El Clásico Trips Guide to Barcelona

You have your El Clásico package! What else will you do in Barcelona?

Barcelona

This cosmopolitan city is known for its art and architecture. Beautiful buildings and amazing food. Urban beaches and world-renowned museums. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Barcelona

Camp Nou

• Home of FC Barcelona since it opened on September 24, 1957

• Originally going to be named “Estadi del FC Barcelona” but the more popular Camp Nou (meaning the “new ground”) was used

• With a seating capacity of 99,354, it is the largest stadium in Spain and Europe (and 3rd largest football stadium in the world)

Antoni Gaudí

Gaudí is known for his distinctive style and for being one of the best-known practitioners of “Catalan Modernism.” The following 7 buildings in Barcelona have been named UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

• Parque Güell, Palacio Güell, Colonia Güell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Familia

MUSEUMS

Barcelona has several excellent museums. Here are just a few.

• Picasso Museum: Home to over 4,000 works by Pablo Picasso. We recommend buying tickets in advance (lines to buy tickets the day of can be over 2 hours long).

• Fundacion Joan Miró

• Moco Museum Barcelona: Iconic works by modern and contemporary artists

• IDEAL Centre d’Arts Digitals: High-tech gallery with immersive art

• Museo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC): A most varied and comprehensive collection of Catalan art in the world

Food Markets

Barcelona is full of food markets that sell everything from fresh fruit to tapas.

• La Boqueria: The largest and most well-known market in Barcelona located off Las Ramblas

• Santa Caterina Market: Barcelona’s first covered food market which was renovated in 2005

• Mercat de Sant Antoni: An authentic market experience

RESTAURANTS & TAPAS BARS

• Can Sole: excellent paella and seafood dishes $$$

• El Asador de Aranda: Best slow-cooking cuisine $$

• Restaurante Salamanca: cocina mediterranea frente al mar $$

• El Xampanyet: traditional tapas $$

• Bar Alegria: modernist tapas $$

• Tapeo: well-known classics $$

• Bodega La Puntual: authentic food $$

• Bodega Biarritz 1881 Tapas Bar: traditional in a rustic setting (cash only) $$

• Ciudad Condal: Popular Tapas $$

• El Nacional: gastronomic multispace $$-$$$

Sights

• Parc de la Ciutadella (free): Barcelona’s biggest park has a lake, a large fountain, and is home to the city zoo

• Las Ramblas (free): Barcelona’s most famous street filled with shops, cafes, historical sites, and street vendors

• Poble Espanyol: Open-air architectural museum

• Gothic Quarter: Old city center and a good one for getting lost in its labyrinth streets

• Arc de Triomf

• Barcelona Cathedral

• La Barceloneta Beach is great for people-watching and has great restaurants

Check out this blog post to see what other things you can do in Barcelona during the holidays.