We love Barna

The correct nickname for Barcelona is not Barça, but Barna, given by the locals and residents of this lovely city. Barça is apparently used as an abbreviation for FC Barcelona, we have been told. We visited Barna multiple times and in this blog we will share our ‘must do/must see-highlights’ of the Catalan capital. In our opinion, the best way to explore the city and feel the vibes is on foot. For the more remote hotspots we always take the city tour bus.

Here is our itinerary ⬇️

Day 1

We arrived in Barcelona by train (Sants). To get rid of our luggage, we first took a taxi to our holiday home in La Barceloneta, one of the most authentic and popular neighborhoods in Barcelona and close tot the La Barceloneta and Sebastià Beach. After we checked in, we decided to go into town on foot, as this is the easiest way to explore the city center.

From our holiday apartment it is a short walk (via Port Vell and La Rambla de Mar) to the start of La Rambla (on the south side), the Mirador de Colom or the Columbus Monument, which cannot be missed as this is a statue on a 60-meter-high pedestal.

La Rambla is a largely pedestrianized and tree lined avenue of roughly 2 kilometers (from Mirador de Colom to Plaça de Catalunya). The most famous street in the city is officially called Las Ramblas (plural name) because it actually consists of five different streets, all of which start with the name “Rambla de...”! It is a very lively area, popular with tourists and is home to street performers, sidewalk cafes, restaurants and souvenir kiosks. 

La Rambla - Las Ramblas

Tip: La Rambla can get particularly busy during peak periods and is known as a haven for pickpockets, so make sure you keep all your valuables safe.ng at 173 meters above sea level.

If you walk from south to north on Las Ramblas, you will find Plaça Reial somewhere halfway, on your right. We took some time out in this cute plaça which has a symmetrical design. Plaça Reial is also a popular tourist destination packed with restaurants, bars and clubs.

Plaça Reial 

From here, we took a 2-minutes’ walk to The Cathedral of Barcelona (via Plaça de Garriga i Bachs). The Barcelona Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia is a magnificent church that was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the Neo-Gothic facade added in the 19th century. Located in the centre of the Barri Gòtic, this building is beautiful inside and out. The exterior features 3 bell towers and a facade decorated with statues and gargoyles. The cavernous interior features some fantastic stained-glass windows and beautiful domed ceilings and archways.

After visiting the Cathedral, we walked back to La Rambla and further to the end of this street on the north side, Plaça de Catalunya, the heart of the city. From here we took the taxi back to Port Vell. We strolled along the wooden boardwalk, Rambla del Mar, and we sat down on one of the many terraces here, had diner while enjoying the view of the harbor with cruise ships and fancy yachts arriving into the city. It’s a great place in Barcelona and you can also walk to the base station of Telefèric de Montjuïc cable car that goes up to Castell de Montjuïc. The cable car gives you, according to the reviews, breathtaking views of the Barcelona harbour and city on the way up. Montjuïc is the highest point in all of Barcelona, standing at 173 meters above sea level.

Port Vell

Day 2

After breakfast, we decided to book a City Bus Tour as it is a good option to explore the more remote sights in Barcelona. In this area, many City Tours operate. We already bought our tickets in the Go City Explorer pass, we only had to activate them (by entering the bus). During the tour, you can drive past all the sights to get an impression, but you can also hop off out and have a closer look.

First, we went to Parc de Montjuïc, home to the 1992 Olympic Games where the Estadi Olympic, the Palau Sant Jordi and the outdoor swimming and diving pools are located. At Montjuïc, you also can visit Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. And you can’t miss the Montjuïc communications Tower, which has become a landmark of Barcelona.

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

From Montjuïc we went to Camp Nou FC Barcelona. We passed along the way the towers the large Torres Venecianes and Plaça d’Espanya, Barcelona's biggest square.

FC Barcelona, Mes Que Un Club is the club of famous players, like Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Luis Figo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi… We were really looking forward to visit Camp Nou and booked a tour where we saw the stands, the field, the dugout, the changing room, the players' tunnel, the pressroom and the mixed zone, the commentary boxes, the Barça museum and shop. Recommended if you are into football!  

Now it is Gaudi-time!

First, we went to Parc Guëll, one of Gaudi’s masterpieces where the steps are leading you up. Situated in the Gràcia district of the city, the park was created between 1900 and 1914 and officially opened to the public in 1926. The park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and attracts many tourists to admire the work that Gaudi created. First we went to Parc Guëll, one of Gaudi's masterpieces where the colorful stairs lead you up. The park was constructed between 1900 and 1914 and officially opened in 1926. The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and attracts many tourists to admire the work that Gaudi created. It is a beautiful place and we spent some time here enjoying some drinks and snacks. The park is a true voyage of discovery for children because they keep finding new mosaics.

Parc Guëll

Next stop: a visit to Barcelona is not complete with heading to see the largest unfinished church in the world, La Sagrada Familia. A permanent building site since 1882 when construction began. Gaudi became involved in 1883 and made changes to the project to feature his own unique style and vision and worked tirelessly until he died in an accident in 1926 when the project was less than 25% completed. Construction still goes on today with the church currently 70% complete, the project is due to complete in 2026 – the centenary of Gaudi’s death. But will that be achieved?

La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà, Casa Battlo, Arc de Triomf

The decorative features at the roof terrace of Casa Milà

Finally, the bus took us to other works by Gaudi, Gaudi’s La Pedrera-Casa Milà and Casa Batlló. These two iconic buildings look more like sculptures with their unusual curves, wrought iron, ceramics and masonry. At the roof terrace of Casa Milà, you can find the decorative features.  

The works of Gaudi are most definitely Barcelona highlights. Born in 1852, Gaudi became one of Spain’s most influential modernist architects in the late 1800’s. Having a particular style to his work which was unlike other architects of his time, Gaudi’s buildings had a more organic look, influenced by forms of nature.