Barcelona
Places to visit
- Ramblas
The shopping and strolling street of Barcelona. Who says Barcelona, says Las Ramblas. ‘La Rambla’, as the Catalans call this street, is the myth and dream of Barcelona. It is the heart of the city and the setting for an eventful history.
This is the place to watch, to stroll, to eat tasty tapas, to go to the bird market, to enjoy street theater and much more. There are few places on earth where you will immediately feel as at home as on the Ramblas. It is cosy, cozy and lively. Typical Catalan!
La Rambla is the 1,200-meter pedestrian street that runs from Plaça de Catalunya to the statue of Christopher Columbus, the Monument a Colon, on the harbour. The boulevard is full of tourist market stalls and street performers. La Rambla runs right through the middle of the city with the Gothic Quarter on one side and the artists’ neighborhood El Raval on the other. The avenue is partly car-free because it has a wide pedestrian promenade in the middle.
- Sagrada Familia
Antonio Gaudí still exerts an irresistible attraction for visitors from all over the world with its special architecture. The Sagrada Familia, the Church of the Holy Family, is the symbol of Barcelona and the unfinished life’s work of Antonio Gaudí.
Construction started in 1883, but you can still find scaffolding and construction cranes here. The Sagrada Familia is still unfinished. They started again in 1955, but in all probability the church will not be finished until 2030.
- Camp Nou
The attraction for football fans! The FC Barcelona stadium is a must for every sports fan, but also for others, during your stay in Barcelona.
The official name of this beautiful football stadium is “Nou Estadi del Futbol Club”. That’s what it was called when it was inaugurated in 1957. This huge football stadium can accommodate about 100,000 spectators. The stadium was used for the 1992 Olympic Games and is currently the home of FC Barcelona football team. It is also used for other sports and concerts. Next to the stadium is the FC Barcelona museum. In this museum we see the history of the football club and it is the most visited museum in Barcelona. It attracts even more visitors every year than the Picasso Museum!
- Parc Guell
On the northern edge of the city is Park Güell, a special park with striking architecture. Eusebio Güell was a good friend of Antonio Gaudí and this is reflected in the park. Gaudí designed it and initially intended it to be a chic garden city, but nothing turned out to be the case. In the end, only two houses were built of the planned sixty.
Nature and surreal architecture go hand in hand here. Gaudí found inspiration for this work in England, in the sloping landscape gardens and natural city parks. Hence the name, Park, with a k, Güell. The lines in the park are soft and flowing, the colors natural and friendly. Pay special attention to the two special garden houses, the snake-shaped colored bench and the colonnade with 86 columns. The richly decorated gate at the entrance is also a feast for the eyes.
- Platja de la Barceloneta
Barcelona Beach stretches from the old fishing district of La Barceloneta northwards to the neighboring municipality of Badalona. Along the entire coast there are facilities such as showers, toilets and beach bars, which are called chiringuitos in Spain.
Barceloneta is by far the most popular beach in Barcelona. In the summer you can lie towel to towel here. No wonder, because the beach is close to the city center and there are plenty of food, drink and supermarkets nearby. Between the two breakwaters there is a public gym. Ideal to grow your own muscles, or to see how others do it!
Subway (TMB)
Barcelona’s metro is fast, well-maintained and safe. Due to the often busy traffic above ground, the underground is in many cases the fastest way to get from A to B. Barcelona has eight metro lines and almost all sights in the city are easily accessible by metro.
City and regional train FGC
The Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) is often mentioned in the same breath as the TMB, the metro of Barcelona. That’s because these two companies jointly operate the city’s metro network. You can travel within Barcelona on the trains (which often resemble a metro) of FGC with the standard ticket that you also use for tram, bus and metro.
To get to Montserrat, Tibidabo or Peu del Funicular (for the beautiful Carretera de les Aïgues cycling and walking route), you can use the FGC. For destinations that are outside the city, such as Montserrat, you do need a different (more expensive) ticket, with which you can travel through 2 or more zones.
Night bus
Do you want to go home at night (for example after going out) by public transport? The night bus is the only form of public transport that runs every night of the week. Most services start between 10:40 PM and 11:40 PM and the last runs take place between 5 AM and 6 AM. All buses depart from Plaça de Catalunya and return there as well.
The metro only runs during the night from Saturday to Sunday.
Public transport tickets
Planning to travel for several days by public transport, and to visit museums and sights? Then the Hola BCN! Travel Card or Barcelona Card might be interesting.
If you are only going to do a few rides, the T-Casual ticket is probably more interesting for you. You can buy this individual travel card for 11.35 euros at any station and you can use it for tram, metro, bus and train. Plan your trip well in advance, because the T-Casual ticket is only valid for 1 hour and 15 minutes per trip (for 1 zone). Pay attention! The T-Casual is not valid for a ride to Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2
By public transport to the airport
There are various means of transport to the airport. You can go by taxi, bus, train or metro. There is an Aerobus direct to the airport from Plaça Catalunya or Plaça Espanya. Before departure, always check which terminal you need to be at the airport.
If you plan to travel to the airport by metro, you need a separate ticket (Billet Aeroport).
Especially in the summer, the party virus spreads like wildfire from neighborhood to neighborhood during the street parties in which young and old feel involved.
Festes de la Mercè
There is also plenty to celebrate in spring and autumn, when the outside temperatures are usually mild. The most important festival for the city of Barcelona is the Festes de la Mercè, which is celebrated at the end of September and lasts four days. September 24 is the highlight: that day the patron saint of the city is commemorated with many fireworks and an almost terrifying procession.
Parties in all shapes and sizes
Music lovers come in large numbers to the Primavera Sound Festival and the Guitar Festival and in February there must of course be an extensive carnival. September 11 marks the National Day of Catalonia, when people celebrate in the streets and the Catalan flag is raised. Sant Jordi, on April 23, makes many hearts beat faster. On this holiday, it is customary for all men to give their loved one a rose.
We would like to refer party animals to one of the following discotheques:
Marula Cafe
Once started as a disco in Madrid. Because the concept was so successful, Marula Café has now also opened a branch in Barcelona. The music played here is mainly Latin, salsa, funk, jazz and soul. Both locals and tourists enjoy coming here.
Baja Beach Club
During the day a simple beach club with accompanying restaurant, but in the evening and at night it turns into a true hotspot. A lot of disco music from the 80s and 90s is played and that ensures that especially people in their thirties and forties have a good time here.
CDLC Barcelona
The concept for the Carpe Diem Lounge Club in Barcelona was invented by a Dutchman…namely Patrick Kluivert, a famous football player. The club consists of several separate areas so that guests can choose whether they want to dance or sit down. The club is located near the beach, so after a day at the beach you can just walk in here.
Club 22
Although Barcelona’s nightlife doesn’t really kick in until around 2 am, partygoers should get here a lot earlier. The reason is that otherwise you will end up in a line and the chance that you will still get in is very small. You can dance nicely, but if you are tired of it, you can always withdraw. There is a separate lounge where calm music is played.
