Barcelona is the second biggest city in Spain and there is a lot to see including the breathtaking Gaudi architecture, shopping and entertainment. It’s perfect for a short summer big city break and close enough to other parts of Spain if you want to make your visit part of a longer trip.

What to do :

Daytime :

Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia is definitely worth a visit. Make sure to book your ticket online as there are rarely tickets available from the ticket office on the day. Click here for the €15 tickets.

Barcelona beach is not the best compared to the other places I visited in Spain. If you are there for a few days I would actually instead recommend going for a day trip to Cadaqués instead – click here to view my post. 

If you enjoy shopping, the Mango Outlets are great to take advantage of if you want to go home with a bargain. There are three outlets in Barcelona to choose from but we went to the one on Carrer de Girona which I can recommend. There were plenty of items for under €50 so you can really pick up a bargain (or 5 😉).

Las Ramblas – main food market in Barcelona where the stalls have a huge variety of different foods to choose from. Prices vary so go on the hunt for what you want to find the best deals.

Cable Cars : I definitely recommend to take one of the cable cars as they are inexpensive and an excellent way to see the city.

Night time :

Casa Battlo – another of Gaudi’s incredible masterpieces. Visit this website for bargain tickets or you can attend one of the night events which are slightly more expensive but include live music & drinks.

Magic Fountain – a great way to start your evening in Barcelona is by watching the magic fountain light show outside the picturesque Musee Nacionale d’Art de Catalunya. The show consists of a rather incredible dancing fountain display to music whilst changing colour. Opening times vary depending on the time of year so definitely worth checking online before you go. I also recommend getting there early if possible to pick the best spot as the area gets extremely crowded.

ElNacional – following the fountains get a taxi to this lovely restaurant which is made up of various restaurants and bars hosted under one roof. It’s definitely worth booking as this place can get pretty busy. The whole venue is split up into different types of food eg fish, meat etc. but I would recommend to go for an aperitivo before dinner.

N.B. My top tip for Barcelona is to keep a watchful eye on your belongings as it is the most notorious city in Spain for pickpockets. Both times I have visited Barcelona I have seen pickpockets run away with handbags/phones etc – you have been warned! (Other than that it’s the perfect city break destination).