Things to do in... Barcelona!

I recently came back from a relaxing holiday in Spain, and as a geography geek I thought I would share some experiences of one of the cities we visited during our two-week stay: Barcelona. 

I went with my parents and younger sister, so we thought the easiest way of getting around this mammoth city would be by one of those cheesy, open-top site-seeing buses. There were plenty of companies to choose from but we went with the highly-reviewed "Barcelona Bus Turistic".

Although pretty expensive (around 100 Euros for 4 of us), it was a really great experiences as it allowed you to "hop on and hop off" as many times as you liked at the various destinations along the routes. They had headphones which you could wear and a commentator in your language would tell you facts about the surrounding views and I actually learnt quite a lot.

Some of the highlights of the bus tour included...

The Sagrada Familia. 

Possibly one of the most famous Barcelona landmarks, the famously un-finished gothic church designed by Gaudi. He started work on it in 1883 and despite dying in 1926, work is still being completed to have it finished by 2026 - 100 years after Gaudi's death. It is staggeringly beautiful and the photos I've seen before of it simply don't match up to what it looks like in real life. The entrance fee also goes towards funding to complete the building which I really hope I get to visit once it is finished (although somehow the cranes add to the uniqueness of the church. 

Park Guell

This is a public garden (again designed by Gaudi) situated on the top of a hill, displaying beautiful views of the Barcelona skyline. I love the mosaic, fantasy-like designs and it's just a stunning place to sit and relax outside of the bustling city. 

Montjuic

This was one of the highlights of the tour for me. Montjuic is a steep hill located next to Barcelona harbour and is close to the 1992 Olympic site. To get to the castle at the top you can either walk (no thanks, not in the Spanish heat) or take a trip on the cable car. This was honestly breathtaking, the views were incredible and I highly recommend everyone to do it. 

So there, these are my top things to do in Barcelona. Of course there are plenty of other things for all tastes and I wish we had spent more than just a day there.

Have you been to Barcelona? What did you think of this magnificent city?

Becky