What to do in Barcelona Spain - Best Sites, Food, Facts and Weather

This is a vibrant city that combines medieval with modern and whimsical in a patchwork of districts, all with their own individual charm. With four million people living here, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, the largest being Madrid. It is also the capital of the region of Catalonia. It is located between the mountains and the sea, giving the city a unique exposure for tourism and beautiful weather year round (see below for more information).

Barcelona’s port, Port Vell, is the busiest cruise port in all of Spain and Europe. The official language is Catalan, but a large part of its population also speaks Spanish. All public signs and documents are in both Spanish and Catalan.

There are more than one hundred parks and squares throughout the city, with sculptures by famous artists like Miro and Lichtenstein. But the most identifiable artist with this city is Antoni Gaudi, renowned for his modernistic organic structures.

Art Nouveau is represented in an extraordinary number of buildings, influenced by Moorish and Gothic architecture and fused by organic forms, with a unique effect on the landscape and also the viewer.

The architecture is daring and innovative. And there is no shortage of museums in this exciting city.

Barcelona’s cuisine is a mixture of meat and fish.

Classic dishes use these sauces:

• Allioli (garlic mayonnaise)
• Picada (garlic, toasted bread, nuts,spice )
• Romesco (nuts, garlic, bread, tomato)
• Samfaina (onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, eggplant, zucchini)
• Sofregi (onion, garlic, tomato, peppers).

PAELLA, the most famous Spanish dish, is traditionally cooked on an open fire and is contains seafood when by the Coast and Game when Inland.

SAUSAGES are a very popular ingredient and the renowned Catalan Sausage (embotits), are used in Barcelona’s dishes.

BLACK RICE (Arros Negre) is the most traditional Catalan dish. It combines rice, squid, monkfish, shellfish, onion, garlic, tomatoes, fish stock, olive oil, and the ink of the squid.

There are three main areas of the city you cannot miss: Ciutat Vella, Eixample and Montjuic.

CIUTAT VELLA (Old Town) is traversed by La Rambla, a wide avenue busy with pedestrian traffic, especially in the evenings. It’s full of cafes and it’s a great walk all the way to the sea.

In Barri Gothic (Gothic Quarter) you can have an enchanting stroll thru medieval Barcelona. Here you will find the Gothic Cathedral, built in the 1400’s, where people gather to dance the Sardana (Catalunian National Dance), and you can watch or join them.

There is also the Museu Picasso, housed in five adjoining medieval palaces. It’s a 3000 piece collection of paintings, drawings and ceramics. Included are a lot of his early works.

EIXAMPLE (Extension) is the extension to Barcelona beyond the medieval area of the city and it’s a grid system of streets where innovation in architectural design reins.

Modernisme (Spain’s version of Art Nouveau, can be seen in public buildings as well as private residences.

Two sites not to miss:

Casa Mila “La Pedrera” where Gaudi’s imagination created a huge abstract sculpture as a building. It’s a very popular tourist attraction, get there early if you want to avoid crowds and visit this incredible work of art.

The Cathedral “La Sagrada Familia”, his greatest work, became his life. Construction started in 1883, and it became his sole purpose. His plans called for 18 high towers dominated by a taller one 560 feet high, dedicated to Jesus Christ.

He only succeeded in completing one of the towers, the major part of the east front, the pinnacled apse, and the crypt, due to his untimely death in 1926. Work continued till the 1935 Civil War, and restarted in the late 1950’s. Estimated completion is for 2030.

This masterpiece landmark of Barcelona can be visited, and it’s definitely worth the trip. An elevator takes you to the top of a tower (unless you want to walk up the 400 steps), for a magnificent view of Barcelona.

MONTJUIC is a hilltop park near the harbor. The Castell de Montjuic, several museums, and the gardens, makes it a most popular recreation destination. Cable cars take you to the hilltop, making it easy to access and enjoy the awesome view (unless you are afraid of heights).

Castell de Montjuic is a military museum on top of the hill, with great views of the harbor.

Fundacio Joan Miro houses a permanent collection of graphics, paintings, sculptures and tapestries.

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya has the greatest display of Romanesque items in the world. There is also a gothic collection, a baroque and renaissance collection.

If you have the time and inclination to leave the city, go see and experience Parc Guell, where Gaudi was let loose with his imagination and created a most wonderful park experience.

May thru June and Mid-September thru Mid-October are the ideal times to visit this city. The temperature is pleasant, usually mid 60’s to mid 70’s and sunny. The latter part of October thru November is Barcelona’s wet season. December thru February is cold but it rarely below 50 degrees March and April are pleasant but it can be cloudy.

July and August can get pretty hot, which means upper 80’s. Essentially, it comes down to your preference, since Barcelona is enchanting and fun any time of the year.