When researching popular tourist destinations in Barcelona, Casa Batlló came up on many a list. I…read morelike to take in museums and other historical structures whenever I visit a new city, so this sounded perfect. That being said, I purchased tickets for us to explore during our first full day in the city. Casa Batlló is one of several structures in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudí. I believe this was originally designed as a private residence, and has since become a showcase of the type of work Gaudí produced. The visits are self-guided, and once you enter you are given an audio guide that you can use throughout the house that provides information about the space you're in. The house itself is gorgeous. It's so intricately designed with different themes throughout the space. The audio guide really helped here as it told the history behind each room. I found myself snapping tons of pictures, or just standing there and taking it all in. As expected, there were a couple of gift shops, and some interactive exhibits scattered throughout the house as well. Note that not all spaces are open to all guests, it depends on the type of ticket you buy; that being said, even if you get the base ticket you will see a lot. Also, this place naturally attracts Instagrammers - be aware there are lots of people posing for the camera, Overall, Casa Batlló was an awesome experience. It was my first taste of Gaudí's influence on the city, and I would definitely return for another visit.

Strolling after our Senior Dinner and there he was behind us, one of Anthony Gaudi's whimsical…read moreperfection!

Learning how Antoni Gaudí's religious psychosis helped inspire one of the most breathtaking…read morechurches in the world was not on my 2026 bingo card, but here we are. The Sagrada Família is genuinely one of the most stunning places I've ever stepped foot in. Every inch of the basilica feels intentional, emotional, and larger than life. The way the sunlight pours through the stained glass windows makes the entire inside glow like a dream. I paid for a guided tour, and honestly, it was 100% worth it because it really put the history and symbolism of the church into perspective. There's so much detail and meaning behind every design choice that I would've completely missed on my own. And the wildest part? It's still under construction to this day. Knowing this masterpiece has been evolving for over a century somehow makes it even more impressive. Whenever they finally finish it, I'll absolutely come back... but at this point who knows when that'll be. Barcelona has so many amazing things to see, but this was easily the crown jewel of the trip.

I have visited more churches/cathedrals than i can count but this was so unique. Love those huge…read moregothic churches but they are dark inside. This was stunningly and lots of light. The colored rays from the stained glass was breathtaking and like nothing I've even seen. I hear it changes at different times of day. The outside can be seem from miles away due the the size but once right there the details are so interesting. We signed up for guardi excursion and they got us in quicker as the lines are ridiculous. But they limited our time. I would have stayed much longer. Its nearly finished after all these year and one of the reasons I chose Spain as a travel destination. If you are in Barcelona definitely dont miss visiting here. No matter your relationship with religion this is a work of art. Stunning even though crowded. as with most things the pictures just cant do it justice. I feel so blessed to have been able to finally see it in person. I don't know that Spain and Portugal are places we would return but this was on top of our list for Spain. Designed by Antoni Gaudi construction was began in 1882 and not funded by Vatican or government so depends of ticket and donations. Plus construction was slowed by need to acquire adjacent properties that were anxious to sell. crazy it took over 140 yrs. So its a rare mixture of new and old. Be very aware tickets sell our weeks ahead. This was an added excursion with our go ahead tour. If i were to return to Barcelona I'd def visit all the Gaudi locations again.

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.

Most of my adventures through the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona were of historic buildings and…read morechurches which are surrounded by retail shops and unique tapas and cafe eateries. The wife and I got the pleasure to take a four hour food and wine tour throughout the Gothic Quarter providing us the opportunity to taste true Barcelona at four different locations. The area has a dark, wet and slightly unsettling gloomy atmosphere with lots of unsanctioned wall graffiti, although gave it added character to the area.

A place to meet in the Heart of Barcelona…read more Placa de Catalunya is where my family most recently went to meet our tour guide Luke from Barkeno for the Ultimate Gaudí Experience. Since I had been to Placa de Catalunya in the past, it's a stop on the Barcelona Turistic Bus tour, I felt confident meeting there. Enter the most popular running race in Barcelona. Cursa de Corte Ingles is a free race that goes a little over 10K as it weaves through Barcelona. It goes through the Olympic stadium where you can live out your Olympic dreams as you run through the stadium and then cross the finish line in, you guessed it, Placa de Catalunya. It was really interesting to weave through the runners as we navigated our family of five to meet Luke and get our headphones for our Barkeno Guru Walk. We even used the underground Metro station twice to cross under the race. It was much harder when we were in a group of 25! Love the energy and spirit of both visits. Two different days. Very unique experiences. A beautiful place in the Heart of Barcelona.

While exploring the L'Eixample area, you can also visit the Plaça de Catalunya, which houses the…read morehistoric older style buildings and the more recent build architecture. There's a ton of space to walk around and see gorgeous sculptures, architecture, and find a lot of local eateries, shops, and activities! You can see the gorgeous Casa Battlo, walk through Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, stroll down La Rambla, or find a little tapas cafe and just watch the bustling streets and sidewalks come alive in this busy area. If you're looking for a place to stay while in Barcelona, this is an area to look near, because you will have so much to do and see right outside your front door!

Great place to walk and enjoy a beautiful day in the heart of Barcelona! There's shops and…read morerestaurants of all kinds as well as beautiful architecture looming over you on each side of the wide avenue. The only downside was all the construction that was really bottlenecking flow and making a ton of grinding and jack hammering noise. Plenty of people watching, shopping and dining opportunities, though!

Fyi right now they are doing construction and its a hot mess. We didnt know so we stayed in the…read morearea thinking it was going to be the happening stop. Plus because of construction its harder to walk around so not fun to get around.

