Hans Christian Andersen had the following to say about Barcelona back in 1862, and his words are as true today as they were 153 years ago: “We crossed wide streets, with buildings that resembled palaces. On La Rambla the shops were well lit and there was movement and life... I decided not to go to bed, even if I wanted to, so I could get up early and contemplate, during the day, this city, unknown to me: Barcelona, Capital of Catalonia”.

Barcelona is still the capital of Catalonia and nowadays the second largest city in Spain. The city is beautifully located by the Mediterranean Sea with higher mountains in the background and fine sandy beaches spread out along the sea. Today, Barcelona is a tourist destination of hysterical proportions (in fact, they recently introduced restrictions on the rental of housing to dampen tourism somewhat) and in Europe, only Rome and Paris have more visitors annually.

In this guide to the city, we go through everything from attractions and shopping to hotel offers and general tips on what not to miss, what to avoid, etc.

Entertainment Barcelona

Barcelona, ​​like so many other large Spanish cities, really never sleeps and it is never empty of people on the parade street La Rambla (don't miss the world's most powerful food market La Boqueria) and the surrounding area. In short, Barcelona boasts perhaps the most vibrant entertainment scene in all of Europe.

As the big city of Barcelona is, there is not really a central entertainment scene, but the range of restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues is scattered throughout the city. Some tips, however, are the Barceloneta district, which has a rich selection of good restaurants with fish and seafood on the menu, as well as Port Olímpic, which is an area with both restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs. Note that these areas have a large focus on tourists and for a more authentic feeling of Barcelona, ​​it may be an idea to visit other parts of the city, such as the sizzling El Born!

Tip: unlike most other Spanish cities, you don't get free tapas when you buy a drink at a bar. If you want something to eat, you must order it separately. Some bars have buffets, from which you can certainly take as much as you want, but sooner or later they will come to your table with the bill.

Sights Barcelona

The attraction for which Barcelona is perhaps best known, the basilica La Sagrada Familia , is located in the Eixample district, about three kilometers from the city center. La Sagrada Familia is a special sight and the basilica is a definite must-see.

La Rambla is the perfect starting point for a sightseeing tour of Barcelona. The street, which is an attraction in itself, runs from the statue of Columbus at the port, through Plaça de Catalunya and another kilometer north through the city.

Along La Rambla are several of the more exciting neighborhoods. Barri Gòtic, Barcelona's old town, is a colorful and charming place with a lot to see. La Ribera, home to the Picasso Museum, is another landmark.

Another special attraction is Parc Güell in the northern part of the city.

Barcelona's playa , which stretches from Barceloneta to the Fórum, was created in connection with the 1992 Olympics. Before that, the area was known as "Barcelona's Manchester" and was one of the largest old industrial areas in the world. However, they completely demolished all the industrial buildings and dumped them in the sea, and then filled the area with sand, sunbeds, volleyball courts, shower areas, bike paths and chiringutios (beach restaurants). A real sunshine story. Incidentally, the beaches are cleaner than the above anecdote makes them appear to be...

Going to see FC Barcelona at the mighty Camp Nou is another thing you cannot miss if you visit Barcelona. It's actually pretty easy to get tickets because it's rarely crowded.

Museums in Barcelona

The Picasso Museum has works from the artist's early, and according to many most exciting, period.

If Pablo's surrealist paintings aren't your thing, visit the Catalan Museum, which has, among other things, a world-famous collection of art from the Roman era.

Barcelona's history museum has, among other things, a rich collection of Roman artefacts.

However, the museum that, in our opinion, stands out the most in the city is the maritime museum, which is the world's best-preserved medieval shipping port.

Chocolate lovers must visit the Museu de la Xocolata chocolate museum, which tells the story of chocolate - from the Aztec Empire to Europe, via Barcelona - the port where chocolate imports began in 1528.

