Spain · our home city

Barcelona

Where we live · Gaudí, beaches & Gothic lanes · plus a Montserrat day trip

The trip

This one's home.

Barcelona isn't a trip for us — it's home. We've lived here for nearly four years, and we still love it as much as day one. It's a beautiful, vibrant city where there's always something to do and somewhere new to explore, and honestly, simply walking its streets is magical. Gaudí's dreamlike architecture, a Gothic quarter you can get happily lost in, hilltop sunsets, and a beach right in the city — the Barceloneta is genuinely lovely. Below is our local's list of the spots we'd send any friend to, and at the end, the one day trip we tell everyone to make: Montserrat.

Our city

Barcelona

The greatest hits and the local favourites — the Gaudí icons everyone comes for, the beach we actually go to, the viewpoints we take every visitor to, and the lanes we just love to wander.

The icon01

The Sagrada Família

📍 Eixample · Gaudí's basilica

The one thing you cannot miss. Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica is unlike any building on earth — a forest of stone towers outside, an explosion of coloured light within. The pond in Plaça de Gaudí gives you the classic reflection shot. Book ahead and go early or near closing for softer light and smaller crowds; a guided ticket with tower access is worth it to understand what you're looking at.

Book aheadGo early

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Sagrada Família Tour with Priority Access & Add-ons

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Sagrada Família Skip-the-Line Ticket

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Us on the mosaic serpentine bench at Park Güell overlooking Barcelona

Most magical02

Park Güell

📍 Gràcia · Gaudí's mosaic park

Gaudí's whimsical hillside park is pure fairy tale — the rippling trencadís mosaic bench, the gingerbread gatehouses, and one of the best free-feeling views in the city. The monumental core is ticketed and timed, so reserve a slot in advance; the surrounding park is free to wander. Morning light is gentlest and the crowds are thinnest.

Reserve a time slotGo in the morning

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Skip-the-Line Park Güell Entrance Ticket

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A selfie of us in front of Gaudí's Casa Batlló on Passeig de Gràcia

Melody on the rooftop of La Pedrera among Gaudí's mosaic warrior chimneys

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Casa Batlló & La Pedrera

📍 Passeig de Gràcia

Barcelona's grand shopping boulevard is also a Gaudí open-air museum. Casa Batlló ripples like water and bone, lit up beautifully at night, while La Pedrera (Casa Milà) hides one of the city's best secrets — a wavy rooftop crowded with sculptural, mosaic-clad chimneys. Do at least one interior; both are stunning, and Casa Batlló's immersive experience is a fun way to see it.

Two Gaudí housesDon't skip the rooftop

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Casa Batlló: The 10D Experience

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The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc lit up at night in front of the illuminated MNAC palace

Andrew among a crowd watching the sunset over Barcelona from the Montjuïc terrace

Hill & spectacle04

Montjuïc & the Magic Fountain

📍 Montjuïc hill

The hill of Montjuïc is a whole day of its own — gardens, the castle, museums, and sweeping views back over the city and port. The grand MNAC palace steps are a favourite sunset perch, and after dark the Magic Fountain below puts on a free music-and-light show (check the seasonal schedule). Ride the cable car up for the views and to save your legs.

Free fountain showSunset from the steps

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Montjuïc Cable Car Roundtrip Ticket

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Barceloneta beach at sunset with a pink and purple sky over the sand and sea

Andrew on the beach at sunset with waves rolling in behind him in Barcelona

The beach05

Barceloneta & the beaches

📍 Barceloneta & the coast

One of Barcelona's best luxuries is a real beach right in the city. The Barceloneta is our favourite — a proper sandy stretch with palm-lined promenade, chiringuitos and some of the prettiest sunsets around. Walk the boardwalk toward the marina, grab a drink, and stay for the sky to turn pink. For a special evening, a sunset sail out of the port is hard to beat.

Beach in the cityStay for sunset

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Daytime or Sunset Catamaran Experience in Barcelona

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Andrew standing on the wide, tree-lined La Rambla promenade in Barcelona

Us kissing in front of the photomosaic 'The World Begins with Every Kiss' mural in Barcelona

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La Rambla, the Gothic Quarter & El Born

📍 Ciutat Vella (the old city)

This is the Barcelona you fall for on foot. Stroll the leafy La Rambla, then dive into the medieval maze of the Barri Gòtic and El Born — cathedral squares, tapas bars, hidden courtyards and the giant photomosaic "kiss" mural tucked near the cathedral. Come hungry: a tapas, wine & vermouth tour is the tastiest way in, and the Palau de la Música nearby is a jaw-dropping modernista concert hall.

Get happily lostCome hungry

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Barcelona Food Tasting Tour: Tapas, Wine & Vermouth

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Palau de la Música Catalana Entry Ticket

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Melody at the Bunkers del Carmel viewpoint overlooking all of Barcelona at golden hour

A fiery sunset over the Barcelona skyline seen from a hilltop viewpoint

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Sunset from the Bunkers del Carmel

📍 Turó de la Rovira

Our favourite free viewpoint in the city. The old hilltop bunkers give a full 360° panorama — Sagrada Família, the sea, the whole grid of the city — and it's the local spot to bring a drink and watch the sunset. It's a bit of a climb, so wear comfy shoes and go a little before golden hour to claim a ledge.

Free 360° viewGo for golden hour

The golden Cascada Monumental fountain and green pond in Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

Melody sitting on a balustrade in front of the hedge maze at Parc del Laberint d'Horta

Green escapes08

The parks & plazas

📍 Ciutadella & Horta

Half the joy of living here is the greenery between the sights. Parc de la Ciutadella has a grand golden waterfall (the Cascada, partly designed by a young Gaudí), rowboats and lawns made for a lazy afternoon. Further out, the romantic Parc del Laberint d'Horta hides an actual 18th-century hedge maze — quiet, beautiful and a local secret. Perfect for the days you just want to wander.

Rowboats & lawnsA real hedge maze

The day trip

Montserrat

If you do one day trip from Barcelona, make it this. An hour outside the city, a jagged, otherworldly mountain rises out of nowhere, crowned by a famous monastery — and the hiking and views up top are unforgettable.

The dramatic rounded rock formations of the Montserrat massif under a blue sky

Melody among pink heather flowers with the Montserrat peaks rising behind

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The mountain & the monastery

📍 Montserrat · ~1 hour from Barcelona

Montserrat means "serrated mountain," and one look tells you why — thousands of rounded stone fingers stacked into a surreal massif. The Benedictine monastery tucked into the cliffs is the draw, but the real magic is heading higher: take the funicular or hike up for panoramas over Catalonia that go on forever. The easiest, most scenic way up from the city is the historic cog-wheel (rack) train — a lovely ride in itself.

Otherworldly hikingTake the rack train

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