Fly to Barcelona

Barcelona is a very popular destination for city breaks. Here you get everything you could want from shopping and nightlife as well as fantastic food and drink in a pleasant climate. Here you can easily eat your way through the entire Spanish cuisine, from Galicia and the Basque Country in the north to Andalusia in the south. Barcelona stretches from the sea in the southeast, up towards the mountain, Tibidabo, in the northwest. With Montjuïc to the south, the city is therefore also relatively easy to navigate.

If you take the train from the airport, it is not unlikely that you will get off at Plaça de Catalunya. This is the place where many of the major streets begin, and is a hub for the city's public transport.

In the areas below Tibidabo, it's nice to go for a walk, if you want a bit of a change from the busy city life you otherwise experience in Barcelona. You can take the Tibidabo Funicular up to the top. Here, there is a small amusement park, an old church and a lookout point where you get a good view of the city.

Going back to the city center, you can use the funicular or you can hike on one of the paths that lead back to the city. This may take a while though, so plan ahead.

The streets in large parts of Barcelona are like a large grid divided by Avenida Diagonal which cuts diagonally through the whole city.

In the old town, Barri Gòtic, on the other hand, one can easily get lost, with narrow alleys and streets that do not go straight all the way. This area has lots of small shops, cafés and bars. Many people live here, so you will also find schools and more everyday institutions. Barri Gòtic essentially covers the entire area from La Rambla up towards El Born, Parque Ciutadella and Barceloneta.

Plaça Reial is a beautiful place in the old town with lots of nice eateries and exciting shops.

Shopping can be tiring, so it is fantastic that Barcelona can also boast a 4 km long sandy beach - in the city! Take the metro to Barceloneta and walk the harbor promenade out to the beach. From here you can walk north towards Port Olimpic until you find exactly the beach spot you like best. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere!

The beach promenade is also a favorite place for a morning run or maybe you want to try your hand at roller skating?

La Rambla is the most touristy shopping street in Barcelona. Here, there are probably more tourists than permanent residents who visit shops and eateries.

Great shopping streets are Passeig de Gràcia, Portal del Ángel and Avenida Diagonal. In Passeig de Grácia you will find luxury brands lined up, while other and often more exciting shops can be found in Portal del Ángel, Barri Gòtic and Born.

Barcelona has a rich nightlife as well as fantastic food and drink in a pleasant climate. Here you can easily eat your way through the entire Spanish cuisine, from Galicia and the Basque Country with fish, meat and pintxos in the north to Andalusia and tapas in the south.

Just remember to book a table if you want something special, because the residents of Barcelona are also happy to go out to eat.

Another food experience that is worth trying is the markets located around the city. Here you can buy the best fresh produce at a good price. It is an experience in itself to walk around the market, which is bustling with merchants and people.

More than anyone else, Antonio Gaudí has left an architectural mark in Barcelona. Gaudí is the man behind the city's most famous building, La Sagrada Família - Barcelona's large and fantastically shaped basilica. Construction started as early as 1883 but is not yet finished. A visit to the Sagrada Família should definitely be included in the program, but expect to have to queue a bit. The dimensions are enormous, and when you walk up stone spiral staircases or over stone bridges high up between the towers, you understand why it takes time to build this church!

Parc Güell is another great sight designed by Gaudí. The park is located on the edge of the city centre, with a great view of the city and the sea. Gaudí's playful use of colors and patterns makes the park a popular place for children too.

If you have time afterwards, it's nice to wander around Grácia, which is the area below the park and towards Avenida Diagonal. Here there are several cozy squares where people gather in the afternoons and evenings to have a coffee or a glass of Clara.

In the center of Barcelona there are several buildings designed by Gaudí. The most famous are Casa Milà and Casa Batlló, both of which are within walking distance of Placa Catalunya.

Barcelona is also a very good starting point for traveling around the northern parts of Spain. Just south of Barcelona is the popular seaside resort of Sitges, with lovely beaches and a leisurely pace.

If you rent a car, you can take a day trip to the small country of Andorra, via France and back to Barcelona in the evening.

About an hour's journey by train or car to the north-west you will reach Santa Maria de Montserrat, which is an old Benedictine monastery which was founded in the year 888. The monastery is located 720 meters above sea level on the mountain Montserrat, which is a sight in itself. Once there, you can take a funicular directly up to the monastery. This is a fun day trip for those who are a little interested in history.

From the port there are ferries to the holiday paradises of Mallorca and Ibiza, with connections to Formentera and Menorca.

And if you feel like traveling more, you can take the express train to Spain's beautiful capital, Madrid. The express train takes 2.5 hours between the two cities.

Beneath the ground of Barri Gótic is the Museu d'historia de Barcelona, where you can learn about Barcelona's exciting history. Excavations have been made under the city(!), so visitors can walk around and get an impression of what it looked like in the past.