Barcelona is a city that offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, including world-renowned museums that showcase artistic legends and rising stars, markets brimming with local produce, and panoramic viewing platforms to take in the iconic architecture. If you're looking for sun, you'll find it—but the beach isn't the only option.
Barcelona offers a diverse range of activities, including a secret maze and a hilltop fairground. Antoni Gaudí's colorful architecture ensures that there are no dull moments. Here's a list of the best things to do in Barcelona for the time-conscious traveler, including art, iconic parks, and performing arts spaces.
13 Things To Do In Barcelona:
Pay a visit to charming bookstores of Barcelona
Seek solitude at Santa Anna
Try a cocktail at Mariposa Negra
Stroll the artistic alleys of Barcelona
Discover peace at Umbracle
Spend a moment of awe in Cervantes Park
Grab your first Cacaolat at El Raval
Be an audience at Mercat
Purchase your holiday gifts from Käthe Wohlfahrt
Take instaworthy pictures at Basilica of La Mercè
Walk under the ground of Barcelona
Explore the Catalan National Art Museum
Revel at the beauty of Sant Felip Neri
1. Pay a visit to charming bookstores of Barcelona:
A tour of Barcelona's most gorgeous bookshops. In recent times, new bookstores have come along with some of the city's established ones. Ona Llibres, Librería Byron, and Finestres are examples of locations that not only promote books but are also visually appealing. The García Márquez Library in Poblenou has been named the world's greatest public library for 2023. And it's no surprise: it's magnificent.
2. Seek solitude at Santa Anna:
A Romanesque church connected with the Order of the Holy Sepulchre has been designated a Cultural Heritage of National Interest. If you want to get away from the bustle and noise of Plaça de Catalunya and the chaos on Carrer d'Aragó, visit the cloisters of Santa Anna and La Concepción, which were rescued from the old temple of Santa Maria de les Jonqueres. Time sits still, and the silence encourages you to disconnect.
3. Try a cocktail at Mariposa Negra:
A cocktail bar centered around storytelling. Mariposa Negra is found in El Born and was created by Luca Corradini, who was a head bartender at England's oldest cocktail bar, the American Bar at the Savoy, in 2015. The bar is inspired by Carlos Ruiz Zafón's novel 'Marina,' set in Barcelona in the 1970s. Corradini not only creates stunning cocktails, but he also presents his own cocktails and designs - and produces!
4. Stroll the artistic alleys of Barcelona:
A tour of Barcelona's urban art hot spots. Barcelona offers several outstanding graffiti and art places. To follow this path in Poblenou, begin at the corner of Marroc and Espronceda, then continue down Perú and descend by Selva de Mar. Agricultura, Veneçuela, Josep Pla, and Pallars form an island with a lot to offer. Spray artists gather at Poble-sec's Jardins de des Tres Xemeneies. Nau Bostik, located in Sant Andreu, is a curated urban art location.
5. Discover peace at Umbracle:
A structure with iron construction designated as a Cultural Heritage of Local Interest. Josep Fontseré's project was built at the end of the 19th century in line with the dominant style, which includes cast iron pillars, iron beams, and exposed brick. Later, during the Universal Exposition, it was converted into a dance hall; now, it preserves its original appearance: a shady and calm spot where plants of diverse sorts and provenance bloom. Hydrangeas, kentias, miniature ficus trees, Swiss cheese plants, Indian rubber trees, wax palms, and winter jasmine are among the flora available.
6. Spend a moment of awe in Cervantes Park:
The most stunning park in Pedralbes. Cervantes Park can be explored by strolling up Av. Diagonal, which is the main entrance, or along Ronda de Dalt for a more leisurely stroll. This big green park is popular among walkers and athletes because of its broad trails and sunny and shaded areas. However, it is most well-known for its rose garden. From early spring until late fall, nearly 10,000 roses bloom over 4 hectares of parkland.
