Build a Barcelona Itinerary: The Best of Catalunya’s Capital

And the Festa Major de Gràcia

I was lucky enough to visit Barcelona twice while I lived in Madrid. The first was with my family, and the second with CityLife Madrid. While my first trip was a little more expensive, the second was a weekend in Barcelona on a budget. Having visited the city in two very different travel styles (and very different groups), I believe I have some good tips on what to see and what to skip, as well as where to spend and where to save.

Festa Major de Gràcia

On my first trip to Barcelona, our trip coincided with the Festa Major de Gràcia, a mid-August festival in one of the city’s most famous neighbourhoods, Gràcia. The festival is celebrated with food, decorated streets and even small amusement park rides.

We arrived on August 15, the first day of the festival. The streets are decorated extravagantly, each choosing its own theme. There is a competition between the streets the is taken quite seriously. If you plan to come in August, leave time to explore this neighbourhood between August 15 and 21.

If you attend the festival, I would definitely recommend wandering the streets here after dark, as many of the streets include light features that cannot be appreciated during the day. Take usual precautions as Barcelona is known for pickpockets (like much of Europe), but the streets are busy all night long, so overall the area is safe.

We stayed in the barrio de Gràcia, so we were immersed in the festivities 24/7 (and they run 24/7, so if you have difficulties sleeping with noise, stay in a different area). I loved Gràcia and could not recommend it more. It’s a charming neighbourhood that was once its own town, and its personality really took shape through the August festival.

La Rambla and the Gothic District

In order to say you’ve been to Barcelona, you need to walk down La Rambla. However, you are in the heart or the touristic district in this area as well, so stay aware of your surroundings and consider moving a little ways off the beaten path to find food. Otherwise you may be paying a premium for a meal.

During my second trip to Barcelona, I stayed at the Ideal Youth Hostel. This was booked by CityLife Madrid and was a great location, as ot was a short walk to the Picasso Museum, the Catedral de Barcelona, and only 2 minutes from Güell Palace. It was about 25 minutes from some of the other Gaudí works such as Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. If you are looking for a city centre hostel experience, this is a great choice.

The Gothic Quarter is a must-see in Barcelona for the history and culture. I recommend a tour here, to get to better understand the history of Catalunya (Catalonia in English; Cataluña in Castellano). I did a tour on my second trip and it opened my eyes to understand more of the significance of streets, buildings, statues, and names I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed.

Give La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter half a day to explore and walk around. I spent time here on both of my trips and I know there was so much more to see.

Montjuïc: The Best View in Barcelona

Montjuïc overlooks the sea and the city as it sits southwest of the city centre. I visited Montju

Montjuïc overlooks the sea and the city as it sits southwest of the city centre. I visited Montjuïc on my second stay in Barcelona. It was planned by the company I was travelling with, so our bus took us up to the top of the hill where we toured the Castell de Montjuïc’s grounds and took photos of the view over the port and the sea. If you are building your own Barcelona itinerary, there are a number of ways to reach Montjuïc.

Montjuïc has its own cable car, which offers three stops. One at the base of the hill, one at the Miramar gardens, and one close to the castle on the top of the hill. The funicular is another option, which ascends the hill in about half the time of the cable car and is included in the Barcelona transit system. Which is a better fit depends on your priority: the journey, or the destination.

If you are feeling more active, you can walk up the hill as well. If you get off the metro at Plaça de Catalunya station, it is approximately 40 minutes to reach the top of the hill. It is about 173 metres of elevation, with varied terrain including paved paths, dirt paths and stair sections. This is a great way to take in the gardens and other attractions along the way.

Finally, you can follow my path and take a bus. Bus 150 and Bus 55 both serve Montjuïc, although Bus 55 does not reach the castle.

Regardless of your mode of transportation, I would highly recommend Montjuïc to first time visitors in Barcelona.

Museums and Culture

As the heart of Catalunya, Barcelona holds Catalan culture and history along with Spanish. In this disputed region, tension can be high with the Castillian regions of Spain, and protests can break out. My advice to tourists is to avoid any areas with protests to stay safe, and to try to learn more about the history and distinctiveness of Catalunya’s culture and language while you are here.

Catalan is not Spanish, though it is a closely related Romantic language. As someone who has not studied it, it appears to be somewhere between Spanish (Castellano) and French, but it is neither. While Castellano is the official language of the country, Catalan is the official language in Catalunya, so much of the signage and information is in Catalan, not Castellano.

Catalan dialects are spoken in Catalunya, Valencia, the Balearic Islands (think Ibiza, Mallorca), parts of Aragon and Murica, as well as regions in Southern France, Sardinia (Italy) and Andorra. While the language is shared amongst many regions, it is most notably the regions of Spain that host independence movements. This is a highly controversial topic, but it is important to be aware of the cultural and linguistic differences and a traveller in the region.

Barcelona is home to many brillant museums. If you are interested in the Catalan language and history, you can visit the Museu d’Història de Catalunya (Museum of Catalan History) or the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Parc de Montjuic also allows visitors into the castle for 12 euros (general admission) or 8 euros (children 8-12 years). I visited the Picasso Museum in the Gothic Quarter which is housed in a medieval mansion. It is free for students (with a student ID), seniors (65+) and children under 18.

Of course, Barcelona arts and culture has become synonymous with Antoni Gaudí. His influence on the city seems to be at every turn. I will cover touring Gaudí’s works in my next post.

Beaches and “Vacationing”

While Barcelona sits on the water and has a number of beaches adajcent to the city centre, especially Playa de la Barceloneta, Platja de Sant Sebastià and Platja del Somorrostro, it is a port city and a major urban centre, so I would not plan a trip here if you want to relax on the beach. While we spent an afternoon here in August, it was more to escape the heat than anything. I would not prioritize the beach in Barcelona, there are many more interesting and rewarding things to see and do.

Food

While food was not the focus of my trip to Barcelona, it is an important part of any journey abroad. Paella was a must-try for me, even though I am usually a strict vegetarian. Due to difficulties finding options while travelling and a desire to try local dishes, I will adopt a more pescatarian diet when necessary. That being said, the whole prawns in the paella were a step too far for me (and enjoyed by my dad instead).

My most notable meals were mexican food at Mexcla, Gràcia; paella at Sal Cafe off Playa de la Barceloneta (more expensive); and an open-faced breakfast sandwich at Bakery N Time on La Rambla (most over-priced, though expected). My family enjoyed an Italian lunch near La Sagrada Familia, and tapas (my first patatas bravas, the vegetarian go-to). We also ate at home in Gràcia as we had a kitchen in our apartment, and got grocery store meals a couple times on my second trip to help save money.