Hard to miss and it's huge Beautiful museum…read more It's Catalonian which Barcelona has this divided populations and language and even politics and laws But nonetheless it's a great place to wander around

Looking up from Plaça d'Espanya toward the Montjuïc area, the classical Italian facade of the Museu…read moreNacional d'Art de Catalunya sits atop a hill like an elaborate crown perched on a pedestal. You can't miss it. Walking by, if you weren't sure what building this was, you'd google it for sure. Taking the direct route from the traffic roundabout (and nearest metro station, as well as many bus stops) to the front entrance entails many stairs. Plan a good 10 minutes to walk up, that is if you don't stop for photos along the way. From the side streets, where I came from, there is the option of outdoor escalators (how novel! I haven't seen many outdoor ones before) for part of the trek upwards. Upon entering the ticket counter is to the left/center right inside the door, there is the option to purchase online though I bought them in person and it took only a few minutes with no line on a Friday in September. The ground floor lobby is right beyond the counters and provides direct access to the 6 main areas of the museum - Medieval Gothic art, Medieval Romanesque art, Renaissance and Baroque art, Modern art, Numismatics (coins and medals), and the main auditorium/atrium which also contains the cafe and a massive pipe organ. The exhibits were very thorough and for the most part chronological. I was impressed by their extensive Romanesque fresco collection and maintenance, and also enjoyed the modern art and Art Nouveau/Art Deco furniture collection. Walking around the total museum can easily take 2-3 hours, more if you want to read all the descriptions. The museum attendants are quite detailed in checking your tickets at the entry of each exhibition hall. Larger bags and backpacks must be carried in front of you not on your back. Bathrooms are available. Parking for cars and buses is also available though aside from tour groups it looked like majority of patrons walked there.

If you are an architecture buff like my husband and I, consider a visit to Antoni Gaudi's Casa…read moreMila, aka La Pedrera. We did the nighttime tour on the first night of our honeymoon and it was spectacular. A great start to our trip and a truly architecturally magical evening we will never forget. From the light show on the truly unique rooftop facades to ending in the courtyard with a glass of cava.

This house has easy online ticket purchase and plenty of open hours. The view from the roof is…read moreawesome, and the architectural models upstairs are fascinating. I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Gaudi so I don't find this house to be a must-see in Spain for travelers, especially for €25 entry.

The Cathedral of Barcelona, which is also called the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia,…read morewas built in the Gothic style from 1298 to the 15th century. It is an active church that provides masses, confessions, and other sacraments. It also provides tours for 16 euros and up (as of the time of this review). I understand that some people think that a church should be free to enter, but I also understand that many tourists are not practicing Catholics and that the church needs to bring in revenue to pay its bills. My tour guide took my husband and me to the exterior of this church and explained its architecture and history. We did not pay for an interior tour. It is a lovely church to see.

The cathedral was beautiful and the rooftop views were simply stunning. Definitely worth a visit…read morewhen visiting Barcelona.

We heard it was cool fountain with lights and music similar to Balagio fountain in Las Vegas. We…read morewalked a longggggg way to see only to find its not every night and we had passed through some areas we thought questionable sketchy. So the next night we took taxi to and from. Lots of people but we could still see and enjoy. Later several left and we crossed the street to be close and found spots right upfront. I loved it. Beautiful. Fun watching children play there and enjoying the music.

Font Magica is located next to Espanya's square. The Place of Espanya is one of Barcelona's most…read moreimportant square, built on the occasion of the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, held at the foot of Montjuic district. The square of Espanya is a central transport hub in Barcelona. A few steps away from Square of Espanya, you will find the Font Magica. I came to Font Magica when it was New Year's Eve. So many tourists and citizens of Barcelona gathered at the Magica because they had known a customary venue when people gather on New Year's Eve. After I checked them by internet, I came to here. Around Font Magica is scalable in the view axis through the two brick towers, which are based on St.Mark's tower in Venice. The Palace behind Font Magica is the museum, National d'Art de Catalunya ( MNAC) After about 300 meters from the towers in the direction, you can find the palace National d' Art de Catalunya. You can see the event in free. At that time, I left the staying hotel at 20;30p.m on December 31, and I arrived at the Espanya square on foot. As soon as I arrived at here, there were so many people around the place. I tried to access near spot of Front Magica, but because of so many people, I couldn't get close to Magica fountain. So, I took my video clips of the event at a fairly distant distance. But I was so excited with this new year's Eve. I want to share this experience with you.

An interesting way to leisurely spend several hours in Barcelona discovering the architecture and…read moresome culture of Spain. The venue was constructed for the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition. Pick up a map when you pay your entrance fee, and wander a traditional Andalusian neighborhood, a Catalan Romanesque monastery, and the traditional architecture of Galicia. The buildings are divided into North, South, Central, Mediterranean areas of Spain. Discover recreation of buildings from the 14th century to the early twentieth century. You will feel transported in time as you wander the stunning architecture and discover so many local artisan shops. You can watch many work their craft- from making a guitar, metal working, print making, and stunning intricate jewelry. Other shops carried local clothing, wines, chocolates, toys, blown glass and pottery. I dare you to leave here empty handed. There are several restaurants on the property to enjoy morning coffee and pastries, lunch, late after tapas or great dinners. My visit was the week before Christmas and I found the decorations so much fun. Elves hidden in orange trees, fully decorated trees and a spot for photos with Santa. I arrived right as it opened not knowing how long it would take me to see everything. The disadvantage was not all artisans opened their shops on time and I backed track a little as some open ed later. I scored some beautiful gifts.

We came on a Monday. There were few visitors so it was easy getting in. We got the audio tour…read morewhich was very helpful. I think a must for this museum. Not much was happening. Mostly self guided. The art exhibitions were interesting and included. We ate lunch there and the food was quite good and priced well. The service was excellent. The digital shows were very good. If there is more programming, I think it would be a bit more engaging.