7. Grab your first Cacaolat at El Raval:
Cacaolat, Catalonia's most popular chocolate milkshake, was created at this building. Some traditions, conventions, and fashions, thankfully, never go out of fashion. In Barcelona, one of them is to have a breakfast or evening snack in one among the city's ancient café bars known as 'granjas'. Cacaolat, Catalonia's own drinking chocolate, is available here, either warm or cold, and can be paired with Spain's doughnut equivalent, the churro. Cacaolat can be found in nearly every bar or cafe in Barcelona, but it all started here, in El Raval.
8. Be an audience at Mercat:
A theatre devoted to dance and innovative performances. British theatrical director Peter Brook is credited for converting this ancient flower market into a performing arts facility in 1985, when he was seeking for a location for his famed production of 'The Mahabharata'. After decades of irregular programming, the Mercat has now focused down on national and international contemporary dance artists, presenting a solid program that explores with new formats and incorporates new technology and live music. It also performs an excellent job of assisting emerging dancers.
9. Purchase your holiday gifts from Käthe Wohlfahrt:
The Christmas joy wrapped in a single business. Käthe Wohlfahrt, based in Germany, sells traditional handcrafted ornaments and decorations. For those times when you crave a little seasonal cheer in your life. Objects manufactured specifically for the Barcelona stores include glass blown in the shape of city taxis, chimneys from Gaudí's Palau Güell, and a Black Virgin (similar to Montserrat).
10. Take instaworthy pictures at Basilica of La Mercè:
Barcelona's primary Marian shrine, the Basilica of La Mercè, adores the city's patron saint. We suggest taking an exact path to reach the Basílica, regardless of devotion or architectural interest. Take Carabassa Street in the Gothic Quarter, and you'll see La Mercè towering tall in the basilica's dome, and you won't be able to look away. It's a wonderful sight, nearly as striking as seeing the statue of the patron saint welcoming and greeting people arriving by sea in Barcelona.
11. Walk under the ground of Barcelona:
Several activities take place under the ground of Barcelona. A tunnel connects the Casa del Agua de la Trinitat Vella in Sant Andreu to the Casa de la Trinitat Nova in Nou Barris. It's free to explore on Sundays. La Fábrica del Sol conducts tours of the only accessible area of the sewers. Visiting the sewers is also free, but there are limited spaces, so hurry! The Taller de Història de Gràcia offers tours of air-raid shelters, including one in Plaza de la Revolución from September 1868.
12. Explore the Catalan National Art Museum:
Get an in-depth understanding of Catalan art from the 12th to 20th century. The Romanesque collection is a highlight, including one of Europe's largest collections of paintings on wood. The museum's modern art floor includes sculpture, painting, photography, posters, video works, and decorative arts from the 1950s and earlier. The walk from Plaça d'Espanya to the museum is noteworthy, since this side of Montjüic has even better vantage points of the city.
13. Revel at the beauty of Sant Felip Neri:
The square is one of the city's most attractive and historically significant. After walking through the small alleyways of the Gothic Quarter, you'll encounter Sant Felip Neri on the location of the historic gothic burial of Monjuïc del Bisbe. It includes the same-named church and school, Renaissance buildings, and old guild halls for coppersmiths and shoemakers, the last one of which now houses the Shoe Museum. The front of the Sant Felip Neri church has shrapnel from a bomb exploded by the Nationalist group during the Civil War, which killed 42 persons, the majority of whom were children.
Conclusion
Barcelona is a destination that effortlessly mixes ancient charm with modern energy, presenting an extensive list of activities for all types of visitors. Barcelona is a city that encourages exploration and discovery, from Antoni Gaudí's architectural masterpieces to the bustling energy of La Rambla, the tranquil serenity of Park Güell, and the creative riches of the Picasso Museum.
Barcelona offers a variety of experiences, including traditional tapas bars, Barceloneta Beach, and Montjuïc's breathtaking views. Therefore grab your passport, put your eye on this mesmerizing city, and get ready to make wonderful moments in one of the most charming locations.
