Barcelona

Despite studying abroad in Spain for a semester in college, we never made our way to Barcelona, so spending a few days here on our trip felt like a necessity. Barcelona and the surrounding area have a lot to offer to visitors from beaches to architectural marvels to the Catalan Pyrenees Mountains. During our time here, we visited La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Las Ramblas, and the Gothic Quarter.

La Sagrada Familia is a unique tourist experience as this historic church has been under construction for over 100 years and is still not complete. Original designs for the church began in 1882 by Francisco de Paula del Villar. However, Antoni Gaudí ultimately became the architect and redesigned the blueprints for the church a year later in 1883. The church did not become a museum until 1961. Today, it is still an operating church and one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. All of the construction is funded by ticket sales and private donations. The target completion date is in 2026, but many expect the project to take longer. The church inside and out is incredible. We enjoyed learning about all of the thoughtful details that are going into the architecture.

Park Güell is another famous landmark in the city and architectural creation of Antoni Gaudí. We chose to walk there from La Sagrada Familia given it is only about 30 minutes but quickly learned it is primarily uphill. The Serpentine Bench inside the park was a great place to rest our legs and snap pictures of the city below. Some of the other highlights within the park are Poster’s Lodge (which now houses the gift shop), Porter’s Residence, Gaudí House Museum, and Hill of the Three Crosses.

On the other side of the city are Passeig de Gràcia, Las Ramblas, and the Gothic Quarter. Along Passeig de Gràcia, we passed Batlló and Casa Milà. All of the best luxury shops can also be found along this street. Las Ramblas is a pedestrian street lined with shops, restaurants, hotels, and Mercat la Boqueria. This is where we stayed while in Barcelona. The location was a bit noisy from nightlife, but being this close to many restaurants and close to the airport bus stop at Plaça de Catalunya. Within the Gothic Quarter, we visited The Cathedral of Barcelona, ancient Roman ruins, and the Picasso Museum.