Find your inner Cheetah Girl and head to Barcelona. (really hoping you all got that reference). Barcelona is big city meets sophisticated college town. It’s bright and spread out and has some serious New York City vibes.
Barca feels much newer in many ways compared to other Spanish cities. While art is around every corner of this urban mecca, it’s not as historical as the capital city of Madrid – if you’re looking to visit castles and such.
I had three days to get acquainted with the city and here’s the itinerary I came up with.
LA SAGRADA FAMILIA
The Roman Catholic basilica is unlike others you’ve visited before. It’s funky meets gothic in the coolest way thanks to the artist who dreamed it up – Antoni Gaudi.
If you plan to visit, buy your tickets in advance. I missed out on a tour of the interior because I didn’t think to book a ticket until the day before I wanted to go and they were all sold out through the weekend.
GAUDI
Casa Milà and Casa Batllo are two uber cool museums to visit if you have time.
Casa Milà, also called La Pedrera, was the private residence of Gaudi. For 22 euros, take a tour. Casa Milà has a pretty awesome outdoor park to explore.
Batllo is my preferred Gaudi house. The experience is like something from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I dare you to find a straight line anywhere in or on the building, there aren’t any.
Buy your tickets online and reserve a time for both of these so you can cut down on your wait time. 
CAMP NOU
Two words: FORCA BARCA. Soccer fan or not, Camp Nou is a right of passage when you’re visiting Barcelona. Buy yourself a ticket and enjoy.
Parc Guëll
Another Gaudi creation, this park is kooky and fun — Willy Wonka would once again approve. It was originally built to be a neighborhood, but was abandoned mid-project when nobody was willing to buy some of the homes. It takes about 2 hours to get through the park and costs 10 euro or $15. For $29, some sites have ‘skip the line’ tickets, something to consider if you’re going on a weekend.
Know before you go: pickpocketing is terrible in this park. Be aware of your surroundings.
MONTSERRAT
This is technically a day trip from Barcelona. It’s about an hour outside the city, but you can easily book tours with transportation included. You’ll get to visit an incredible monastery on the Barcelona mountainside. You even get to taste some pretty potent monk-made liquor. If you have time, take the tram up to the very top of the mountain near the Montserrat Spain Cross. There you’ll get the best view.
TAPAS
Spain is where tapas were created. Don’t miss out.
No Comments