This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
When it comes to the visitor experience, Barcelona runs the full gamut. This Spanish icon has some of the country’s most important cultural centres and fabled architecture; access to hilltop views and beaches alike; and a culinary scene that straddles the inventive and the traditional. Here’s an itinerary for a day that takes in a bit of it all — from an early-morning hike to a visit to an art museum, and from sunset by the Mediterranean to a mandatory tapas dinner.
8am: Morning hike up Mount Tibidabo
On the ungroomed slopes of the nearby Pyrenees, skiers talk of earning their turns; in Barcelona the same might be true of cocktails. Blow the cobwebs off the previous night’s indulgence, and set yourself up for another day of the same, with an invigorating, hour-long hike along the trails threaded through the foothills of Mount Tibidabo, which overlooks the city. Your target is the summit church, set, incongruously, amid a retro funfair. Depart on the trail that starts at the Tibidabo Funicular base station, then ride the train back to your starting point.
10am: A mooch in the art museum
With its hillside perch on the flanks of Montjuïc hill, grand sweep of steps, and domes and towers inspired by St Peter’s in the Vatican and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya isn’t exactly a model of restraint. That exuberance extends to a collection of (mostly Catalan) art as dazzling as an Iberian sunset. Fortify yourself with a tallat (espresso with a splash of steamed milk) in the cafe tucked in one corner of its vast Sala Oval banqueting space.
The grand Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya was has domes and sweeping architecture inspired by St Peter’s Basilica.
Photograph by Margaret Stepien
12.30pm: Drinks and a bite by the pool
So galvanising was the 1992 Olympics for the city, you’ll still hear it spoken of fondly to this day. The seminal images of the games were divers twisting and piking high above the skyline from the purpose-built facilities on Montjuïc. The site has morphed into an informal open-air bar with a loyal local following. Grab a sangria or Aperol spritz, order a walnut and goat’s cheese salad or jamón ibérico sandwich and take your place in the banked seats from which the crowds once cheered. The two pools below open during the summer.
3pm: Dive into the Gothic Quarter
Fanning out from the 13th-century Catedral de Barcelona and corralled by the thoroughfares of La Rambla and Via Laietana, the Barri Gòtic is an endlessly browsable maze of artisan shops, craft boutiques and indie clothing stores. Narrow lanes and high footfall rule out anything more rushed than museum pace. Search out Sombrerería Obach, a century-old, family-run hat shop specialising in fedoras and traditional Catalan barretinas; and, of 1941 vintage, Granja Dulcinea chocolate shop.
4pm: Coffee in Plaça Neri
If the frenzy gets too much, retreat to Plaça de Sant Felip Neri. It’s an atmospheric little square (more of a trapezoid, in fact), with a central fountain sheltered by a towering rosewood, and an eponymous church whose facade is pockmarked by blast damage from the Fascist bombing raids of the 1930s. Dip into the thick-stoned cool of the Hotel Neri, order a coffee and ask to take it on the compact roof terrace among the terracotta pots and banana plants.
Quimet & Quimet is a traditional standing-only tapas bar, a short walk from the neighbourhood of Poble-sec.
Photograph by Margaret Stepien
5pm: Hit the beach
It may not feel like it when you’re deep in the Gothic Quarter but one of Europe’s great urban seafronts is just a gargoyle’s spit away. Early evening it’s at its best, as the sun retreats behind Montjuïc and beachgoers disperse. It’s a stroll of a little over a mile along the expansive promenade from the sail-shaped W Hotel at one end to Frank Gehry’s 115ft-high, iridescent Peix (fish) sculpture at the other. The route traces the full expanse of Playa de la Barceloneta, which is studded with wood-framed chiringuito beach bars.
7pm: Tapas at Quimet & Quimet
Behind triple-height crimson doors on a quiet lane a short walk from the centre of the lively neighbourhood of Poble-sec, this is the city’s most sought-after tapas bar. It’s standing-room only in a high-ceilinged room decoratd wall-to-wall with wine and vermouth bottles. The faux bickering between sixth-generation brother and sister Quimet and Neus is a delight, as are the heaped montaditos (open sandwiches); salmon, yoghurt and honey is the pick.
9.30pm: Cocktails at the Nobu
Nul points for nominative inspiration, but Rooftop — set on the 24th floor of the Nobu Hotel in western Eixample — can lay claim to being the city’s loftiest bar. It’s possibly its coolest, too, with soft-lit, low-slung tables, four-poster day-beds and panoramic views stretching from mountain to Med. A signature jalapeño and ginger martini is the best way to round off your day. Check in to one of the hotel’s 259 elegant rooms and suites, and you can return the following morning for a wallow in that inviting pool.
How to do it:
Inspiring Travel offers two nights at Nobu Hotel Barcelona from £999 per person, with private transfers, dinner in the Nobu restaurant, accommodation in a deluxe skyline room and return flights from Gatwick included.
Getting there & around
Airlines including Vueling fly direct to Barcelona from a host of UK airports including Heathrow and Manchester, with nearly 100 flights a week.
Barcelona is a supremely walkable city thanks to its mild climate, shady streets and abundance of landmarks. The Barcelona Metro is clean, punctual and air-conditioned — and you can enjoy unlimited travel on this and the city’s buses and trams with a Hola Barcelona Travel Card (48h, €17.50/£15). Alternatively, taxis are plentiful and affordable.
When to go
The height of summer is marred by crowds, humidity and higher prices. The rest of the year, particularly spring and autumn when sunshine is plentiful and temperatures routinely reach 22C, is extremely pleasant. Consider a winter visit, too; nights can get chilly but clear skies and 12–15C in December make for a spirit-lifting getaway.
Where to stay
Nobu Hotel Barcelona, Eixample neighbourhood. Doubles from €224 (£192).
Hotel Praktik Bakery, Eixample neighbourhood. Doubles from €110 (£94).
This story was created with the support of Barcelona Tourism, the Spanish Tourist Office, Vueling and Nobu Hotel Barcelona.
Published in the Jul/Aug 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-to-do-barcelona-spain
