Attraction
Sagrada Família
Antoni Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica in the Eixample, Barcelona's defining landmark, with a forest-like nave, two sculpted façades and climbable towers.
A museum spread across medieval palaces on Carrer de Montcada, tracing Pablo Picasso's formative years in depth alongside his later Las Meninas series.
Good to know
Picasso spent much of his youth in Barcelona, and this museum is strongest on those early years, from academic studies and portraits made as a teenager to the Blue Period. It occupies a row of Gothic palaces in El Born, so the courtyards and stone staircases are worth noticing between galleries.
The series of variations on Velázquez's Las Meninas, which Picasso donated himself, is the other essential room. Do not expect a survey of his whole career; this is a close look at how a prodigy became an artist. Book a timed slot online, and pair the visit with a walk along Carrer de Montcada towards Santa Maria del Mar.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
On Carrer de Montcada in El Born, a short walk from Jaume I metro.
Picasso's early years and training, plus his Las Meninas series.
Restaurant
Three-Michelin-star restaurant in the Eixample run by former elBulli chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, serving long, playful tasting menus.
Hotel
A Ritz-Carlton tower hotel on the Port Olímpic seafront, with two outdoor pools, a fourth-floor spa and the two-Michelin-star Enoteca Paco Pérez.
Thing to do
Barcelona's best-known food market, entered from La Rambla under a wrought-iron arch, packed with produce stalls, fishmongers and busy counter bars.
Café
The original coffee bar of Nømad, the Barcelona speciality roaster founded by Jordi Mestre, tucked into a quiet passage near the Palau de la Música.