Barcelona sights are so varied and diverse, from modern to historical, from buildings to parks. I would therefore like to give you my personal Barcelona sights and top 10 travel tips for the Catalan capital in Spain. Barcelona is a city you simply have to experience, enjoy and absorb. Many of the sights can be experienced on a long weekend, the best time to visit Barcelona for me is spring and fall.
Versatile Barcelona
Of course, there are also various hotels to choose from in Barcelona. Whether a luxury hotel on the water, such as the W-Hotel Barcelona, or a cozy city hotel and boutique hotel right near the Ramblas, which is ideal for a nice nightlife. Many cruise ships also stop at the port of Barcelona.
Barcelona offers a good choice of hotels and accommodation for every traveler, as well as a huge selection of restaurants, clubs and bars. Like many other major cities, the Spanish metropolis can also be easily experienced without a car, whether by public transport or for short distances by cab, which is significantly cheaper in Barcelona than in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
Below is an overview of the top 10 must-see Barcelona sights.
Top 10 Barcelona sights
Sagrada Famílía Church
The Sagrada Famílía is the most famous Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona and one of the most famous buildings in Europe. Thanks to the special design by Antoni Gaudí, the cathedral is an attraction for every visitor long before its completion.
Construction of the Sagrada Famílía began in 1882 and, according to the latest forecasts :-), is due to be completed in 2026. The top attraction in Barcelona was inaugurated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, who also elevated the cathedral to the status of Basilica Minor.
The Sagrada Famílía currently has several towers, two of which can be climbed and offer a fantastic view over the Catalan city. The ascent is made by a small elevator and should definitely be combined with a visit to the church. Experiencing Barcelona from the Sagrada Famílía is a special moment.
Tickets for visiting the Sagrada Famílía can be booked in advance on the Internet and are also recommended to avoid waiting times of around 60 minutes in front of the cathedral. From my last trip to Barcelona there is a detailed report and many more photos of the Sagrada Famílía – the top attraction of Barcelona sights.
Casa Milà Gaudi House
The house, also designed by architect Antoni Gaudí, was built in 1906 and completed in 1910 and is one of the tourist attractions and sights in Barcelona. The special design of the house made the use of air conditioning absolutely unnecessary, making it a relaxing place even in the summer months.
Many of the ideas that Gaudí considered at the time have become standard in many houses today. It was almost unbelievable at the time to work without load-bearing walls, to use movable elements in the house and to combine three large inner courtyards, which provide both fresh air and daylight throughout the house.
The house can still be visited today, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, for me, is one of the sights of Barcelona. It is located at Passeig de Gràcia 92 (at the intersection with Carrer de Provenca)
Barri Gòtic artists’ quarter
The oldest district of Barcelona, the “Gothic Quarter” is bordered by the Rambla and ends north at Placa de Catalunya and Carrer de Fontanella, south by the Mediterranean Sea and offers many old houses, historic alleys, small cafés and small galleries, as well as many artists.
You can easily combine the Barri Gòtic with a walk along Las Ramblas and a visit to the Mercado de la Boqueria and thus spend a relaxed day in Barcelona. Especially in the late afternoon, the setting sun creates great scenes in the alleyways, the old balconies, the renovated facades and the slowly increasing life on the street after the “siesta”. Barri Gòtic is a must-see while in Barcelona and one of the beautiful Barcelona sights.
Park Güell – Gaudi Park
Park Güell is one of the absolute top 10 Barcelona sights and has already been described in detail by me under “Park Güell – the green garden in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudi” and, like Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London, forms the “green lung” of the city of Barcelona.
The park was designed by Antoni Gaudí for the industrial Eusebi Güell and was intended to be home to up to 60 villas. However, the good idea failed completely, so that only two villas were sold and the planned financing of the park through the sale of the villas was not possible.
Only three houses were built at the time, including the Güell family home, which is now a school, Antoni Gaudí’s home, which is now the Gaudí Museum, and the home of another architect.
The large garden landscape can now be visited free of charge and offers a colorful mixture of plants, as well as a great view over Barcelona to the Mediterranean. Many of the mosaics used in and on the buildings were made from ceramic waste from the surrounding factories.
Park Güell is now also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be entered through the two gatehouses with their special roofs. For me, it is a must-see among the Barcelona sights and a clear place on my top 10 Barcelona list.
Mercado de la Boqueria – Mercat de Sant Josep
I was fascinated by Barcelona’s fruit, vegetable and fish market on my first visit. Even after many other markets in Europe and Asia, I still consider the Barcelona market to be one of the most beautiful fruit and vegetable markets in the world.
The Mercat de la Boqueria has a large area for fresh fruit and vegetables, and the freshly caught seafood is beautifully displayed. If, like me, you also like to look for sweets, the market has a large selection of different stalls with Spanish and international specialties.
The various market stalls also make great photo backdrops. However, due to the narrow aisles, you should be a little careful and carry all your personal belongings (closely) with you. For me, it’s a must-see every time I visit Barcelona and a Barcelona sight to be discovered again and again.
Camp Nou – FC Barcelona
A direct attraction for sports fans from all over the world and one of Barcelona’s sporting attractions. Camp Nou is currently the largest football stadium in Europe and home to Barcelona FC.
