15 BARCELONA ATTRACTIONS TO SEE
This post lists places that are considered as best Barcelona attractions you must see when you visit Barcelona. I also gathered information on location, entrance, and transportation for every place listed to ensure you are well prepared for your trip.
Tourists every year go to Barcelona to see historical buildings from the medieval time, museums, parks, beaches and other Barcelona attractions. In addition, Barcelona is a vibrant city full of culture and art. Here are the top Barcelona attractions.
If you want a downloadable Barcelona Travel Guide with these places, traditional food to eat, restaurants serving traditional food, transportation to and from the airport and around Barcelona and basic things to know, DOWNLOAD THE FREE BARCELONA GUIDE HERE.
1| Park Guell
Park Guell is one of the major works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona. He teamed up with the entrepreneur Eusebi Guell after Guell was impressed with a few of Gaudi’s works, mainly his exhibition in Paris in 1878.
Location & Entrance: An adult ticket is €7; it will give you access to the monumental zone. If you want to visit Gaudi’s House Museum at Park Guell you will pay extra. Park Guell’s address is Carrer d’Olot, s/n, 08024 Barcelona, Spain.
You can buy tickets online or at the gate when you arrive at the park. I would recommend purchasing tickets online as the ticket queue at the gate is very long. When you are buying online, you will be asked to choose the time you want to visit the park. Don’t go too early as you will not enter the paying zones before your allocated time slot.
Once you enter you can stay as long as you want; don’t go out of the gate before finishing your tour as you won’t be allowed back in. For information on opening times and tickets visit the Official Website for Park Guell.
Transportation: Buses 24 and 92 stop at the main entrance of Park Guell. Bus Turístic and Barcelona City Tour also stop outside the park’s main entrance. The nearest metro stations are Vallcarca and Lesseps on the Green Line (L3), it is a 15 minute walk from both stations and some streets are steep. When visiting Park Guell, taking a bus is more convenient than metro, in my opinion. Find more information on how to get there here.
2| Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia Cathedral is a well known spot in Barcelona that attracts millions of visitors every year. Antoni Gaudi started constructing the cathedral in 1883 and worked on it until he died in 1926. Sagrada Familia and other works of Antoni Gaudi are the must see Barcelona attractions. Here is an in-depth article on Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
Location & Entrance: Sagrada Familia’s address is Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain. Please find entry fees on the cathedral’s Official Website.
Transportation: The nearest metro station is Sagrada Familia. Line 2 and 5 will take you there. You can also get there by buses 19, 33, 34, 43, 44, 50, 51, B20 and B24.
3| La Rambla
La Rambla is the most famous street in Spain. Laid out in 1766, it is more like a pedestrian mall/street with cafés, restaurants and shops. It runs from the center of Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya) all the way to the beach just after the Christopher Columbus monument, covering approximately 1.2km. Palau Guell and Placa Reial are some of the Barcelona attractions off La Rambla Street.
La Rambla acts like a boundary between El Raval and Gothic Quarter. One famous Spanish Poet, Federico García Lorca, described La Rambla as so beautiful and that it is the only street in the whole world he wishes to never end.
Location & Entrance: Entrance is FREE (it is a public street). La Rambla’s address is 08002, Barcelona, Spain.
Transportation: Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes are the three Metro stops in La Rambla Street.
4| Gothic Quarter
Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) is located east of La Rambla and has buildings dated from the 15th century. Attractions in the Gothic Quarter include the Placa Reial, Call Jueu, City Hall, Palau de la Generalitat, as well as gothic churches such as the Cathedral, Santa Maria del Pi and Sants Just i Pastor.
Placa Reial is a square you will find just off La Rambla Street and one of the main Barcelona attractions in Gothic Quarter. A beautiful fountain was planted in the middle of the square and has Gaudi’s lamp posts. Very good and popular restaurants are found here. Most of popular night places are also located here making this area suitable for both daylight sightseeing as well as dining and night life.
City Hall is very popular and also known as the Casa de la Ciutat and is found in the middle of Gothic Quarter. You will also find colorful homes belonging to local people and the old Jewish Quarter called Call Jueu, which has narrow streets and remains of the ancient synagogue.
