A weekend in BCN

Do you only have a weekend or a couple of days and are you planning to take an express getaway to Barcelona? Don't worry! Although Barcelona is an inexhaustible source of places to visit, with a weekend you have enough time to discover the most important and iconic places in the city, although you will have to get up early and walk a little to be able to make the most of the hours. Below we propose a route so that you don't miss any of the essentials.

If you like “free tours”, short stays are a good way to get situated on the first day and get a little familiar with the city. In addition, the guides always give local tips and recommendations that can be very interesting.

DAY 1

Our route starts from Park Güell , one of Gaudí's masterpieces. After visiting the park and admiring the incredible panoramic views, we walk down in a straight line until we find ourselves, along Carrer Sardenya or Marina, with the jewel in the crown, the Sagrada Familia (you can also go down by bus with the V19 ) . Remember that in order to visit it it is necessary to purchase tickets in advance through the official website .

A few minutes walk away, following Av. Gaudí, is the Hospital de Sant Pau , a modernist facility that seems straight out of a fairy tale. If you go with time, it is worth visiting even if it is just to take a walk and visit its surroundings.

We leave this area of Eixample aside, the next stop is in the historic center of the city, we head towards the Gothic Quarter. You could get there on foot, but we recommend taking the metro to Urquinaona (L4) and walking down Via Laietana or going directly to Jaume I (L4) to visit the Barcelona Cathedral (you can enter for free).

The Gothic area is a good place to take a break for lunch, there are bars and restaurants of all kinds, although if you want to try a traditional daily menu, near the Basilica of Santa María del Pi, on Carrer d'en Quintana 5, you will find Can Culleretes, the oldest restaurant in all of Catalonia, where they offer a homemade menu at a good price.

After regaining our strength, we continued exploring the Gothic Quarter, the oldest in the city. To discover it, the ideal is to get lost in its narrow streets, letting yourself go, but be sure to pass by: Carrer del Bisbe and its beautiful Puente del Obispo, Plaza de Sant Jaume with the Palace of the Generalitat and the Town Hall, the Basilica of Santa María del Pi, the Parish of Santa Anna, the Call neighborhood (the old Jewish ghetto) and Plaça Reial.

If it's time for a snack and you're still in the Gothic Quarter, go to Carrer Petritxol to have a chocolate with churros, an ice cream, a waffle or a good crepe... It's the street par excellence for sweets and chocolate in Barcelona.

Source: Barcelona Secreta: Curiosities Carrer Petritxol  

And since Barcelona is a city bathed by the Mediterranean, a visit to the coastal area could not be missed. From the Mirador de Colón, we take the walk towards the Barceloneta neighborhood, passing through Port Vell and Moll de la Fusta. For dinner, there are several restaurants in the Maremagnum shopping center, otherwise, the Barceloneta area is one of the neighborhoods with the most gastronomic offerings and with proposals for all budgets. Is there a better plan than ending a long day with dinner enjoying the Mediterranean breeze?

DAY 2

We started the second day from Passeig de Gràcia , the best-known shopping avenue in the city. Here you will find all the most exclusive fashion brands, but also other more affordable stores. In any case, the most important thing about this street is its incredible modernist buildings, which include: La Pedrera or Casa Milà , Casa Batlló , Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera .

We go down Passeig de Gràcia and arrive at the nerve center of the city, Plaza de Catalunya . Here begins one of the most emblematic streets of the city, La Rambla , we can walk along it calmly discovering the Canaletas Fountain , the Liceo and the flower kiosks. We stop at the Boquería Market for a brief visit, you can take advantage of it to have a snack at its bars or buy something at one of the stops (Be careful! The prices are quite high).

We continue down the Rambla, pass by the famous Miró Mosaic and turn right onto Carrer Nou de la Rambla, to enter the Raval neighborhood , one of the neighborhoods with the most personality in the city. Turning we found the Palau Güell , the family home of the Güell family designed by Gaudí.

On your visit to the Raval you cannot miss the statue of Botero's Cat on the Rambla del Raval , the MACBA with its square full of skaters and the thousands of corners full of street art , walk through its alleys and discover all the surprises it hides. . If it's time to eat and you're still around, on Rambla del Raval there are a large number of restaurants with traditional cuisine but also from many other parts of the world, it's up to you!

We finish the visit to the Raval and head towards the Arc de Triomphe . You can walk, it is 2 km, but we recommend taking the metro from Sant Antoni to Tetuán (L2), to get there faster and rest your legs a little. After crossing the arch, we continue down Paseo Lluís Companys until we reach the Parc de la Ciutadella , where you can take the opportunity to walk quietly and rest for a while. We leave for last the visit to one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in the city: Born . Here you cannot miss the Palau de la Música , the Church of Santa Maria del Mar , the Picasso Museum and the Mercat de Santa Caterina . When you finish exploring the neighborhood, look for a tapas bar in one of the small squares and enjoy one last dinner in the city. All you can think about is organizing a getaway to Barcelona again!

If you have a little more than 2 days for your visit, we recommend that you take a stroll through the Barrio de Gracia and discover its charm and its squares and bars full of people at all hours.