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 Gothic Quarter is exactly my kind of architecture. This is where the Catedral de Barcelona…read moresits, and it was so beautiful in person. I wish I had more time to actually learn about the cathedral and its history. Great place to take pictures obviously. Even though there were a lot of people around, we were still able to get shots without anyone in the background. Probably because we went there around evening, but it was still rather bright at night. Highly recommend!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Great big cat in the middle of rambla del raval, a pedestrian parkway. It's a nice stroll through…read moreoutdoor cafes and a small kids playground. It's a bit of whimsy.

Walk of the sea! This is sort of a wooden boardwalk that…read moreextends across the harbor over to the peninsula that is the Maremagnum shopping mall, the Aquarium, the World Trade Center and this big, long plaza. The boardwalk lifts so that boats can enter. When I went, they had a tow boat towing a bunch of sailboats into the harbor with a long rope. We had just made it across when they started to escort the sailboats into the harbor. Along the walkway is a bunch of different pieces of public art that just make the place interesting. The wooden walkway feels a bit shoddy at times, and since all the planks are parallel, you gotta worry somewhat over a wheel from a bike or wheelchair falling in between the cracks. However, those wheels make a satisfying cr-r-r-r-r--r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r noise as they run over the planks. It's a great place to watch the boats go by or the tide come in. There's places to hang out and just be. Don't feed the birds!

The first Mediterranean in my life. It's kind of fun even…read morewith just such keywords. The location is right there from the Columbus Monument. I took a walk from here to the beach. I'm sure there is a rental cycle somewhere. The cycle movement seemed comfortable.