You're reading: Barcelona’s attractions keep tourists returning

BARCELONA, Spain — It’s no wonder that Barcelona hosts dozens of millions of visitors yearly.

The capital of Catalonia has it all for any kind of tourist: diverse gardens and parks for nature lovers, marvelous UNESCO World Heritage Sites for architecture fans, a variety of fresh seafood and wine for foodies, and the Barceloneta beach for those who can’t think of a vacation without sun bathing and swimming.

A four-hour flight from Ukraine, this sunny city of 1.6 million people would make a perfect destination for any occasion.

Despite the demonstrations that recently occurred demanding strict regulations on Barcelona tourism, the locals are complete sweethearts, cheering “Hola!” to foreigners at every corner.
In addition, Barcelona is quite cheap compared to northern and western Europe, making it possible to schedule a low-budget trip.

But of course, the main gem that attracts tourists is Barcelona’s trademark, Catalan modernism — an architectural style known for its intricate decorations and attention to detail.
For years, the Sagrada Família church, designed by Spanish artist Antoni Gaudí, has been the most-visited site in the city. Gaudí, known as the brightest adept of Catalan Modernism, has designed a number of astounding buildings in Barcelona including Park Güell, Casa Batlló, and Casa Milà. The latter also houses a museum that gives a better understanding of Gaudí’s nature-inspired art.

No less marvelous, Catalan Modernism architecture includes the Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) with its famous rows of multi-colored columns on the balcony and a compound sculptured stage, as well as the former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, a huge complex that used to serve as a hospital and now is a museum that impresses visitors with its symmetry, scale and attention to detail.

All of the listed sights are easy to get to, as they have metro stations nearby and numerous direction signs. However, as the demand to visit these places is extremely high, it is recommended to book tickets ahead, at least several days prior to visiting.

Although Barcelona’s developed transport system can get tourists anywhere at any time of the day, the city center should be explored on foot: not only in the Gothic Quarter but astounding squares and architecture pop up at every corner everywhere around the city.

In addition, wandering around the city will help visitors discover the local Spanish cuisine, which is not to be missed.

It’s extremely difficult to find in Barcelona eateries serving anything other than Spanish cuisine. But that shouldn’t be a problem as local dishes provide an amazing culinary experience.

The first thing to sink teeth into is the local seafood that comes straight from the Mediterranean Sea. The Kiosko Universal at La Boqueria market located on the noisiest city street La Rambla is the best choice for that. The open kitchen place offers grilled salmon, tuna, seabass, monkfish, as well as scallops and baby octopus, all of which can be served with grilled vegetables, mushrooms or french fries. After finishing a meal at Kiosko Universal there’s no need to rush from La Boqueria, as there are plenty of delights to try such as fresh fruit and strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Tapas (appetizers) and sangria (red wine punch with chopped fruit) is another must-try: Enjoy the local spirit along with a choice of small portions of starters such as patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce), cheese cuts, olives and chopitos (buttered and fried tiny squid).

The seafood paella, a savoury rice dish mixed with shrimp, squid, baby octopus and mussels served on a huge plate, is one more treat combining healthy and tasty.

Grupa Andilana, a restaurant group, is a great choice to try paella, fresh fish and meat entrees, and appetizing desserts such as Crema Catalana (similar to crème brûlée). They also have a wide choice of delicious local wine.

Grupa Andilana, which has quite a few eateries in the city center, offers daily menus Mon-Fri that provide a starter, entree, dessert, and a drink for around 12 euros. On holidays and weekends, they offer a bit more sophisticated menu for about 20 euros that covers the same type of meal. Apart from that, the Grupa Andilana’s restaurants are a total delight in picturesque locations with perfect service and aesthetic design.

The Montserrat mountain range, located 60 kilometers northwest from Barcelona, is famous for its multiple rock formations. The range also locates the monastery of the same name and marvelous Basilica of Montserrat, as well as serves as a spiritual place for Catholic believers. (Toma Istomina)

Museums, gardens

And Barcelona is not only known for its architecture and food. Its art scene is impressive as well. For example, the Picasso Museum, which features over 4,000 paintings by Pablo Picasso — one of the greatest artists of all time — is another must-visit. Despite the multiplicity of its collection, the Picasso Museum is no boring or tiring institution. The art is divided into small halls separated by time periods of the artist’s life. Each hall includes a short description of Pablo Picasso’s life and art influences. The museum is an exciting experience of diving deep into the artist’s transformations throughout his lifetime.

Another place to discover rich local art is the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. The place offers a journey through the history of Spanish contemporary art represented by works reflecting on key events of the 20th century, such as the Spanish Civil War and blooming feminism.

Once tourists are done exploring architecture and museums, it’s time to escape the city buzz in the local parks and gardens.

The Botanical Garden of Barcelona, located on the Montjuïc hill, offers extremely diverse plants and trees from all over the world including Australia, Africa, South and North America.

The Parc del Laberint d’Horta is the oldest garden in the city mixing romanticism and neoclassicism. The place combines a variety of sculptures, flowering vine plants and a bush labyrinth that looks pretty small yet is still quite complicated.

And the Parc de la Ciutadella is a palm tree paradise with a breathtaking fountain and the 18th century Palace of the Parliament of Catalonia.

But what definitely should not be missed among all the natural sights is the Montserrat monastery located on its namesake mountain some 60 kilometers northwest from Barcelona. An abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict, Montserrat is not only a symbolic place for Catholic believers who will get a chance to enter the magnificent Basilica of Montserrat but also a picturesque spot for hiking. The mountain view offers scenery with the highest Sant Jeroni peak reaching over 1,200 meters above sea level.

A trip to Montserrat will take a whole day. The best trip on offer is the “Trans Montserrat” ticket which costs 31.60 euros and covers a roundtrip train ride as well as the funicular that goes up to Sant Jeroni and back down. The tickets can be purchased at the Plaça d’Espanya metro station, from where the train to Montserrat departs every hour with the first one leaving at 8.36 a. m. and the last one at 6:36 p. m.

Needless to say, soccer is big in Barcelona, so sport fans will definitely have fun attending a match at the legendary Camp Nou stadium and learning the history of Barcelona Football Club at the stadium’s museum. Soccer game tickets cost from 90 euros depending on the match.

It’s impossible to explore Barcelona in several days so anything less than a one-week vacation sounds too unfair for the city of so many unforgettable experiences.

How to get there?

Lowcost airlines Ryanair and SkyUp offer tickets from 60 euros one way.

Where to stay?

Hotel rooms for one cost from 60 euros per night; Airbnb apartments start from 70 euros per night.

Transport

A T10 pass for 10 rides by any public transport for 10 euros is the best option.