If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love a European city break.
Endless coffee stops, exploring museums, walking around beautiful parks and seeing the most iconic sights make for a full and exciting weekend break.
My most recent city break was with my boyfriend to a place I’ve wanted to visit for years… Barcelona! Here’s a little guide on how to make the most of a weekend in the Catalonian capital.
The Sagrada Familia under construction but still incredible to look at!
WHAT TO SEE & DO
- Sagrada Familia – this is an obvious one but it exceeded all our expectations! It’s still under construction so I can’t wait to go back in a few years’ time and see the finished product
- Arc de Triomf – our hostel room overlooked this magnificent monument (the second largest of its kind in the world), which looked just as spectacular (if not more so) when lit up at night
- Camp Nou – I’m not a football fan but this was Joe’s choice and was a very pleasant surprise! It was super easy to get to using the metro and although a little pricey, it was well worth the experience
- Parc Güell – to be honest, this was a little disappointing for me. We thought it would be easy to have a wander up there but it turned out we needed pre-paid tickets, so we bought them and came back the next day. The hike up the hill behind was much better (and free) and offered stunning panoramic views
- Ciutadella Park – a gorgeous green space in the middle of the city, perfect for a quiet picnic
- Basilica Santa Maria del Mar – a more peaceful church for those who like religious history and old architecture
- Casa Mila – we didn’t actually go inside but Gaudi’s architecture is iconic in Barcelona
- Barcelona beach – although we didn’t have time to spend a whole day at the beach, we did go watch the World Cup at a beach bar and it was the perfect end to a busy day
HOW TO GET AROUND
We used the metro every day while we were in Barcelona as it was super easy and cheap! We bought the T10 pass for around €10 which enables you to use the ticket 10 times within zone one. So one T10 card worked for us both on 5 journeys, which we used up in two days. Other than that we enjoyed walking around when it wasn’t sweltering hot!
WHAT TO EAT & DRINK
- Paella – we found a lovely little restaurant in the Gothic Quarter where we sat by a fountain and shared a seafood paella. It was heavenly!
- Tapas – expensive but a must-do while in Spain
- Estrella beer – perfect after a hot day exploring the city
- Sangria – again, a must for Spain! While it’s a little more costly than other drinks on the menu, it’s also very cheap to buy in a carton (not so classy)
- Crêpes (I know these are French but I had the most delicious crêpe for dessert from a food van on the beach front)
This trip to Barcelona was a wonderful summer city break. It was rather touristy and I do usually prefer more relaxing and quieter places, but the food, architecture, and religious history made it a really fun trip; I definitely didn’t expect to learn so much about Spanish and Catalonian culture.
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