What a cool quarter. It's beautiful in the day and even…read moremore beautiful at night. There is so much history and awesome buildings to explore.

The Gothic Quarter is the oldest section of Barcelona. My husband and I hired a guide to take us on…read morea private tour of Barcelona, and one of my favorite parts of our tour was walking around the Gothic Quarter. We enjoyed seeing the remains of a Roman wall, the Barcelona Cathedral, the Mercado de La Boqueria, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, cobblestone alleyways, public squares, stores, restaurants, and more. If you are planning a vacation for Barcelona, then I highly recommend that you stroll through the Gothic Quarter.

Stun-ning. No other word for this hidden gem of an architectural site that was once a hospital when…read moredesigners cared about the aesthetics of a hospital and not solely function. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for good reason. The campus alone is one example after another of exquisite brickwork, mosaics, color, and Catalan ingenuity. If you loved Casa Battlo and Parc Guell, and you didn't know about this heritage site, do yourself a favor and swing in for even half-an-hour to buzz through and photograph the exquisite buildings collected herein. 10 min walk from Sagrada Familia. Mamma mia. Jaw dropping inside and out. How wise of Spain to recognize -- and preserve, and share -- this breathtakingly artful site.

In a city more known for Gaudi as the modicum of architecture, it was quite a pleasant surprise to…read morevisit this hospital as it represents the modernist style of Lluis Domenech. It's also a UNESCO site now. For a while, this used to be a fully functioning hospital. Now, people can come and visit several (I think 8) of the pavillions connected by underground galleries. I don't think everything is open but you can see a lot of the history in what is. I enjoyed the courtyard where you can see all the buildings and their architecture from the outside. It's quite mesmerizing to see. You can learn a lot about the history behind the hospital. At 17 EUR, it wasn't cheap, but it's worth the price. It's also about a 10 min walk away from La Sagrada Familia so it can be planned accordingly.

Casa Batllo is a work of art! This is Antoni Gaudi's most…read morefamous works, located in the heart of Barcelona & became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. This house was originally intended to be a luxury apartment building, with the owner & his family residing in the lower level, the "Noble Floor", and tenants living in the upper levels. We got tickets from GetYourGuide & decided to do the Gold Tier the night live music experience on the rooftop terrace. This came with an audio guide, augmented reality tablet, Dome experience, concierge room access, front row seats for the concert, & glass of cava wine. The whole experience was lovely! Entrance time was 8pm & we arrived 20 min before, which a line had already formed. I loved the augmented reality tablet; it shows you what the rooms looked like with furniture, when the family lived there 120 years ago. We did this experience on the first day of arriving in Barcelona & was a great way to start the trip! We honestly were expecting a group of performers but it actually ended up being one singer, who was amazing! I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to visit Casa Batlló. We were also able to get a photo on the top floor, looking out of the window which was super cute. The experience was ~2-2.5 hrs overall.

Very very popular tourist spot. We snagged tickets on get your guide with the gold tier ticket…read more Lining up we were in the shorter line with priority access to the house tour of Batlló. We showed up for our time slot, waited about 20 min early, staff came out and handed us tokens and wristbands. Token is for a drink included (champagne). Gaudi had a wild mind. The architecture was definitely... different haha not my taste but i appreciate the vision he created. I'd probably go crazy if I lived in such a house but the place is huge, so many rooms and floors with so many hiding spots, boy hide-n-seek would slap. I do love me some history, so seeing all this and listening to the headset on the self guide was enlightening. We grabbed tickets that included a show on the rooftop and it was nice. We ordered some drinks and snacks and enjoyed our live performance. Super cute for date night!

An absolute must when visiting Barcelona. La Sagrada Família is one of those places that genuinely…read morestops you in your tracks! The intricate architectural details are stunning at every turn and the way the sunlight filters through the stained glass windows inside is something else entirely. Truly breathtaking. My biggest recommendation is to book a tour guide. There is so much rich history behind this cathedral that you simply can't absorb from just admiring the architecture alone. Having a guide really brings everything together and makes the whole experience so much more meaningful. One practical note worth mentioning: the dress code enforcement here can feel inconsistent and as someone with a bigger bust, I experienced that firsthand. I wore a modest, relaxed maxi dress with minimal cleavage showing and was turned away at the entrance, while other women in similar or more revealing styles were waved right through. It seems the same outfit reads differently depending on your body type, which is worth being aware of. If you're curvy, bring a shawl as a precaution to avoid any unnecessary stress before your tour. I found one at a nearby shop and made it in just in time, but a little preparation goes a long way