Location & Entrance: You can walk around the streets of Gothic Quarter for FREE. Plaça Reial’s address is 08002 Barcelona.
Transportation: The nearest metro stations are Liceu and Drassanes. Buses 14, 59, 91 will get you there.
5| Parc de la Ciutadella
This park is very beautiful and attracts many visitors from around the world. My favorite place is the waterfall and the small lake in the park; Barcelona Zoo is also located there and on its own stands as one of the must see Barcelona attractions. See this in-depth article on Ciutadella Park.
Location & Entrance: Entrance to Parc de la Ciutadella is FREE and the address is Passeig de Picasso, 21, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Transportation: Metro Line 4 stops at Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica station. Buses 39, 40, 41, 42, 51 and 141 go there. You can also take a Tram, T4 stops at Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica Station or Wellington Station. Barcelona Tour Buses stop at Parc de la Ciutadella-Zoo.
6| Arc de Triomf
Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona is a stunning brownish structure that sits outside Ciutadella Park and is almost identical to the Arch of Triumph in Paris.
Location & Entrance: You do not pay to see Arc de Triomf. The address is Passeig de Lluís Companys, 08018, Barcelona.
Transportation: The nearest metro station is ‘Arc de Triomf’ on the red line (L1).
7| Casa Batllo
Casa Batllo is another masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi that sits magnificently in Barcelona. Like Gaudi’s other works, Casa Batllo is at the top of Barcelona attractions that will never lose its magnet.
Location & Entrance: Casa Batllo is open from Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm and an adult ticket is sold at €22.50. The address is Passeig de Gràcia, 43, 08007 Barcelona.
Transportation: The nearest metro station is Passeig de Gràcia on lines 2, 3 and 4. Buses 22, 24, 7, V15 and H10 will take you to Casa Batllo. You can also take a train. For Renfe trains, the nearest station is Passeig de Gràcia, while for FGC trains the nearest station is Provença station.
8| Plaça de Catalunya
Plaça de Catalunya is the center of virtually everything right in Barcelona City Center. This is a large square where you will find a tourist information office, fountains, sculptures, a large shopping mall with department stores, as well as Catalunya Metro station that connects you to almost all places in and outside Barcelona City.
Aerobus, that transports people to and from Barcelona del Prat Airport, is parked here. You will also find hop on-hop off tour buses at this square.
Location & Entrance: Placa de Catalunya’s address is Plaça de Catalunya, 08002 Barcelona. This is an open square and entrance is FREE.
Transportation: The nearest metro station is Catalunya on Green Line (L3) and Red Line (L1). Also, buses 14, 24, 41, 42, 55, 58, 59, 67, 68, 91, H16, V15 stop at Catalunya Square.
9| Platja de la Nova Icària Beach
This beach is very clean and sandy; my favorite place in Barcelona. It is mostly visited by foreigners and has nice cafés. Also, nearby there are very good restaurants and night clubs right next to Port Olímpic. Some famous restaurants/clubs located here are Shoko, CDLC, and Opium.
Bathing assistance for people with reduced mobility is available. You can play volleyball and table tennis here. You can also rent small sailing boats, canoes etc. You need to reserve in advance, contact details are Centre Municipal de Vela – CMV Moll de Gregal, s/n. Port Olímpic. Tel. 932 257 940 | website here.
As much as I loved this beach, I was not happy when my lovely hat got stolen. I still do not know how it happened. Please watch your possessions closely. Also, there are local women on the beach offering massage services; as lovely as they are they hound you for business even after you say no a million times.
Location & Entrance: Nova Icaria’s address is Passeig Marítim de la Nova Icària, 60, 08005 Barcelona. It is FREE to sit anywhere on the beach but you pay about €7 to sit under a shade and €7 for the beach chair.
Transportation: The nearest metro stations are Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica and Bogatell on Line 4. Buses 36, 92, H16, V27 will also take you there. For Trams, take T4 and get off at Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica (please note that you will walk about 10 – 15 minutes from this tram station to Nova Icaria Beach.
