We are really looking forward to Barcelona. It is a city with charisma – especially because of the special buildings of Antoni Gaudi. During his period of activity from 1878 – 1926 numerous buildings were created in Barcelona which still characterize the cityscape of Barcelona today. Of course, some of them have been converted into main tourist attractions. We appreciate this, as it allows us to enjoy a very unique yet inviting architectural style.

One thing in advance; as in most major Spanish cities, it is advisable to book the tourist attractions in Barcelona online in advance. Not only are many things sold out days in advance during high season, but tickets get more expensive! And since the ticket prices here in Barcelona are already quite high, this can quickly cost a small fortune.

Casa Batlló

The first stop in Barcelona is directly a flagship building by Antoni Gaudi. The house was fundamentally reworked between 1904 and 1906 by Gaudi and rebuilt into the house in the style of Modernisme as it can be seen today in Barcelona.
The facade alone is impressive. The many curved forms, from the window shapes to the balcony parapets to the roof edges have a surreal effect on the viewer. Many of the shapes are also reminiscent of an organic origin. We wonder what the rooms look like inside the building. So off we go on a tour of the building.
As impressive as the building looks from the outside, the interior exceeds our expectations by quite a bit. The rooms are arranged in a very functional way. The function of the various elements of the building has been given high priority everywhere, without losing the extravagance of the forms. Everything is curved: The entrance staircase and its flights, the windows between the rooms and into the interior stairwell, the ceilings and passages – simply everything we can possibly imagine has been worked out in the most organic form possible.
In addition to sophisticated physical ventilation, the passive lighting concept – if one can speak of a lighting concept by sunlight – is also unique, with different shades of color and different sized windows. The shades of the panes get darker as the height in the building increases, and the window sizes get smaller, so that as many rooms as possible are evenly lit from bottom to top.
Playful load-bearing elements come into sight especially on the top floor. Here, hyperbolic arches were used as load-bearing structures, which strongly characterize the appearance of the rooms located in them.
To crown all this unusual architecture, there is also a legend about a dragon, which has significantly influenced the shape of the roof and the hyperbolic spaces. Thus, the hyperbolic beams can be seen from the inside as the dragon’s rib cage. The roof was covered with colored tiles, which are based on the scales of the dragon and so on.

All in all, a visit to Casa Batlló is a unique experience and worthwhile despite the overpriced entrance fee. Especially recommended is a visit as early as possible in the morning, because then the building is not yet quite too crowded with tourists. We have accordingly chosen the second visitor slot in the morning. For the first you pay additionally 10€ extra, which we really did not want to add to the overpriced entrance fee.

Admission price: For us 39€ each (29€ + 10€ because not min. 7 days booked in advance). This is the cheapest ticket package – the blue package. But there is still the silver and the gold package. Also, prices vary depending on the time of booking and on-site tickets are generally more expensive than booked in advance on the web. An audio guide is included in the ticket.
All year 08:30 – 19:15

Casa Milà from the outside

Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera, is another flagship of Gaudi’s buildings in Barcelona. It is located just a few blocks away from Casa Batlló and can also be visited. We’re only looking at the facade here. The expressive architecture of Antoni Gaudi is really unique. The Casa Milà, however, looks noticeably less playful from the outside because it is kept in a single color. The shapes are also less organic and curved than the Casa Batlló. As I said, it is still very impressive and extraordinary!

Admission Price: Again, there are different packages that have different prices at different times of the day. Generally, the cheapest ticket is about 25€ and the most expensive is about 45€.
All day 08:00 – 19:00

Barri Gòtic

The Barri Gòtic, translates to the Gothic Quarter, of Barcelona consists of many old buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries and is the old town of Barcelona. The streets are small and winding and the buildings contribute to the darkness of the streets because of the Gothic architectural style. The dark gray stone facades are also not very light on the eye, which does not help to lighten the atmosphere. But in the gothic style it must be like that. Many small stores and some attractions can be found in the Barri Gòtic. Among others the cathedral of Barcelona is located in this quarter.

