Barcelona in a weekend

Barcelona, a city on the coast of northeastern Spain, known for their soccer team, the Sagrada de Familia and the capital of Spain. It is a destination that offers something for everyone. It’s an ideal place for a girls trip, a couples city-trip or a mother/daughter getaway. I visited Barcelona together with my mom for our first overseas mother/daughter weekend and it was a big success!

Practical tips

Barcelona International airport or El Prat airport is located about 13 kilometres away from the city center. There are multiple options to reach the city from the airport.

• Metro Train – For just 4.20 are you in the city center of Barcelona. The public public transportation is very efficient and connects the city very effortlessly. When planning to make use of the public transport during your stay look into a Barcelona Metro Pass. There is also a Barcelona City Pass that offers a package that combines preferential skip the line tickets and transport tickets in Barcelona. Figure out what suits best and make use of the passes, because it saves a lot of money!
• Aeroport Bus – Like many airports in Spain, Barcelona also offers an airport bus to the city. The Aeroport bus goes from terminal 1 and leads to the Plaza Espanya. Get on the metro from there to your destination (or walk if it’s located nearby). It takes about 40 minutes.
• Taxi – Private taxi to your hotel. This can be expensive but saves time.

Hotel or apartment

We stayed in an apartment in the area of the Sagrada de Familia. We booked the place through AirBnB and loved it. I would recommend either a hotel or apartment near the city center for easy access to tours and sightseeing attractions. If you book a place outside of the city center just be mindful that you will be adding commute time.

Itinerary 

We had 3.5 days in Barcelona so more than enough time to explore the city. If you have less time I would recommend to skip the lesser known sightseeing attractions and take the time to see the most popular ones such as; The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia and Park Güell and fill up the rest of the time with attractions to your liking. Some of the sightseeing attractions such as Gaudi’s Casa Batllo and Casa Milla will not be found in our trip, since they were under construction when we visited.

Day 1: FC Barcelona and Parc de Montjuïc

FC Barcelona

I am not a fan of football but my mom is so we visited Camp Nou, the home stadium of FC Barcelona since its completion in 1957. The stadium includes a memorabilia shop, mini-pitches for training matches, and a chapel for the players. The stadium also houses the second-most visited museum in Catalonia, the FC Barcelona Museum. Camp Nou has been used for various purposes other than football, often hosting major concerts.

Parc de Montjuic

Montjuic is a lush green garden that hosts lots of artistic, cultural, sports and tourist spaces. The National Palace is one of the great icons of Montjuic Park and also of the city of Barcelona. It hosts the MNAC, a must-see museum for all art lovers. The Montjuic is a mountain hosts a ton of attractions such as the Montjuic Olympic Stadium, Palau Sant Jordi an indoor sports palace, The Montjuïc Telecommunications Tower and Europe Square, Montjuic Castle, The Botanical Garden, The Poble Espanyol, the Olympic and Sports Museum and many more. Montjuic is a mountain and as such it is raised above the general level of the city. It is an easy to find place with good views over Barcelona in many corners over the Montjuic Park.

Day 2: Sagrada de Familia, Barcelona Cathedral and the Gothic Quarters and Palau de la Música Catalana

Sagrada de Familia

The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is a basilica located in Barcelona. The basilica has been under construction since in 1874 the local organization began campaigning for a church honoring the Holy Family. After a couple of years of planning and drawing up plans, the cornerstone of the church was officially laid on 19th March 1882. The basilica is a masterpiece but always crowded, so skip the line by booking tickets online and go as soon as it opens at 9:00 am.

Barcelona Cathedral and the Gothic Quarters

The Cathedral of Barcelona is a massive Gothic Revival Church finished in 1420 (facade and central tower completed in 1913). It is famous for its gargoyles, other mythical animals, and resident geese. It is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona (co-patron saint of Barcelona) and represents 73 other saints in the cathedral. The cathedral is located in the gothic quarters of Barcelona which dates back 2000 years, it is full of charm and captivating history.

Palau de la Música Catalana

Is a concert hall designed in a modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. I advise to take a guided tour through the building. The ticket price is €20 and the tour takes around an hour. The tours have set times 2 times a day (10:00 AM and 3:30 PM), so plan ahead. The tour we took started with a movie about the history of the building and takes you through all the parts of the building that are not open to the public otherwise, such as the balconies, Lluís Millett hall and concert hall. When you walk through the building pay attention to all the flowers. There are more than two thousand roses hidden throughout the building.

Day 3: Arc the Triomf and Platja de la Nova Icaria

Platja de la Nova Icaria

I did not know beforehand but Barcelona has a beach that is a popular choice for families and groups of friends. It is surrounded by a great variety of restaurants and bars, as well as the most comprehensive range of facilities for sports and other activities on the entire coastline.

Day 4: Park Güell and Casa Vicens

Park Güell

One of the public parks of Barcelona is the reflection of Gaudí’s artistic plenitude. Gaudi’s perfected his personal style through inspiration from organic shapes which is reflected in the buildings of the park. The story behind the park is that Güell and Gaudi imagined an organized grouping of high-quality homes in the park decked out with all the latest technological advancements to ensure maximum comfort, finished off with an artistic touch.

Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is the first building of Antoni Gaudí and sowed the seeds of his later works. The house was built between 1883 and 1885 for the Vinces family as a summer home. The new purpose of the building is a museum and cultural space. The building has a main floor, first floor, second floor, rooftop and a garden. The building hosts multiple exhibitions, some are temporary and other permanent.

Other recommendations

There is so much to see in Barcelona, that we could not see everything. I only see it as an opportunity to come back again :-). These are some other great spots according to the internet that should also be on your list of things to visit when you are in Barcelona.

• Carmel Bunkers
• Casa Mila
• Carrer de Pàdua 75
• Recinte Modernista
• Casa Battlò