Visiting Barcelona can cause somewhat of a dilemma for visitors, there’s just too much to see in the city for one visit and unless you plan beforehand, you might end up overwhelmed or even disappointed that you didn’t see a certain attraction. For those on their first time in Barcelona, here are a list of attractions in Barcelona which are Essential for first time visitors. If you’re in Barcelona for the first time, then consider looking for Barcelona holiday accommodation like an apartment rather than a hotel, because there are so many you can usually find a better location to stay.
La Sagrada Familia
When someone says Barcelona, the first attraction that instantly comes to mind is La Sagrada Familia. In 2012 it was the most visited attraction in Spain receiving 3.23 million visitors, compared to El Prado museum in Madrid that had almost 3.2 million visitors. This magnificent basilica is the brainchild of Antoni GaudÃ, a main definer of the Catalan Modernisme style of art and you most definitely cannot miss out on visiting it.
Casa Batlló/Casa MilÃ
These two houses are on the same road and while you could visit both, you only really need to visit one. The cheaper of the two is Casa Milà , and inside it’s more complete as you can see how an apartment would have looked when the building was first created. Though Casa Batlló is much more quirky from the outside, so you might want to stop by to take a photo until they reduce the entry fee a bit to compete more with other attractions in Barcelona.
Parc Güell
An abstract park that blends man-made with nature. This is a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. The entire park is the embodiment of the modernism movement. It was originally designed to be a housing area for Count Güell, but it wasn’t a success, the only house that was sold was to Antoni Gaudà himself. Visit while you can for free because very soon they will start to charge an entry fee.
Las Ramblas
Las Ramblas is an essential visit for anyone looking to experience the gothic quarter of the city. You should stroll down this avenue full of street performers and take regular detours for example to the Barcelona cathedral. You should also most definitely stop off at La Boqueria Market where you can take in the lovely mediterranean market atmosphere.
Plaza Espanya / Montjuic
When in this area you should go up on the roof of Las Arenas, a shopping centre that was recently converted from a Bullfighting ring, for 360º views of the entire city. Montjuic is also full of various attractions that you should visit, including MNAC and CaixaForum. As the sun begins to set you’ll want to stop by at the Magic Fountain of Montjuic show, for a spectacle of light, color, water, and music.
Of course this is only scratching the surface of attractions that you can see in Barcelona. There’s also Barcelona zoo, Barcelona aquarium, Parc de la Ciutadella, Santa Maria del Mar, Camp nou, and much more… If you’re thinking about where to stay in Barcelona then think about which of these attractions you want to be closest to and plan accordingly.