With almost 100,000 spectators, it is already the largest club stadium in the world and was originally planned to be expanded to 105,000 spectators and given a continuous roof back in 2007.
The star architect Sir Norman Foster is responsible for the design and redesign of the stadium. He has planned a colorful mixture of plastic and glass for the exterior façade, which will cover the stadium in the club colors of FC Barcelona and is somewhat reminiscent of the design of the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The planned renovation was initially postponed due to the high costs of 600 million euros and is now set to begin in 2017.
In addition, similar to the Allianz Arena in Munich or the Estadio Bernabeu in Madrid, a stadium tour and guided tour of the FC Barcelona museum is also possible. For sports fans, this is of course a top 10 attraction and one of the sporting Barcelona sights.
La Rambla – Las Ramblas street
La Rambla or Las Ramblas is Barcelona’s most famous promenade in the center of Barcelona and connects Placa de Catalunya and the port in the south. The length of “La Rambla” is about 1300 meters and is used by cafés and restaurants.
Around the boulevard, the normal traffic of Barcelona runs (but very slowly) on a single lane, which often leads to traffic jams. When visiting the Ramblas, be sure to avoid taking a cab or get off either directly in the north or south.
The old “riverbed”, which is what Rambla actually means, runs along the city wall and connects El Raval with the rest of the city. In addition to many great impressions on “La Rambla” with flower stalls, small artists, etc., the promenade is also very popular with pickpockets.
This sight can easily be combined with a visit to the Columbus statue in the south and a subsequent visit to the Mercat de la Boqueria and is one of the top sights in Barcelona. In the side streets there are also many designers with great shoe stores and clothing stores. 🙂
Casa Batlló – Gaudi House
One of the most special buildings in the Catalan city and a special sight in Barcelona. Casa Batlló was built in 1877 for the industrialist Josep Batlló north of Placa de Catalunya and was designed by Antoni Gaudí and completely rebuilt to modern luxury in 1904.
The special feature of this building, in addition to the numerous ceramics that Antoni Gaudí used again here, was the richly colored façade, which is also easily recognizable from the street, as well as the special shapes of the front.
The building, like many other buildings by Antoni Gaudí, is once again on the UNESCO World Heritage List and has a special feature on the balconies on the second floor, as well as the large gallery. The building, currently privately owned, can also be visited and is one of the Barcelona sights.
Montjuic Mountain
If you are looking for a special viewpoint outside of Barcelona or don’t want to climb the towers of the Sagrada Famílía, but want a better view than Park Güell, Montjuic, Barcelona’s 170-metre-high mountain, is the place for you.
The attraction can be reached by cable car and offers a good view over Barcelona, the port and the Mediterranean. The site was also the venue for the 1992 Summer Olympics and the Barcelona Formula 1 races.
Montjuic also offers a beautiful park and is a great place to relax in the afternoon. In 1929, it was also the site of the Barcelona World Exhibition and is still very popular with many students today. They also meet regularly in the evening at the Font Montjuic, the large fountain and fountain of Montjuic.
Poble Espanyol open-air museum
Originally, the Poble Espanyol was only intended to give visitors from all over the world an insight into Spanish life, Spanish crafts and Spanish culture for the World Fair in 1929 and was subsequently demolished. Due to its great success during the World Fair, the Poble Espanyol is still open today and houses a museum dedicated to Spanish history.
It is one of the tourist attractions of the city of Barcelona and depicts the history of Barcelona in over 100 buildings. A small village, a small market square, streets and alleyways, as well as a typical town hall of the time. The Poble Espanyol is one of the Barcelona sights for which you should plan some time, but which is absolutely worth a visit.
Similar to Skansen in Stockholm, the Poble Espanyol offers typical local dishes and the space is used for performances and events. One of the very interesting sights and top 10 highlights of Barcelona.
Conclusion – Barcelona sights top 10
Barcelona is absolutely diverse in terms of its sights, offering many opportunities for a special city stroll and stay in the Catalan metropolis between art and culture, sport and events, as well as viewpoints and parks. A longer weekend in Barcelona is a great way to get started and visit some of the sights.
When planning, it is a good idea to combine one day for “La Rambla”, “Mercat de la Boqueria” and the sights in the city center. You can then start the second day with an early start in Park Güell and then decide whether you would like to take a tour of the FC Barcelona stadium (or attend a local football match) or alternatively visit the attractions outside Barcelona.
When dining out in Barcelona, it is advisable to take a closer look at the city’s alleyways and not use the typical restaurants at the port or on the beach, as these are primarily designed for tourists and are usually overpriced.
Barcelona offers many small restaurants with tapas and paella, which are still prepared and served family-style. Barcelona is of course a paradise for shopping enthusiasts – various fashion labels have their stores all over the city, the prices are usually around 20% cheaper than in Germany and Austria, plus countless shoe stores with the most beautiful products and of course the small bars with churros for in between should not be missed.
Barcelona is a city with many sights to be discovered – just grab the necessary things in the morning and wander through the city on foot. Barcelona offers a new surprise and great moments behind every alleyway. I’m already looking forward to my next stay in the Mediterranean and until then I’ll enjoy the photos of the top 10 Barcelona sights.
