The best things to see in Barcelona, the most cosmopolitan city in Spain
There is much to see in Barcelona and that is why it is one of the most visited cities in Spain and in the world. It is almost impossible to write in a single article everything you have to visit in Barcelona, but here we are going to tell you which are the essential places that you should know.
It is a city open to the world and modern, since Barcelona is full of great wonders and plans that you should not miss. From modernist monuments to much more historic places, passing through a great atmosphere in the streets and a gastronomy that you should not miss the opportunity to enjoy either.
In this article we are going to talk about the best things to visit in Barcelona. We do not want to make a typical list of monuments and places to go, but we have divided the city into areas and neighborhoods with the greatest tourist interest so that you do not miss anything.
Routes through Barcelona for days
To make your visit to Barcelona easier, we have written several articles in which we offer you different routes around the city depending on the days you have to see them. Logically, the more days you have, the better, but if you have few, if you organize yourself, you will be able to get to know the most important things in the city.
- What to see in Barcelona in one day
- What to see in Barcelona in two days
- What to see in Barcelona in three days
- What to see in Barcelona in four days
- What to see in Barcelona in seven days
And if you travel to Barcelona with the little ones, do not miss our article with the best things to do in Barcelona with children. Another very interesting article, if you want to spend little money, is this one with the best things to do in Barcelona, for free.
The main neighborhoods to see in Barcelona
The Rambla
If there is any famous street that you have to visit in Barcelona, it is La Rambla.
It is a walk, usually very crowded, that runs between the Plaza de Catalunya and the old Port of Barcelona, next to which is the Statue of Columbus.
Along the different sections that make up Las Ramblas we can find a great atmosphere thanks to street artists, flower or newspaper kiosks and the tourists who are always there.
In this street is the Teatro del Liceo, one of the best places to see in Barcelona. Don’t miss the Palau Güell either, Gaudí’s first commission.
Nearby is also the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, an essential place to visit.
The Gothic Quarter and the Cathedral of Barcelona
Located next to Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is that place where you should get lost and enjoy its narrow streets and its impressive Gothic buildings.
This is the oldest part of Barcelona, dating back to Roman times, and which underwent a profound transformation in the 19th century, giving rise to a medieval neighborhood that you should not miss.
In the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona we find the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, in Gothic style and that you should not miss. Nor should you miss the Basilica of Santa María del Mar, the Plaza de Sant Jaume or any of the other squares and churches that we can find in this neighborhood.
The Eixample and the modernist buildings of Barcelona
Sagrada Familia, the main place to visit in Barcelona
If there is any monument of Barcelona that is famous all over the planet and that is essential to visit in the city, it is the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, the full name of the temple.
The Sagrada Familia is one of the masterpieces of modernism and although it is not yet finished, it is the most visited monument in Spain and the symbol of Barcelona.
This impressive work by Gaudí has as great attractions the Nativity Facade or the Crypt, the only elements that the architect could see finished, as well as its tall towers that you can climb and have wonderful views of Barcelona.
The modernist buildings of the Eixample
The Sagrada Familia is the main modernist monument in Barcelona, but in this city we have many other modernist buildings to visit that will surprise you.
Among those built by Gaudí we must highlight the Casa Milá, also called La Pedrera and one of the best known, the Casa Batlló, one of the great masterpieces and which for many is the most beautiful, the Palau Güell, the first commission he received as we have said before.
We must also highlight the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. If you are a lover of modernist art, without a doubt Barcelona is your city.
The Gracia neighborhood and Park Güell
Another of the very interesting neighborhoods to visit in Barcelona is the Barrio de Gracia, a very different place from what you can find in the rest of the city, because until a few decades ago, Gracia was an independent town from Barcelona.
The nerve center of Gracia is the Plaza del Sol, with its terraces and restaurants and with a very bohemian atmosphere, but in the neighborhood you will also find other great modernist works by Gaudí such as the Casa Vicens, and of course the great attraction of the neighborhood, the Park Guell.
In Park Güell we can find impossible shapes and other typical elements of modernism that will leave you speechless. Its impressive entrance staircase, the hypostyle hall, its pavilions and the central square are places in the park that will surprise you.
Montjuïc Mountain
Although Montjuic Mountain became known worldwide as a result of the 1992 Olympic Games, this interesting corner of Barcelona has had great importance in the history of the city, witnessing important events.
In the Montjuic Mountain we can find interesting monuments such as its Castle, key in the different wars that have hit Spain, or the Magic Fountain, located at the foot of the mountain, next to the Plaza de España.
The Olympic ring, where the magic of 1992 took place, or the interesting Pueblo Español, where some emblematic places of Spain are represented, are other points of interest that you should not miss.
Barceloneta and the beach
On the shores of the Mediterranean Sea we find one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city today. We are talking about La Barceloneta, a fishermen’s neighborhood created in the 18th century that even today has the charm of that time if you walk through the narrow streets that form it.
Nowadays, La Barceloneta is a very cosmopolitan neighbourhood, with a lot of atmosphere and very lively, full of bars and restaurants that tourists come to, attracted by the beach that overlooks the Mediterranean, always packed in the hottest months.
In La Barceloneta we can also find the Barcelona Aquarium and it is one of the best tourist areas in Barcelona since the beach was recovered in 1992.
Les Corts and Pedralbes
The Les Corts neighborhood is considered to be one of the gateways to Barcelona, as the highways that come from the rest of Spain arrive there and it is also where the Sants Station, Barcelona’s main railway station, is located.
It is a residential and financial neighborhood located very close to the city center where two of the main attractions that Barcelona offers are located. On the one hand, the Camp Nou, the stadium of Fútbol Club Barcelona and on the other hand, the Pedralbes Monastery.
The Pedralbes Monastery is one of the best buildings to see in Barcelona. It dates from the 16th century and is one of the best examples of Gothic construction in the city. You cannot leave Barcelona without visiting it.
The Ribera and the Born
Annex to the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona we find another of the central neighborhoods of the city in which we can find important points of interest. We are talking about the La Ribera neighborhood whose main places you should visit are the Basilica of Santa María del Mar, the Picasso Museum or the modernist Palau de la Música Catalana.
But the most interesting thing to be found within the Barrio de la Ribera is El Born, one of the most popular areas in Barcelona in recent years thanks to its cafes and restaurants and especially its shops. We must not forget that this is the neighborhood in which the Barcelona textile industry began to develop.
The Parque de la Ciudadela is another of the wonders that you can enjoy in this neighbourhood, one of the parks in Barcelona that you should visit.
Tibidabo and Collserola
Outside the urban areas of Barcelona you can also enjoy an enviable natural environment such as the Sierra de Collserola, one of the largest metropolitan parks in the world. At the foot of the Sierra de Collserola we find very interesting places of interest, such as the Belesguard Tower, another modernist work by Antoni Gaudí, or the Cosmocaixa Barcelona.
Very close to the Cosmocaixa, a highly recommended science museum, there is the cable car that takes you to Tibidabo, where the Barcelona Amusement Park is located, as well as incredible buildings such as the Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart or Villa Joana.
And furthermore, it is one of the best viewpoints in Barcelona.
If all these neighborhoods of Barcelona are short for you, you have more days to visit the city or it is your second visit, what we recommend is that you visit our page with the best excursions you can do from Barcelona.
You can find more information about what to see in Barcelona on its official tourism page.
