1 – Walk through the city. Everything in Barcelona is quite close and you can easily walk through 4 different neighbourhoods in one day, or more, depends on how fast you walk. Furthermore, you can only get to know Barcelona if you have walked its narrow streets, drunk a coffee on a terrace, and watched the people walk by. In Barcelona life happens on the street, just be there and you’re a part of it. Just be sure that you have a great pair of walking shoes. Before your trip, invest a little money on a pair from stores like JC Penney and Kohl’s. You’ll be able to get an affordable pair that will allow you to walk around the city pain-free.
2 – Go to Park Güell, the colourful garden complex designed by catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, who is famous for buildings all around the city. Enjoy the amazing views from the mosaic terrace, listen to musicians play in different corners of the park, walk to the cross at the highest point of the park, make a picture with the dragon “el drac” at the entrance and walk under curved columns.
3 – Visit Sagrada Familia. Barcelona’s hallmark, the still incomplete church, also designed by Gaudí, is a must-see when you visit the city. Constructions of the huge building started in 1882, Gaudí joined the project one year later. Since Gaudís death in 1926, different architects continue the work after his original idea and the church is meant to be finished in 2026, 100 years after Gaudís death.
The entrance is seldom for free, however, it’s already worthwhile to see the church from the outside, and if you are lucky, you can get in for free attending mass service.
4 – Visit a museum. Every first Sunday of the month, several museums open their doors for free to the public from 15-20 pm, take advantage and do a little bit culture on a rainy day, for example in the following museums:
Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA), Museu Picasso, Museu Marítim de Barcelona, La Virreina – Centre de la imatge, Disseny Hub Barcelona, Museu de las Arts Decoratives, Museu Téxtil i de Indumentària, Museu Barbier-Mueller d’Art Precolombí, Museu de Ceràmica, Museu de la Música, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Jardí Botànic, Museu Frederic Marès, Museu-Monestir de Pedralbes
5 – Make a picnic in Parc de la Ciutadella. On a warm spring day there’s nothing better you can do. Parc de la Ciutadella is no spectacular garden, but it attracts spectacular people. As soon as the winter backs off and the first sunbeams warm the skin, everyone goes to the park to make Yoga, juggle, walk their dogs, balance on a rope, play guitar or simply sit down, relax, read a book and enjoy the moment.
6 – Visit a market. Barcelona’s markets have it all: fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat of all sorts and fish, and everything is fresh. The most famous one is right next to the Ramblas: “La Boqueria”. Just walk around and let your senses experience the different colours and smells.
If you want to buy fish for a dinner, this is the best place to do so (although that’s not free anymore)
7 – Swim in the sea. After having dined all the good fish, jamón ibérico, tapas and some cervezas, you have to do some sports, even on vacation. So take your beach bag and go to the beach. It’s recommendable to take a train and drive a little bit outside of Barcelona, both in the north and in the south you find beautiful beach spots. However, if you are on a small timetable, Barcelona beaches are acceptable as well for a little swimming and sunbathing.