Walking Las Ramblas and wandering around the sun-warmed streets in the city of Barcelona in Catalonia is like stepping back in time. Everywhere you look you are greeted by the magnificent architecture from the mind of Antonio Gaudi or little tapas bars offering up tantalizing morsels. But with only a couple days in this sun-drenched city what are the must-see, dos, and eats for a weekend away?
What To See
No trip would be complete without looking at some of Gaudi’s finest feats of architecture with the Sagrada Família. This basilica features a variety of style components which you will see ranging from Catalan Modernism to Art Nouveau. It looks like something out of a Salvador Dali dream. After wandering around here you should take yourself on a walking tour of some of Gaudi’s other works like Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. After that, you should definitely hit the famous Barceloneta Beaches for some tanning and sangria drinking.
What To Eat
The food and drinks in Barcelona are some of the finest in the world. You simply have to sample the various tapas bars. Tapas are designed to be shared which means nobody orders a main dish all for themselves. Instead, you order a variety of small plates AKA tapas and everyone samples something from each dish. You may worry that you won’t get enough to eat but the beauty of this is that you keep ordering more until you are full. Quimet & Quimet is world renowned as is Palosanto. For dessert, you should opt for some Crema Catalana which is kind of like a mix between flan and creme brulee. It is divine.
Where To Stay
Barcelona has a ton of amazing options at any price point as it is a very affordable city overall. Staying on one of the many side streets off of Las Ramblas puts you in easy walking distance of almost all attractions or you can choose to catch one of the hop-on-hop-off buses if you don’t want to walk all over the city, although there is nothing quite like wandering around the cobbled streets and little hidden parks in our opinion. This is called the Gothic Quarter and is the old city. Hotel Mercer is only a five-minute walk from the Sagrada and features a rooftop pool, old exposed brick walls, and modern furniture that will please the discerning guest. If you want something more luxurious than that Hotel 1898 which is literally smack dab on Las Ramblas and has a rooftop that overlooks the area is the place to be.