Man oh man, is this cathedral something else. It's so hard to fit in frame on a 35mm but the iPhone…read morecan do the zoom out. Obviously we had to show up for pictures spent the day out around the ground and in the park on all sides taking pictures with the thousands that come visit! Hot sunny perfect. We couldn't get tickets thru their app and scalpers were asking pretty heavy pricing. If you plan to go here then book in advance at least a month to be sure haha. The design is definitely kinda beautiful yet creepy at the same time. Here, there is so many details on the outside alone from every level of the massive church. Now the lady has been inside her last visit and told me there is only one floor and a lower level. Next time hopefully I'll be able to see it from the inside it was DEF packed with people so being sold out was expected especially as people vacation before returning to school (the kiddos) etc.

The building was stunning and the architecture was impressive. Definitely need to do a tour of…read moreGaudi buildings at least once. You also get a stunning view at the rooftop.

The Palau Güell is one of Antoni Gaudí's earlier architecture designs. The mansion was designed…read morefor Eusebi Güell. The mansion is located in the Ramblas, we went earlier in the day and the line was not very long. The price was 12 euro and includes an audio guide. It was interesting to see the intricate design of the house and opulent furniture. The ceilings are impressive! You can get a feel for how the family lived when the house was occupied. The top floor had modern art and sculptures on display and the terrace has great views of the city. We were there for about an hour and a half, that was enough time for us to walk around and see everything.

We only say this at night but it was beautiful…read more There was a live event for the bringing of summer celebration.

This is one the most recognizable landmarks in Barcelona and it was built as the main entrance to…read morethe 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition. One interesting fact about this arc is that unlike many triumphal arches that celebrate military victories, this one was designed as a symbol of progress and welcome. The red-brick architecture stands out beautifully, and the wide pedestrian promenade leading to the arch is lined with palm trees; suitable walkway. The atmosphere around this landmark is very lively. Locals and visitors gather here to walk, cycle, relax, and enjoy street performances, giving the area a lively but laid-back feel. It's also just a short walk from Parc de la Ciutadella, so it's easy to visit both at the same time.

Meow! MEOW! MEEOOWW!!!! Chonker cat!!! Chongus…read more This is such a good kitty in the middle of a beautiful Barcelona square! This cat statue is big boned, just like most of Botero's subjects. They always seem to be so happy to be big, just like this cat! Meow! I love the fact that the cat sort of has a face of a human, with big whiskers. The cat's little balls under the tail let you know that it's a tom cat. There's a bunch of kitties in these little neighborhoods and this one is the best kitty! Purr! Purrrrr!!! Purrrrr! They say that cats have nine lives. This cat has gotten around! He was a stray, moving from the docks, to the area around the Olympics, to some other place, before being permanently placed in this here plaza. "Gat" is Catalonian for "Cat" by the way. Apparently, people are cool if you wanna climb on it. How often do you get to climb on a priceless work of art made by an internationally renowned artist?!

El Gat de Botero - The famous statue of a fat cat in the middle of Barcelona. He's a chonky cat…read morewith the confidence of a Roman emperor and the physique of some shapes. You will take a photo. You will then look around, realize five other people are doing the same thing, and quietly question your tourist level. Botero said: make it thicc. And Barcelona said: bet.

Montjuic fountain show was actually something we almost didn't go see, but fate had it, we stayed…read morean additional couple of days. This gave us the opportunity to experience the fountain show, which was down the block from our second hotel we stayed at on the trip. It's open to the public- Free entry 9:30pm-10:30pm show in the summer, wedsneday through Sunday! They have music playing, it's lively and the fountain show I feel was super nice, a great little date night experience in front of the castle. Now what I did think was a bit annoying were those fools who were selling the LED spinning launcher toys. They would be shooting those up at the climatic points of the fountain show and it was a bit distracting. Aside that, the fountain show can be seen 360, no matter which side you stand on it's great! The water lights up all sorts of colors, timed with the music for dramatic effect. I really enjoyed it!

On Google, it says the Montjuïc Fountain is closed on Wednesdays but actually they were open!…read more From June 3rd-Sept 27th, they do fountain night shows from 9:30pm-10:30pm Wednesday through Sunday. In the Fall, they do shows Thurs-Sat 9pm-10pm. It is completely free & a must-do when in Barcelona! We're so glad we were able to make it to see the show. It was beautiful & such a great experience.