If you appreciate interesting architecture… visit Barcelona…if you enjoy a good art museum..go to Barcelona. Beautiful beaches are more your scene? Get yourself to Barcelona!! Cheap wine? Say no more…There’s also history, amazing (and cheap) food, great parks and fantastic shopping. The weather seems to be sunny all of the time and winters are mild. I can’t think of a reason not to plan a vacation to Barcelona, or as the former king pronounced it; “Bartzelona”.

Getting There

From the US there are non-stop flights from many major cities, including NYC, Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia. The flight from NYC takes around 7 hours. Once you land, trains and buses run from the airport to Las Ramblas for a few euros ( the main street that runs all the way down to the water). The A-1 bus stops at Las Ramblas and the ride takes about 20 minutes.

What to Do

Visit one of the Gaudi Houses– There are 3 houses that can be toured that were created by Antoni Gaudi (Barcelona’s most famous architect). You can buy a combo ticket for all three, or pick one to visit. I visited 2 out of 3. They each come with an audio guide and you tour at your own pace. The houses are quirky, whimsical and sooooo cool. If you do just one, I would definitely recommend La Pedrera-Casa Mila for it’s magical rooftop sculptures! $ Admission is 35. euros for 1 house with an audio-guide. Tickets are timed entry. Combo tickets are the best deal. The houses are open until midnight and I would suggest doing one of them at night for a totally different perspective.

Get up close and personal to 600 year old Gargoyles – The Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi, in the Gothic Quarter offers tours of the medieval bell tower, as well of tours of the main Basilica. The tour of the bell tower is crazy cool with uneven wooden steep creaky steps and behind the scene views. It’s dark and dusty, it’s borderline creepy with narrow passageways …it’s my idea of an adventure! Tickets can be bought right at the Basilica.

Explore the castle on Mountjuic- for 16. Euros, you can join a guided tour of the castle on top of Mountjuic. The castle is more of a military fortress dating back as far as 1100 when it began as a watch tower. It also served as a prison for some time…There are several ways to reach the Montjuic Castle. The bus # 150 from Placa d’Espanya goes there, as well as a cable car that you can catch at Prel-lel- metro station .

Enjoy the work of artist Joan Miro– The Joan Miro foundation is on Montjuic overlooking the city. If you are a fan of Miro’s work, or if you just like modern art, this is a great museum to spend an hour or so in. The bus #150 goes straight to the museum, or take the funicular from Paralell metro station. There is also a great cafe if you want lunch or a snack while you are there.

Climb the Cathedral of Barcelona- For a mere 16. euros, you can tour the entire Cathedral and climb to the roof where you will find amazing views of the city and enjoy a super cool perspective of the towers, sculptures and spires. I wish they would let you go up in the dark of night when I imagine the gargoyles cast mysterious shadows on the towers….I tried to put that idea in their suggestion box, but apparently it was a “collection” box, not a SUGGESTION box.

Chill out at the Beach- Take a short walk from the Ramblas to get to one of the most beautiful Mediteranean beaches….There are restaurants, bike rentals, paddle board rentals, and a lot of beautiful topless woman! I love how Europeans don’t get all crazy about covering up…although some of them should not be sporting those speedos…

View Art at the Picasso Museum – This is a small museum housed within several mansions in the medieval quarter of Barcelona. As a museum nerd, I enjoyed every minute of my time here…The museum has over 4,000 works done by the one and only…Picasso.

Spend time in Park Guell- I’ll give you one guess as to which architect designed this magical park.. If you guessed Antoni Gaudi then you win a lifelong subscription to my blog. The park is filled with whimsical sculptures, bright mosaics and nature-inspired architecture. The park is amazing enough, but the views of the city make it even better!! You can get to Park Guell by bus (bus 24 stopping along Passeig de Gracia and getting off at Carretera del Carmen) , taxi (about 15 euros) or subway (from the Lessups stop on line 3) . It’s a 10 minute walk into the park if you take the bus and a 20 minute walk from the subway. $ Basic admission to the park is 10. euros on their official website.

Tour Sagrada Familia – Another fantastic masterpiece designed by Antoni Gaudi….He actually died before it was ever completed and much like the construction on any major roadway in NYC, it is still not finished 100 years later. The cathedral is absolutely mesmerizing. Tickets must be bought in advance and there are several options to choose from. Prices start at 26. euros, but are higher if you want to tour the towers. We opted for the admission with towers tour and did not regret it!

Take a free Walking Tour– There are many free walking tours offered in Barcelona.. We took the History of the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s Dictatorship Tour with Guru Tours. The tour was just under 3 hours and covered a lot of information concerning the last 100 years in Spain. Tip your guide generously if you enjoy the tour…They work entirely for tips.

Catch a Flamenco Show at tarantosbarcelona – There are several places to catch a Flamenco show in Barcelona. Personally I love the small unassuming Tarantos in Placa Reial where you can catch a 40 minute show for 25. euros. Drinks are reasonably priced, as always in Barcelona…Seating is first come, first serve and seating is on simple benches. But the best seats? Up at the bar right near the stage. Or maybe I just like being near the bar..

Day Trips from Barcelona

Take a short ride up to Montserrat- I feel like this is a must see when visiting Barcelona. Montserrat is a monastery with the most thrilling mountain views, hiking and an interesting Basilica that can be toured. Once you arrive, you can take a funicular or tram to Montserrat. You can also arrange to hear the choir perform if you plan your trip right. Even better? You can stay overnight!!! I have always regretted that I did not stay over!!!

Train it down to Madrid– You can visit Madrid from Barcelona in under 3 hours on the train. There are a ton of trains throughout the day from Barcelona-Sants Station. I found Madrid to be a larger, more modern city than Barcelona…but certainly worth a visit! Interesting fact: Picasso’s Guernica is located in the city at the Museo Reina Sofia .

Where To Stay

El Jardi-– My favorite go-to hotel in Barcelona. The location is fantastic, the rooms are simple and if you pay in cash, they give you 10% off! The elevator is the size of a coffin and the breakfast coffee is so strong it could wake up the dead person in the coffin , but that’s all part of the experience. Breakfast is included if you book direct with the hotel and they will price-match.

Where to Eat

El Drac De Sant Jordi– The absolute best tapas!!! Right across from El Jardi Hotel in the Gothic Quarter. Pick any 4 tapas for 13. euros and it comes with sangria or a beer AND a delicious dessert!

Rossinni- The pesto was amazing. Great food in the Plaza Reial.

Arenas de Barcelona– This is actually a repurposed bullfighting arena, turned mall. The mall itself is worth a visit as you can see the original structure still intact. If you take the elevator inside up to the top floor, you can then take an escalator one floor to a roof that offers beautiful views all around and has a huge variety of restaurants all with views and reasonable prices. Tip; Don’t pay for the outside elevator at the mall ..the inside one is free.

Barcelona is one of those cities that you can go back to time and time again. I’ve been there three times and each time I visit I am happy to be back. It’s like visiting an old friend. A friend with an endless supply of cheap wine. A friend who keeps their house at a perfect temperature and always has olives , sausage and fresh squeezed orange juice when you visit…Hopefully a friend who looks good topless if you go to the beach. Shouldn’t we all strive to be a friend like that? Until we meet again, adios amigo.