Hola, Barcelona! This is my second time here and this is part of the extended Spain trip. I joined a tour on my first visit in 2013 and I was excited that this time I got the chance to explore this city by myself. The most surprising thing in this second experience is the Barcelona metro. Compared to Asian cities metro, like Singapore and Seoul, Barcelona metro stations are not that clean and it feels super stuffy like there is no air inside! But overall, this most popular city in Spain is still quite enjoyable and here let me give you highlights of Barcelona that I hope useful for first-timers. If you use your time wisely, you can explore these places in a day only!
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| The 'no-air' metro station |
The one-stop shopping destination and entertainment, a street that is popular among tourists and locals. Plenty of boutiques such as H&M, Zara, Pull&Bear, etc are spread along the street. If you are not into shopping, well just walk around or people watching. Another option you can head to the cathedral, sit on the stairs, and join the crowd watching street performances.
Nearest metro: Urquinaona (Red/L1 or Yellow/L4 Line) or Diagonal for branded boutiques (Green/L3 or Blue/L5/L6 Line)
Found this eye-catching waffle/ice cream shop and decided to try one. The staff recommended me this sweet waffle with Kinder Bueno and strawberry topping. It felt too sweet at first but then the strawberries balance everything. Love it!!
2. Sagrada Familia
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Barcelona. This masterpiece from Gaudi attracts many visitors every year although it is still under construction. Though it is not my favorite church, it is still worth the visit since it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a look inside the church here.
Nearest metro: Sagrada Familia (Purple/L2 or Blue/L5 Line)
3. Plaça de España
A square that is perfect for sightseeing. Coming out from España station, you will see interesting buildings and landmarks. It might look like a long way to go, but it is worth walking from the Venetian Towers to Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MANC). Since I'm not an art lover, it is not necessary for me to enter the museum. Watching the beautiful scenery of Barcelona from the top is more than enough.
Nearest metro: España (Red/L1, Green/L3, or Blue/L8 Line)
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| The Venetian Tower |
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| Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya |
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| View from MNAC |
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| Arenas de Barcelona |
4. Barceloneta Beach
A getaway when you are bored and just want to chill and relax. The beach is accessible from any southern yellow/L4 line metro stations. I stayed at Holiday Inn Express which is a walking distance from the beach and the nearest station is Llacuna. Me and my friends thought it was a mistake choosing to stay here. Turns out, on our last night we found an area near the hotel which is crowded and there are many affordable eating places and Asian-owned supermarkets which open until late. I highly recommend to stay in Poble Nou area while in Barcelona.
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| On our last night here, we just found out that there were actually many affordable eating places near the hotel |
Another work of Gaudi and a UNESCO World Heritage. The place is supposed to be really amazing but it was a total failure when me and my friends went there. We got out at Lesseps metro station and from there, there was a still a long way to go. It was the hottest day ever and we had to walk on a very steep road to reach the park. When we arrived, we didn't see the iconic mosaic building we were looking for. Instead, we were in this arid land and there was nothing to see. There were signs but we were not sure which way to go and the signal was pretty bad there. There were lots of people passing by, they were also looking for the mosaic building, and none of them knew where it was! We just kept walking and thought we might actually found the place. However, we couldn't come inside. When we asked to buy the tickets, the staff said if we buy the ticket now, we could enter at 7.30 pm while it was only around 3pm! The people who were getting in at that time had already bought the tickets earlier in the morning. Lack of information, we just knew that Park Güell has its own limitations of admission and entry times. You better check its website (www.parkguell.cat) and prepare yourself before going here, or else you might end up in this situation like me.
Nearest metro: Vallcarca or Lesseps (Green/L3 Line)
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| Was so not in the mood so this is the only picture I took |
6. Camp Nou
Last but not least. For Barça fans, this place is heaven! Even I who don't understand about football feel overwhelmed here. While you are here, I suggest you also take the tour. It is really worth the visit and experience. The admission is free if you don't take the tour. You could take pictures around the area and even visit the official store. Spare around 3 hours if you are planning to go here. The tour takes around 1,5 hour and if you shop at the store, the cashier queue is pretty long. Read about Camp Nou Experience Tour & Museum here.
Nearest metro: Collblanc (Blue/L5 Line)
Some photos belong to Adam Rahmansyah
2 comments
Ahh Barcelona! The one city that I have to put aside when I was in Europe due to time constrain :(
ReplyDeleteReading this post made me realize tons (well, at least five) great places in Barcelona. Hopefully I'll have the chance to visit Spain in the near future!
Anyway, when I was reading the title, I'm guessing that Sagrada Familia will be on top of the list. But I guess you like to shop a lot, huh? Hahaha :))
Thanks for reading, Eky! I personally think to experience Spain the most, it is better to visit other cities than Barcelona. I'm going to post about those cities. But we, as travelers, of course don't want to miss popular cities as well.
DeleteActually I didn't list it in particular order. The truth is I don't like to shop, I prefer sightseeing and try local food instead, hehe.