Tips for a city trip to Barcelona
Posted on June 7, 2023
Barcelona is a wonderfully versatile city just a two-hour flight away. We stayed here for four days and saw a lot and ate even more tapas. Are you planning to go to Barcelona? Then read our tips for a city trip to Barcelona!
Stay
We stayed in a very nice Airbnb in the Barri de Sant Antoni district near the metro. The metro line takes you to the center in just a few stops, but you can also walk there in fifteen minutes. If you don't feel like going to the center, there are plenty of nice restaurants in the neighborhood itself. Next to the Airbnb there is even a delicious restaurant where you can eat tapas; La Mari Ollero. The Airbnb has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a terrace. Highly recommended!
Activities
The best activity to start with is exploring the city with a bike tour! We booked the 3-hour highlights bike tour with Baja bikes . With this tour you cycle past a large number of sights such as the Sagrada Familia, Arc de Triompf, Barceloneta and you get an idea of how the city works. We took a break in the Parc de La Ciutadella and were able to enjoy the sun for a while.
Also visit the Mercat de la Boqueria market hall on the Ramblas. Here you will find several stalls with all kinds of food. We got fresh fruit and delicious smoothies here. From the market hall you can walk to the cathedral via the Ramblas and thus you arrive in the nice Barri Gothic district.
It is also fun to take the cable car to the top of Montjuic mountain.
Sights
If you are in Barcelona, a visit to the Sagrada Familia should not be missed. We bought tickets in advance to see the inside and we can definitely recommend this! You will be amazed, especially when the light shines in through the stained glass windows. You can buy your tickets here .
Park Güell was also on our list to visit. We bought tickets for this in advance so that we didn't have to stand in line. The park is beautiful with Gaudi's buildings and a great view of the city.
Gaudi's other buildings are also worth a visit. Casa Battlo and Casa Mila are beautiful and you can also go inside. In addition, the buildings Casa Amatller, Casa Vincens and Palau de la Musica Catalana are very nice to view.
Because we were traveling with two football fans, we also visited Camp Nou. If you buy a ticket in advance, you can choose a time slot and you do not have to wait in line for a ticket. You can view all the prizes in the museum and of course the stadium itself.
Restaurants
If you like eating out, Barcelona is the place for you! Whether you want to eat tapas or have brunch somewhere, there is something for everyone. Even if you have a gluten intolerance. Here are our favorites:
Casa Lolea
A very nice restaurant where you can eat tapas and drink different sangrias. They have plenty of options if you need to eat gluten free, they even have gluten free bread! And when we were there they had a gluten-free chocolate cake as cake of the day. This restaurant is definitely recommended, but advance reservations are required.
La Mari Ollero
This is a cozy restaurant next to our Airbnb. You can eat delicious tapas here and they have a very extensive wine list.
Glacier
This restaurant is located on the cozy Placa Reial. The food is delicious and the menu lists which dishes contain gluten and which are vegetarian. They also have a separate menu with all allergens.
Belliny
Start your day well with breakfast or brunch at Belliny! A nice restaurant with an extensive menu, so there is something for everyone.
Billy Brunch
This restaurant has several locations and one of them was near our Airbnb. You can have a delicious breakfast here and the menu lists which dishes contain gluten, lactose and nuts.
