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.

This truly amazing Romanesque cathedral is the centerpiece of this well preserved, living, 10th…read morecentury Catalan village. The first time I came to Barcelona I missed Girona as a day trip and now that I've been here I insist if you're in Catalonia you simply must experience this. A full day maybe two. The massive church is not just Romanesque, there are Gothic and Baroque elements. There are 8 pagan and early Christian sarcophagi (the 4th century), the recumbent Christ dates back to the 14th century by sculptor Aloi de Montbrai. It's just breathtaking. There is an admission fee, I can't remember what it was because a visit here is truly a priceless experience. It is up a steep climb but just take your time, rest a bit, climb on. Do not miss this.

A beautiful church that was once known as Girona's only cathedral up until the 10th century. It's…read morewell known for its' gothic structure, interior artwork, and slim bell tower. The church is named after and dedicated to St. Felix of Girona. I did a walking tour of Girona and the Basilica of Sant Feliu was one of the highlights. It isn't nearly as popular or as crowded as the nearby Girona Cathedral, but it still holds a great significance to the city. I did not get to tour the inside of the church, but the facade is charming enough to warrant a visit even if you don't go inside. If you're able to embark on a guided walking tour of the city, you'll learn a lot about the history of the church. Since Girona is small, most tours include the Basilica of Sant Feliu and you'll be able to walk through most of the downtown area in one day. It's worth a stop and at least a walking tour if you're planning to explore Girona.

Ever wish you could travel in a time machine? Walk the 9th century walls of Girona and it might…read morefeel like you've stepped back in time. I've developed a fear of heights in my old age, but that only meant it took me longer. There's no charge (!) for this amazing historic site, you really want to spend a few hours strolling (and climbing). Make sure your phone or camera has a full charge.

Walking around the old city area of Girona was one of the highlights of our Barcelona trip, and…read morewalking on the old city walls was the pinnacle of that experience, both literally and figuratively! The wife and I visited Girona during the off-peak season, and it was nice to be able to stroll around the picturesque old city without running into too many people. Most tourists were hanging out around the shop/restaurant part of the city and around places like Girona Cathedral. Passeig de la Muralla, the old walls, is rated on TripAdvisor as the #1 thing to do in Girona, yet it saw only a fraction of the foot traffic. Which was great for us! Girona's walls were originally constructed by the Romans, with foundations dating to possibly the 1st century BC. Much of the present-day walls were constructed between the 9th to 17th centuries. The walls offered protection from the outside and a sweeping view of the city inside. Parapets interspersed along the walls, accessible via circular stairs, offer even better views still. The walls look out loftily towards old landmarks nearby and the modern city and large park (Parc de la Devesa) behind. The walkaway on top is fairly narrow, so two people have to squeeze past each other. There are several access points to get up onto the walls, but they do require being able to walk up some stairs. The unsupervised, simple and beautiful experience is what makes a visit to Passeig de la Muralla so wonderful. Definitely worth a visit, but shh, don't tell anyone else.

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.

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.

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.

We came for the 8a Get Your Guide tour of Monserrat. We met at the meet-up point (Julia Travel…read moreCenter at the Barcelona Nord bus station, in Barcelona) to checkin for our trip. We met our tour guide Jose Carlos and our driver, Gemma and were on our way. We made a stop at a local train station, exited the motorcoach, and took the scenic train up to Montserrat. Once at Monserrat, we went on a guided tour (equipped with one-ear headphones to hear our tour guide) of the Basilica, viewing the Black Madonna (included with the tour ticket) and having a couple of hours of free time to explore Montserrat with the great instructions provided by Jose Carlos. We hiked up to see the cross, took part in the four liquor tasting (provided with the tour ticket), and saw the "stairway to heaven" a block sculpture with ascending stairs to the sky (thanks to our tour guide Jose Carlos, who gave us directions to where it was...behind the buffet building!) There was an interactive museum on Montserrat ($) as well as a museum ($) with art from Dali, Picasso, just to name a few, and white tents lined the sidewalk with local vendors featuring their local cheese, nuts, and other food items. Montserrat is where you can also see and hear the boy's choir in the Basilica, but that show began at 1p and our tour left at 12.10p (maybe on another visit!) All in all, we enjoyed this scenic, history-filled tour. Jose Carlos was an excellent tour guide, and we appreciated his expertise in all of the details of this tour; Gemma, our bus driver, was pleasant and professional in providing a safe, comfortable drive to and from Montserrat. We highly suggest this tour if you are in Barcelona for a couple of days.

Spent the day wandering the area…read more An easy hour's train ride from Barcelona. And seriously a must see. Once the train ends you have a choice of a different railway up the mountain or a gondola type tram to the area. I chose the train. Beautiful as you rose up through the morning clouds. Once at the top head straight to the information center and check out the different options for tickets. I highly recommend getting tickets to hear the boys choir. It's a short performance and well worth it. After getting tickets, I wandered around the various museums and other buildings. Then into the main church. Wow. Incredible. Performance time came and snagged a seat on the middle aisle to watch the processional in. The 20 minute performance was fantastic. The boys have great voices and discipline. Afterwards I got in line to walk through a long narrow hallway and upstairs to view and touch the area's prized Madonna that sits high about the alter. There are some restaurants and cafeterias on the property depending on the size of meal you want. After lunch I got my map out and roamed a couple of hiking trails in the area. The views from high above the clouds were spectacular. By late afternoon I was ready to return to the city, and did the train back the way I came.

At the heart of Barcelona, Plaça de Catalunya is where the city really comes together. It's a…read morelively square that's always full of people and is surrounded by shops, cafés, hotels, and major streets. It's also one of the easiest places to start exploring, with quick access to La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia, the Gothic Quarter, and several metro, train, and airport bus connections. It's nice to simply sit by the fountains and take in the atmosphere. It's a great place to rest, people-watch, or grab a coffee before continuing your day.

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.

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.