Barcelona Things to Do

So you only have one day for Barcelona and you want to maximize your experience of Catalan Spain. Here are the most important things to do!

The history of Barcelona stretches way back to the ancient Romans and beyond, but most visitors to this Mediterranean port have just one name on their mind: Antoni Gaudi. The exuberant and eccentric architecture of this devout Modernista artist has become a signature byword for the city, from the spiky towers of La Sagrada Familia to the snaking roof line of Casa Batllo.

Antoni Gaudí – visionary or madman? This Catalan architect – whose legacy in Barcelona is one of the city’s most important draws for tourists – designed buildings with virtually no straight lines to be found in them. He was all about the organics of life and the shapes of nature.

His apartment buildings, such as the La Pedrera, are all twisting shapes and curving walls; Parc Guell, perched on a hilltop with its great views, is full of colorful ceramic tiles and has two lovely little gatehouses; and his masterpiece, the basilica La Sagrada Familia, is famous for its beyond-Gothic spires and heavy ornamentation. And for being left incomplete.

An architecture tour is a fun way to navigate Barcelona’s byways and sights, highlighting some of the city’s most extraordinary and iconic sights. Along with buildings by Gaudi, you’ll see similarly outlandish Art Nouveau designs by his contemporaries Domenech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch.

It’s hard to definitively pinpoint what Barcelona’s main claim to fame is, so I’ll go with what I think of when I think of the Catalan capital. I think Gaudi, Picasso and Dali; not surprisingly, the tributes to these geniuses are probably the most popular attractions in Barcelona.

Barcelona is more than art and architecture. I mean, you have to go see the Picasso museum and Gaudi’s fantastic buildings, as they are iconic and totally worth the time. So go see them, but don’t think that there all there is to do in Barcelona.

Seriously, Barcelona is completely fascinating. It’s the largest metropolitan area on the Mediterranean, and a hub for commerce, entertainment and arts. Never mind that it’s history dates to before the time of Christ. If you’re visiting Europe, do yourself a favor and give Barcelona a couple days. Better still, stay for a week, and book a tour at the beginning of it.