The history of Barcelona

• Barcelona has a mythical history as well as a more scientifically proven ditto. According to myth, it was Carthage (a prominent culture, headquartered in North Africa, which was later completely destroyed by the Roman Empire) that founded the city around 236 BC. Historians believe, however, that it was the Romans who laid out the city, this on a city building erected by the Iberians.
• Barcelona became a county under Wilfred the Hairy in 878 and through this the city became an administrative center in Catalonia. With the merger of Aragon and Catalonia in 1150, Barcelona's position was further strengthened and the city has been a central location for the entire Mediterranean region ever since.
• Looking at the more modern history, Barcelona was one of the first industrial cities in Spain and it was the emerging cotton industry in the first half of the 19th century that put the city on the map. During the civil war, Barcelona was the capital of the republicans in the fight against Franco. The contradictions, which intensified during this period, between Madrid and Barcelona are still alive today, not least when the cities' 2 biggest football teams clash in "El Clásico".
• Art history is rich in the city, and it was here that Picasso had his heyday, although he was born in Malaga , and later moved to Paris. However, Catalonia's great son in terms of art is Salvador Dalí (his museum is in his hometown of Figueres, 2 hours north of Barcelona).
• When it comes to architecture, Barcelona has produced a number of historically prominent architects, and we think above all of Antoni Gaudi - perhaps the world's most prominent architect ever. His buildings, parks and monuments characterize the entire Barcelona cityscape, not least when his great vision la Sagrada familia. This huge and fantastic basilica is planned (although no one really understands how it will be done) to be completely completed in 2026, 100 years after Gaudi's death.

Shopping in Barcelona

This is undoubtedly one of the best cities in the world for shopping. Here you can find everything from small shops with spices, olive oils and wines to exclusive flagship stores for the biggest fashion houses. However, the city is still the best when it comes to home decor and art.

Shopping districts you should visit are Barri Gótic and Placa de sant Josep Oriol. If you like big department stores and chains, walk down the street Avinguda Portal de l'Angel. Zara, El Corte Inglés and all the other major Spanish chains can be found here. If you like to shop where the locals shop (at least the trendiest ones) visit the El Born neighborhood. Many streets there are indeed lined with boring shops for tourists, but if you go into the side streets you will find a whole world full of really cool, quirky shops.

Avoid the tourist quarter Carrer de la Portaferrissa which is between the cathedral and Las Ramblas.

Accommodation in Barcelona

Admittedly, the city is the most expensive in Spain, but there is still a lot of cheap accommodation in Barcelona. However, book well in advance, especially during the summer.

Tip 1 : more expensive hotels that are otherwise aimed at business people are generally cheaper during summer and weekends. Here's a link with the best deals on hotels in the city right now (hotels.com) .
They also have a nice selection of holiday apartments and villas. Tip 2: if you want to live a little more quietly and not be disturbed by the partying night people, you should rather request, when you book, a room that is "tranquilo" (quiet) and not "con vista" (with a view). This applies in particular to the slightly cheaper hotels.

Do you want to rent an apartment for a longer period (at least 6 months) in the city? We cooperate with one of Spain's largest banks, which has its headquarters in Barcelona. They have since a few years ago started renting out apartments at a very good price for long-term rentals (long stay). Write to info@spanskafastigheter.se and we will get back to you with more information.

Aviation and other Communications

Communications by flight from Sweden to Barcelona are excellent and you can fly both regularly and with slightly cheaper airlines. With scheduled flights, you land at Barcelona-El Prat International Airport. From this airport, you can get to the city center by both bus and train (both modes of travel take about 30 minutes, and are clearly cheaper options than taxis). Tips on cheap flights to, for example, Barcelona.

Some low-cost airlines also serve this airport, but most of the low-cost airlines have other smaller airports nearby ( Girona and Reus to take two examples) as bases. Ryanair is based in Girona, which is about a mile from Barcelona. There are buses to Barcelona about 20-25 minutes after landing. Taxis cost over 100 Euros.

Many of the sights in Barcelona are within fairly easy walking distance, but it can be good to know that the city has both a metro and a well-developed bus network. We do not recommend renting a car during your visit to the city.

The weather in Barcelona

Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. It rarely gets lower than five degrees, not even in January, and in summer the average temperature is fairly stable above 25 degrees.

Barcelona housing market – expensive but bank properties are affordable

• As we previously mentioned, we work with a major Spanish bank , which has its headquarters in Barcelona. They therefore always have plenty of apartments in the city and its surroundings.
• Subscribe to our newsletter with properties in Barcelona. 
• We would like to point out that it is expensive in the central parts of the city, even when it comes to bank withdrawals (the alternatives are too expensive for most people though).
• Price example of the cheapest apartment for sale (bankruptcy object) in the central parts of Barcelona at the time of writing: Apartment with 3 bedrooms, 51 m2, year of construction 1966, last renovation 2001, costs 51000 Euro. It is located in the neighborhood of Horta-Guinardó.

Are you looking for a home in the Barcelona area? Write to info@spanskafastigheter.se and we will get back to you shortly.