Barcelona City Info

All our don’t-misses and must-dos have been gathered together into a city walk - complete with useful links to other websites for more detailed information about the main attractions in Barcelona.

Our City Walk:

We don’t recommend you do this walk in a day! We would pick up each day where you stopped the day before and see how far you get. If you’re anything like us, not very far – there are too many places to see, food to eat and drinks to taste!

Let’s start by walking from the historical centre of the city, Plaza Catalunya, which is the very heart of Barcelona.  Stroll towards and all along the ever-lively La Rambla until you reach the sea, where you can take a photo of the entire cityscape from the top of the Colombus statue. Barcelona’s Aquarium is near here too.

From here, you’ll be able to wander into the small medieval paths of Gótico; you might feel as if you’re lost in a gothic labyrinth.  Head towards Plaza Real, the Cathedral and antiquated palaces that have been turned into museums; like Museum Mares, which has a beautiful garden café or the City History Museum, next to Plaza del Rei. Make sure you don’t miss the Roman city walls and Gaudi’s Palau Güell. There are plenty of arty bars and café’s for making pit-stops all around Gotico.

From Gótico, you’ll be just a few steps away from the next section of our walk. The neighbourhood of El Born is buzzing, friendly and stylish. There are lots of trendy shops and eateries here. You’ll find the Picasso Museum and the gorgeous church of Santa Maria del Mar in this district. If all this exploring is taking its toll, Ciutadella Park is close by and it’s a pretty and peaceful place to lie under the trees or cruise around in a row boat on its small lake.

Feeling refreshed? Then let’s go to Barceloneta, known as the old fisherman’s quarter, this is where you’ll find Barcelona’s beachfront. There are numerous beach bars or chiringuitos. Get your feet wet and feel the sand between your toes! You could walk as far as the old fisherman’s village, it has been swallowed up by the city, but you’ll still be able to imagine you’re in a village, with its narrow streets and laundry hanging out to dry. Chairs are pulled out on pavements so the neighbourhood locals can sit outside and catch up.

Still up for exploring some more? Then take the cable car from Barceloneta to Montjuïc hill. There, you can visit the Joan Miró foundation, the Olympic stadium and take in a breath of fresh air inside the elegant gardens. A few steps further and you’ll be able to see the majestic Museum of Catalonia and admire a view of the entire city and Plaça d’Espanya, which is just a short walk down the museum stairs. If you time this so that you’re there in the evening, you’ll be able to watch the water fountains of Montjuïc set to music. A visit to the adjacent Poble Espanyol is a must-do; you’ll be able to experience all the different architecture in Spain just by walking around its paths.

Let’s go back to where we began, in Plaza Catalunya. This time we’ll walk towards and along Passeig de Gràcia, the city’s most magnificent street, it is home to some of the greatest architectural masterpieces of modernism. Don’t miss the chance to visit Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and the Pedrera! From here, you can take Barcelona’s metro system to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudí’s unfinished cathedral, the most famous silhouette on Barcelona’s skyline.

Gràcia is next, it’s one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods in the city. You’ll discover lots of small buildings and beautiful squares; it is the ideal place to get away from the crowded city centre. Right above Gràcia is Park Güell, a colorful park designed by Gaudí, where you can admire spectacular views of the city and take in the fairytale-like architecture and sculptures.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our suggestions and had time to experience them all!

Getting Around Barcelona:

The public transport network in Barcelona is excellent, you can get practically everywhere by bus or metro and you’ll find a bus stop or a metro station nearby your accommodation.
You can buy metro tickets at the counter or ticket machine at each metro station. For a short stay in Barcelona the best ticket to buy is an Hola BCN! travel card, issued by TMB, Barcelona’s public transport company. You can buy these travel cards for multiple days and they’re inexpensive. Travel cards start from €13.40 for two days travel.

Everyone should have a go on the funicular cable car Teleferic de Montjuïc (not the same cable system mentioned in our walk!). The view is amazing and it’s the best way to reach Montjuïc. You can get on the funicular near Parallel metro station (metro L3, green Line).

How to get to our apartments:

From the airport:
If you’re flying, the airport is situated about 12 km to the south of the centre of Barcelona, making our apartments easily accessible by taxi or bus.  A taxi will get you to our apartments in about 20 - 30 minutes, for approximately €25. The Aerobus which covers all three airport terminals; you’ll be in the centre of Barcelona within 35 minutes. The Aerobus stops at Plaza Espanya and Plaza Catalunya. The service runs every 5 minutes and a single ticket is less than €6. Once in the centre of the city, you can take a taxi or the metro to your accommodation.

By Car:
Motorways in the province of Catalonia are not free, there are quite a lot of tolls to pay along the way. It is really difficult to find free parking spaces in Barcelona. We recommend avoiding the stress of driving around in the chaos by finding the nearest public parking garage. You’ll find lots of them and they’ll be one every few blocks - there won’t be one far away from our apartments.

Train:
If you’re traveling to Barcelona by train, you’ll stop at Sants train station. This station is located outside the old city centre; it has very good metro connections across the city and plenty of taxis, so you’ll get to our apartments in no time at all.

Eating out in Barcelona:

There are countless restaurants, tapas bars and cafés in Barcelona. You really must not leave the city without doing these three things:

1.    Try Catalonian cuisine
2.    Dine at one of the first-class fish restaurants
3.    Eat amongst the sociable hubbub of a tapas bar

We recommend making reservations with restaurants to avoid disappointment. On a side note, even though a service charge is usually included in restaurant bills, a tip of approximately 10% is a kind gesture.

Restaurants we like:

Torre d’Alta Mar Restaurant
This restaurant is located at the top of the 75m high cable car tower in the Barceloneta area. Ask for a table with a view over the city, as you won’t be able to see anything at night looking out to sea! The food and service are both truly exquisite.

Restaurant 7 Portes
You’ll be able to see their menu online, and as they describe it, "you can enjoy the finest Catalan cooking in an intimate setting or in one of the spacious banquet halls, accompanied by Spain's best wines and cavas from the well-stocked cellar."

El Principal
Mediterranean cooking set in a beautiful location, in the heart of the city with excellent service.

La Bodega
La Bodega is well known for its surprising way of presenting its different fishes, seafood and desserts. Very cozy and authentic!

Agua
Brilliantly located in front of the beach. Very romantic inside in winter months and in summer you’ll have a fantastic view over the sea while you enjoy a long lunch or dinner.

Bestial
Agua, mentioned above and this restaurant are very close to each other. Their Mediterranean cuisine is excellent and the fact they are in front of the beach gives both restaurants a special atmosphere.