d’Espana and Plaza Catalunya

Places I haven’t been to, but I had on my list

• Oceanarium
• Picasso Museum
• Fundació Joan Miró
• Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona
• Palace of Catalan Music
• Castell de Montjuïc Castle