4 Top Things To Do In Barcelona

Barcelona is a very interesting place. It is the second most populous city in Spain. It is located in the northeast of Spain and it is facing the Mediterranean Sea. The interesting things about Barcelona are the arts, architectural sites, culture, food and the beaches. Here are some of the highlights of Barcelona that I have personally been to.

Sagrada Familia

If you visit Barcelona, you can never miss the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Most of his famous works are in Barcelona. Some of the architectural sites have been declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Gaudi works were inspired by nature and religion and they have the distinctive modernism in their styles. His most famous work and most visited place in Barcelona is undoubtedly the Sagrada Familia which is still currently under construction since 1882 and plans to complete in 2026.

This is the front of Sagrada Familia, which is also called the Nativity Facade, where the four tall towers that are completed. As you can see the details of the front entrance of the church and the look is magnificent.

Another photo shot that shows the details of the entrance of Sagrada Familia

See the under construction side of Sagrada Familia

From the photo above you can see the cranes and scaffolding at the back of Sagrada Familia. Construction has been ongoing but you will still be able to visit the completed parts of the church.

If you are interested to learn about the history and the concepts of how Gaudi designed this church, you can join the guided tour. The tour guide will explain to you the facades and the interior of the basilica as well as the museum. Various groups of the guided tour with different languages are available to the visitors. Or you can choose to use the audioguide if you prefer to visit on your own.

The colourful stained-glass inside Sagrada Familia

Very tall pillars that look like tree branches, supporting the high ceiling and roof

The photos above were taken from the interior of the basilica. The concept of the church is inspired by nature, therefore, you can feel like walking in a jungle when you are inside the basilica. So far, this is the only church I came across with very bright interior and resembled natures. I was in awe!

Last but not least, you can pay to visit the tower where you can see the Barcelona city from the high point of the tower. The view is breathtaking.

The city view of Barcelona from the top of Sagrada Familia

Another view of this lovely city, Barcelona from the top of Sagrada Familia

Other Gaudi architectural sites

These buildings are declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO and they were from Antoni Gaudi. You can visit these buildings in the heart of Barcelona city and they are in close proximity to each other. In fact, they are located on the same street named Passeig de Garcia, which is the most expensive street in Barcelona city.

The two buildings shown below are Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. The exterior of the buildings are very unique, presented with curve structure that you do not get to see from other buildings.

Beautiful Casa Mila which was designed by Gaudi in Barcelona

Casa Batllo, one of the famous architecture buildings designed by Gaudi in Barcelona

Park Guell

Another famous work from Antoni Gaudi, but this time it is a park. When you research Barcelona, most probably you will see this park as the feature photo of a lot of websites.

Park Guell is about 30 minutes bus ride from the centre of Barcelona city. The park is located on top of the hill so the roads leading to the park can be a bit winding.

This is a must-visit tourist attraction, therefore, I will suggest getting to the park early if you like to take pictures of the park without many people swamping the whole place.

Park Guell Barcelona Spain — The colourful mosaics in Park Guell

Overview of Park Guell Barcelona Spain — An overview of Park Guell

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic

This fountain is a must see if you visit Barcelona. The fountain displays the combination of colours, light, music, motion and water acrobatics during it performance shows on most Fridays and Saturdays. The music is a mixture of classical music, modern pop songs and film scores.

Admission is free and there are free seatings, so you have to go early to find a spot to wait for the performance to start.

During winter it can be chilly so do bring gloves, scarves and hat to stay warm throughout the performance.

It is simply magical when you watch the combination of water and sounds and light can do. I had goosebumps when the music reached a high point of the performance (I know it was not because of the winter chill). So do check this out if you happen to be in Barcelona during the weekend. I leave you with some photo highlights of the performance.