Barcelona Cathedral

Barcelona Cathedral is located in the Gothic Quarter, accordingly, the cathedral in its current appearance dates from the same period and was also built in the Gothic style. For a long time, the cathedral did not have a finished main facade. It was added to the cathedral late in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style.
The cathedral is very gloomy and looks neglected. Compared to other churches of this size, the church is unfortunately not worth the 9€ entrance fee.

Entrance fee: 9€
all year: Mon-Fri 09:30 to 18:00, Sat 09:30 to 16:30

Mercat de la Boqueria

After so many architectural highlights and a city tour that resembles an architectural firm’s excursion, there is a welcome change in our Barcelona tour. One of the markets in Barcelona has our attention: the Mercat de la Boqueria.
Many colorful stalls present their edibles almost daily. The many stalls – from fruits and vegetables to seafood, meat as well as dairy products – offer everything for the physical well-being. Two things are special about the Mercat de la Boqueria. The market hall was built mainly of steel and glass. This influences the appearance significantly because colored glass was embedded in the steel construction. The second feature is the many cafes and simple restaurants in the market. Many meals are prepared and eaten on site. We are exactly at the beginning of lunch time in the Mercat de la Boqueria and we can watch the spectacle live. The colorful market hustle and bustle fascinates us again and again. Actually, it’s a real pity that we don’t know such market halls at home in Switzerland.

La Rambla

The much mentioned and somewhat feared Rambla of Barcelona. This is one of the main promenades in Barcelona. At the same time, it is also a meeting point, market area and invites to visit restaurants. Since so many people gather here in one place, it is clear that pickpockets can excellently go on a loot spree here. The petty crime rate is particularly high in Barcelona and so we take care that no bag gets lost and no strange hands reach into our pockets. On the forecourt of the cathedral of Barcelona, for example, we could directly watch an attempted backpack theft and prevent a loss of their belongings by making the person concerned aware. The descriptions about pickpocketing in Barcelona are probably not exaggerated. And that was on a weekday in broad daylight, how the situation must come to a head in the evening and at night we do not even want to imagine.

Telefèric del Port

The name Telefèric del Port can be loosely translated as harbor cable car. In Barcelona, it is possible to hover over the harbor basin with a cable car and watch the ships in the harbor below. We haven’t seen that before either and accordingly we find the idea of a more or less horizontal cable car ride inviting.
Already while walking to the cable car station, we pass some super yachts. Several of them have their own helipads. Additionally, just at the time of our visit, there is a yacht show in the harbor. Therefore, yachts of yacht operating companies are exhibited at a pier close to each other and advertise for potential wealthy clients. We don’t seem to belong to their clientele, so we have to catch a glimpse or two from behind the barrier and don’t get to enjoy boat tours. That doesn’t matter, we have our goal for the day: the cable car ride.

The cable car is still mostly of its original 1931 design, and the cabins seem small and rickety compared to today’s models. The cable car transports so many people every day that we are certainly not among the unlucky ones in which a part of the cable car fails. With 15 other passengers we float over the harbor basin and enjoy the view over the yachts into the city.

Admission: One way 12.50€, round trip 20€, children under 6 years are free
October 31 – February 28: daily 11.00-17.30
01 March – 31 May: daily 10.30-19.00
01 June – 11 September: daily 10.30-20.00
12 September – 30 October: daily 10.30-19.00

Font Màgica de Montjuïc

A very impressive fountain is right by the Palau Nacional, one of the art museums in Barcelona. Unfortunately, we can see from a distance that the great drought in Spain is throwing a wrench in our plans for this visit. Because of the water shortage, the fountain – and many other water facilities in the city and throughout Spain – has been drained until further notice. So, of course, the fountain is not a spectacle. Normally, it would be a great show of fountain choreography and colored lights. Of course, we can understand the reasoning very well and forgive the Spaniards for turning off the fountain during our stay in Barcelona.

Zenith Brunch

Outstanding brunches simply have a permanent place in our vanlife. That’s why we have to mention Zenith Brunch. Zenith is a smaller restaurant chain that really hits our vibe. Mimi had the following in mind when thinking about what we should get for our morning meal in Barcelona today: Pancakes would be nice, but please salty. So salty pancakes with Eggs Florentine, that would be it.
And Zenith delivered! They actually offer – word of honor we didn’t search and study the menu in advance – just that. Salty pancakes with cheese, egg and spinach, bacon optional. This provides us with the energy for the long day ahead in Barcelona!

