Grathias Barcelona

When tickets to Europe appear for $260, you don’t say no. Los Angeles to Barcelona was a whirlwind, five day trip in honor of Alaina’s birthday. I’ve put this post off for a while because I didn’t find my experience in Barcelona to be incredibly photogenic. Unlike Venice or Rome, Barcelona was more about how I felt than what my camera could pick up. What was stunning, as expected, was all of the Gaudí architecture. We also did a day trip to Montserrat, a mountain top monastery – and like the city, my photos did not do justice to the experience.

However, I just booked another flight to Europe for under $300, and I think it’s finally time to share my thoughts on Barcelona before I move on to the next city!

We arrived in Barcelona in the afternoon, so we had the evening to explore. We went to a Flamenco show at Barcelona’s City Hall Theatre. I highly recommend seeing a show! It was a great way to start our mini vacation with something very traditional to the region. That style of dancing was a brand new experience and so much fun with a glass of wine in hand!

Barcelona's stunning architecture is right up there with other picturesque destinations like Venice.

My favorite sight in Barcelona was the first one we visited – the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. It’s an unfinished Roman Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudí, and it’s been under construction since 1882 – for over 135 years! It’s slated to be finished in 2026, the 100 year anniversary of Gaudí’s death. This is my favorite church I’ve ever visited – it’s absolutely stunning on the inside and my photos shamefully don’t do it even a fraction of justice. What took me completely by surprise was how modern the designs seem! The idea is that everything is based on nature; the columns represent trees and the natural light coming through the colored glass windows cast gorgeous rainbow light on everything. While St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City was the most ornate church I’ve ever visited, there was something so beautiful about Gaudí’s intention to honor God not with gilded ornament, but with a nod to the Earth and nature’s design.

When we left the Basilica, we began to wander around the city. Unfortunately, most of Barcelona felt like any other city. Yes, the buildings were older than the ones we have in Los Angeles by a couple hundred years, but culturally it really wasn’t too different from other urban areas – in the U.S. and abroad. We hightailed it to the Gothic Quarter as soon as possible so we could experience more unique surroundings! One of my favorite parts of the trip was wandering down the cobblestone streets and lettings ourselves get a little lost. It felt quiet, safe, and surprisingly sparing in tourists. There were so many cute shops and restaurants to choose from.

We devoted almost an entire day to touring Gaudí’s work around the city. Our hostel was down the street from Casa Batlló, an old residence designed by Gaudí’. It’s not a cheap ticket to get in, but I felt it was well worth the price. It was like wandering through an Alice in Wonderland house! There were no straight edges, and just like the rest of his designs, the architecture was inspired by nature.

If you're on a tight budget, using couchsurfing in Barcelona can help, but it's important to stay safe.

 When you Google “Barcelona” you’ll most likely see photos taken from Park Güell, a public park. It’s free to visit, but there is an admission price to get into a small section where you can get a great panoramic view of the city framed by an ornate wall. We opted to skip this, as it was full of tourists. All around the park there are cute little touristy shops with Gaudí inspired cups, dishes and other trinkets. We also visited Gaudí’s old home on the property because we got a combo ticket for a few of his sights.

 After two days of wandering the city, it was time to get a breath of fresh air – REALLY fresh air. We took the train an hour away to a mountain-top monastery, which is a popular day trip for Barcelona visitors. I highly recommend trying to fit this in your schedule if you visit! When we got to the base of the mountain, we waited for a tiny cable car to bring us all the way up the gigantic mountain. It was truly incredible to hang by a wire over thin air and take in the sight of the valley spread below us. Around the monastery they have locals who set up tables and sell goods! I bought amazing fresh honey and cheese to take home!

I recommend packing a lunch and good shoes. There’s quite a few hikes if you feel up for it, and it’s a little hike to get to St. Michael’s Cross which has an amazing vantage point. The first photo below is the view of the monastery from the cross.

I came to Barcelona looking to stay out late and dance (especially since it was Alaina’s birthday!) but we found out when we got there that people don’t stay out super late like I had been told! At least, not during the week. I wanted to get into trouble, but Barcelona was surprisingly quiet. Instead, we had a good time drinking wine and wandering around. In hindsight, I wish we would have visited Seville, Spain instead of Barcelona. While I’m glad I got to see some pretty iconic sights, it didn’t feel like we got a good bite out of authentic Spain. But I always feel that way when I’m stuck in a big city. My next trip is to Ireland, and I’ve made a promise to myself to get out of Dublin ASAP and drive the countryside so I can really experience the country.

Visiting Barcelona on a budget:

Lodging

Hostel (Casa Kessler): €20.00 ($24) /night X 4 nights = $96 USD

Transit

Airport ticket: €4.60 each way

Metro: we bought the T10 ticket for €10 which gets you 10 trips.

Once you get into the city, Barcelona is mostly walkable! We took the metro a few times to get in and out of the Gothic Quarter, and also to get to the Park Güell area more quickly.

Train to Montserrat + cable car: €16

Food

€25-40 a day, depending on how much wine you drink, and if breakfast is included in your hostel stay.

Sights

Flamenco show at City Hall Theatre: €30.00 for two, includes a free drink each.

Casa Batlló: €24.50

La Sagrada Família: €15-€24 (buy tickets ahead of time). We did the self-guided audio tour for €22.

Park Güell: free. If you want to visit the area where you see all the touristy photos being taken it’s €8.50 admission.

Picasso Museum: €11-€16 (we didn’t do this)

Montserrat Monastery: free