There are nice 10 Beaches in Barcelona you can visit, some of which are considered best Barcelona attractions.
10| La Boqueria Market
Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria is one of the biggest and prominent food markets in the whole of Europe. This market is often referred to as La Boqueria and is situated in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona. La Boqueria has its entrance from La Rambla right at the center of Barcelona City. Different commodities are sold in the market, but it is well known for its fruits and spices.
Location & Entrance: It is FREE to enter the market; the address is La Rambla, 91, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.
Transportation: The nearest metro station is Liceu on Line 3; you can also get off at Catalunya station. Buses 14, 59 and 91 also go there.
11| La Pedrera
Casa Mila is another name of La Pedrera. Pedrera means quarry and normally used by the local people because of its stone-like appearance. Antoni Gaudi designed the building in the 1900’s for the famous and wealthy Mila family.
Location & Entrance: La Pedrera is open from Monday to Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm. An individual adult ticket costs €20.50. For more information on tickets and general visitors information click here. La Pedrera’s address is Passeig de Gràcia, 92. 08008, Barcelona
Transportation: The nearest metro station is estació Diagonal (Lines 3 and 5). Buses 7,16,17, 22, 24 and V17 will also take you there. For trains, the train station Passeig de Gràcia services this location.
12| Barceloneta Beach
Barceloneta Beach is one of the oldest beaches in Barcelona. Restaurants are lined up along this beach and the food is amazing. Wi-fi is available at the beach offered by the City of Barcelona.
Sports activities offered are table tennis, beach tennis, and beach volleyball. There is a gymnastics area as well.
Location & Entrance: Barceloneta is a public beach and FREE. The address is Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 16, 08003 Barcelona.
Transportation: Buses 45, 59, D20 will take you there. The nearest metro station is Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica on Line 4. Tram (T4) will go to the same station (it’s a 10-minute walk from this station to Barceloneta Beach).
13| Camp Nou
Camp Nou, the home of F.C. Barcelona, is a huge stadium and one of the most visited places in Barcelona. It attracts tourists who are interested in seeing the stadium as one of Barcelona attractions and/or attend an event, particularly a seasonal football game. The Camp Nou Experience, offered at the stadium, includes a tour of the stadium and a visit to galleries.
Location & Entrance: Camp Nou Experience tour costs €23 per person. Visit this page for tour tickets; for football game tickets click here.Camp Nou’s address is Avinguda d’Arístides Maillol, s/n. Estadi FCB, accesos 7 o 9, 08028, Barcelona.
Transportation: Metro stations are Palau Reial on Line 3 and Collblanc on Line 5. Buses 50, 54, 75, 113, D20, H8, H10, L12 as well as Barcelona Tour Buses go there; you can also get there by Trams T1/T2/T3-Avinguda de Xile.
14| Barcelona Zoo
Barcelona Zoo sits on 14 hectares of land that is connected to Ciutadella Park. It has over 7,000 animals and was founded in 1892. People who travel with children would love the Zoo as they have dolphin shows and pony rides.
Location & Entrance: An adult ticket costs €19.90 but children under the age of 3 enter for free. Barcelona Zoo’s address is Parc de la Ciutadella s/n, 08003, Barcelona.
Transportation: Nearest metro stations are Barceloneta and Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica on the yellow line 4 (L4), and Marina and Arc de Triomf stations on the red line 1 (L1). You can also get there by tram; take the T4 and get off at Ciutadella – Vila Olímpica station.
Renfe train stations Arc de Triomf and Estació de França serve this area. You can also take buses D20, H14, H16, V21, V27.
15| Picasso Museum
Museu Picasso was opened in 1963 and has Pablo Picasso’s art collection. The museum attracts millions of people from all over the world to see Picasso’s masterpieces.
Location & Entrance: an adult pays €11 to see the collection. If you want an audio guide you pay €16 for a ticket. For more information on rates and opening times click here. Make sure you buy tickets online to avoid long queues at the ticket office outside the museum. Picasso Museum’s address is Montcada 15-23, 08003 Barcelona.
Transportation: The nearest metro station is Jaume I on line 4. Buses 17, 39, 45, 51, 120, V17 will take you there.
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