PS: Zenith is a chain with restaurants in Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon and Porto.

La Sagrada Família

The discovery tour of Antoni Gaudi’s buildings finds another highlight in Barcelona’s Sagrada Família. It is a basilica that Gaudi played a major role in designing, but its construction continues to this day. At the moment, many parts of the church are finished, but especially the many steeples are still under construction. During our visit to the Sagrada Família we notice nothing of the construction site outside. The idiosyncratic and at the same time ingenious handling of the various Gothic elements and their fusion with natural principles again has a unique effect on us. Particularly impressive are some areas of the facade, which make heavy use of curved organic forms. In addition, we have never seen such a column construction as in the interior of the Sagrada Família. Gaudi had made a large-scale weight model with sandbags and threads to make the supporting columns and their angles to each other conform to natural physical conditions. In this way Gaudi managed to achieve an appearance of the columns like trees with their branches. In addition, many of the interior walls are kept plain, giving priority to the play of colors through the colored windowpanes. Through the continuous integration of natural principles into the building, the structure appears as if from another time and unfolds a positive fascination on the viewers and visitors.

Admission: 38€, children up to 10 are free. An audio guide is included in the ticket.
To visit the towers, you have to pay extra, but they are not always accessible due to construction works.
Tickets are issued on your passport or ID number, which you must provide at the time of booking, and this ID must also be carried on your visit.
At the entrance there are security checks like at the airport, i.e. bags through scanners, belts and all metallic things off etc.
November to February: Mon-Sat 09.00-18.00, Sun 10.30-18.00
March and October: Mon-Sat 09.00-19.00, Sun 10.30-19.00
April to September: Mon-Sat 09.00-20.00, Sun 10.30-20.00

Parc Güell

Park Güell is almost a normal city park – almost. Originally, the park was commissioned by Eusebi Güell from Antoni Gaudi. However, it could never be built according to Gaudi’s designs due to lack of funding. As a result, only a few houses, pedestrian bridges and the main square of the park were completed. These structures alone continue to captivate visitors to this day. A special technique that Gaudi used again and again is the reuse of materials that were already used, today called upcycling. For example, many of the colored surfaces of the buildings are made with a mosaic of smashed, glazed clay slabs to give the clay slabs from the waste their new use as facades. Thus, already manufactured materials that no longer serve their original use are reused in Gaudi’s buildings.
And precisely because Gaudi’s buildings also attract tourists in droves to this park, there are visitor restrictions so that local residents can use their park as a recreational area in addition to the tourist crowds.

Admission: 10€, children 7-12 years 7€, children up to 6 are free
Book your ticket online, especially in high season!
30 October – 1 February: daily 09.30-17.30
12 February – 26 March: daily 09.30-18.00
March 27 – October 29: daily 09.30-19.30

Vila de Gràcia

To conclude our visit to Barcelona, we are drawn to the nightlife for a bit. Nothing pompous, just a little stroll and good food is our plan. In the lively quarter of Vila de Gràcia, this is perfectly possible. Here small stores and restaurants are lined up close together. The city begins to vibrate again in the evening in a completely new liveliness. This is exactly how we imagined our last evening in Barcelona. And yes, we are happy to admit it: we miss Asian food a bit. We also rarely cook Asian food ourselves in the van because it just gets too many pots and pans dirty. Therefore, we are overjoyed to end the evening in Barcelona in a Vietnamese restaurant for a change.

For us Barcelona is really impressive. Especially how a single architect can have such a formative effect on the cityscape is fascinating. As usual in a big city, we can inevitably pass judgment on the entire Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also match-decisive in which neighborhoods we travel to meet our expectations positively or negatively. With our mix of the city center, the Barri Gòtic, the harbor and the Vila de Gràcia neighborhood, we left Barcelona with positive experiences. Only the high petty crime clouds our picture a little. But this problem increases with the size of a city and the associated anonymization of the urban population – in every city, not just Barcelona in particular.