Barcelona, the wonderful capital of Catalonia, has a lot to offer its visitors – I’ll tell you what you can not miss there! I have been there for two times and I was never diasppointed!

I would like to begin with the most famous attraction – La Sagrada Familia! It is a beautiful church that never seems to finish. When I was in Barcelona for the first time (2010), it was a single construction site. 2014 was not much different. Of impressive precision is the Roman Catholic Church in the Eixample district, designed by the famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, whose architectural style can be found throughout the city. Especially in the interior of the church, it becomes clear that Gaudí likes to be inspired by nature in his buildings. For example, the pillars in the interior of the church are based on trees that form a trunk below and branch out further to branches, which carry the church vault like a magnificent treetop. The exterior facades of the church, on the other hand, captivate with their magnificent facades and gates, complex ornaments and richness of detail. 

Started in 1882, according to current information, the Sagrada Família is to be completed in 2026 – the 100th anniversary of the death of Gaudí, who was hit by a tram in 1926 on his way to the construction site of the Sagrada Família.

You should definitely book tickets for the Sagrada Família in advance, as there can often be looooooooong queues with several hours of waiting time.

Park Güell is arguably one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. From 1900 to 1914, this spacious park was also designed by Gaudí as part of a residential development in the Gràcia district. Known around the world are, among other things, the spiral-shaped bank decorated with ceramics, reminiscent in shape of the waves of the sea or serpentine lines, as well as the salamander fountain. In its entirety, the park, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, is a genuine declaration of love for Gaudí’s nature: Park Güell is a green artery in the midst of vibrant city life. High above the city, the view of the city and the sea beyond is spectacular. In addition, the park’s many small seating areas invite you to picnic and relax in a fairytale atmosphere.

Originally Gaudí wanted to build a whole quarter of imaginative houses, nestled in beautiful palm groves. But there was never enough money and the park could not be completed. Only three houses have been built: the home of the Güell family, today a school, Gaudí’s home, a museum since 1963 as Gaudí’s Casa-Museu, and the home of an architect friend who is still inhabited today.

La Pedrera means translated “the quarry” and is actually the mocking name for another building of Gaudí. The inhabitants of Barcelona quickly started making fun of Gaudi’s building, also called Casa Milà, and giving it the name “La Pedrera” – due to the unusual architecture of the house and especially its irregular facades, which reminded the inhabitants of a quarry. While some of the floors of the house are still rented to families, today some of the rooms as well as the spacious roof terrace of the house can be visited. A visit to “the quarry” is really worthwhile, because it was only gradually that a broader public became aware of how forward-looking and modern Casa Milà was: Gaudí pioneered the entire secular architecture with this building. Its sophisticated, natural ventilation made air conditioning superfluous, the walls in each apartment can be changed individually, and an underground car park is also available. Even elevators provided his plans, but these were installed much later.

I was not really a culture fanatic so far, but Gaudi is really an artist who can convince. The buildings on the roof terrace are really unique and therefore I liked the house best of all sights.

The Montjuïc is considered as the local mountain of Barcelona and is a real magnet for tourists and locals due to its various sights and magnificent green spaces. Among the attractions of the house mountain include the Castell de Montjuïc, Poble Espanyol, various museums, and the Font Màgica, whose water features are illuminated two days a week. For the 173 meters of Montjuïc you can use the cable car and the cable car.

Here you can see the cable car:

Here is the Castell de Montjuic and the fantastic view:

And finally the Font Màgica, shich was really nice to visit in the evening:

The world-famous “La Rambla” promenade in the center of Barcelona can be described as a mixture of Oxford Street and Camden Lock Market in London, for those who really want to go shopping in Barcelona are in for the Rambla: small locals Shops lined up with well-known fashion chains, cafes and restaurants with culinary delights and flower shops provide a colorful sea of beauty. The approximately 1.3-kilometer promenade connects Barcelona’s main transport hub, Plaça de Catalunya, with the city’s port. On both sides of the Rambla is limited by roadways, which can be a real challenge for the waiters of the cafes. It is especially nice to observe how the various sections of the promenade have their own character while strolling along the Rambla.

Anyone interested in football will love the Camp Nou. Opened in September 1957, Camp Nou has since become the home ground of FC Barcelona. With around 99,350 seats, Camp Nou, which translates as “new playing field” by the way, is the largest football stadium in Europe. If you are interested, you can even visit the football stadium during a stadium tour. At the so-called “Camp Nou Experience” you start at the Club Museum of FC Barcelona and then visit various sections of the stadium. But you have to consider if you are a real football fan – it was very expensive, so we did not visit it from the inside:

In addition to all the various sights, shopping and cultural attractions of the city, it is special the mix of vibrant city and relaxing beach holiday, which is easily possible in Barcelona and makes the city so interesting. Barcelona has a total of four main beach areas, which extend to around 4.2 kilometers: The Platja de la Nova Icària is especially suitable for families with children. The Platja Mar Bella Nova is a rather quiet beach, which is mainly visited by the locals of Barcelona. The Platja de Bogatell is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Barcelona and the Barceloneta beach section is very popular in the summer especially among the many tourists in the city. You can easily go for a walk and visit also its beautiful harbour with all its shops:

The facade of Casa Batlló is intended to depict the legend of the dragon slayer Georg: The iridescent stones and patterns are supposed to reproduce dragon scales. The natives of Barcelona call this work Gaudí’s “Casa dels Ossos”, which means “house of bones” in English. The facade reflects the legend of Saint George, patron saint of Catalonia: the roof represents the scales of the dragon against which Saint George fought, the cross on the roof is his lance. The wrought-iron balconies stand for skulls and the gallery on the first floor is to show the dragon’s mouth.

…and for the ones who do not have yet enough, you can also visit “La Borsa de Barcelona”, another cathedral, paint some funny art or only go for a walk and enjoy!