Attraction
Park Güell
Gaudí's hillside park in Gràcia, where mosaic-covered terraces, a serpentine bench and gingerbread-style lodges look out over Barcelona to the sea.
Antoni Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica in the Eixample, Barcelona's defining landmark, with a forest-like nave, two sculpted façades and climbable towers.
Good to know
Gaudí devoted the last decades of his life to this basilica, and work has continued ever since, funded largely by visitors. The central Tower of Jesus Christ reached structural completion in 2026, yet the building remains a construction site in parts, which is part of the fascination. Inside, branching columns and coloured glass turn the nave into something closer to a sunlit forest than a conventional church.
Compare the tender, crowded Nativity façade with the stark, angular Passion façade, then head down to the museum to see Gaudí's models and plaster studies. Tickets are sold only for timed slots, so book on the official website rather than queueing on the day; a tower add-on needs its own reservation. Morning light suits the east-facing windows, late afternoon the warmer west side.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Yes. Entry is by timed ticket sold on the official website, and tower visits need an advance reservation.
An international Mass is held on Sundays and holy days of obligation at 9am, open to the public until the church is full.
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.