3 days #ArtRoute through Barcelona (for newbies)

I’ve been living in Barcelona for a year already and I’m still crazy in love with this city. For that reason, whenever someone visits me and asks me to show them around, I try to do my best until they fall in love with Barcelona too. If I don’t see their shiny eyes or words like “wow” coming out of their mouths, I keep on trying until they do.

There have been times when I hear friends or family saying Barcelona is not as amazing as they thought. Right there and then I KNOW something must have gone wrong. Later on, I learn they made the typical mistakes by going to the most touristy places, the ones you’ll find in all the tourist guides.

That’s why I decided to make my OWN route, a route that you MUST follow if you are new to Barcelona or you haven’t been here for a long time. These tips will keep you away from making typical mistakes and avoid tourist traps. I’m here to show you the magic this city has to offer.

Note: I purposely made a three-day route because Barcelona is not like other cities where you can see everything in one day. Even three days are not enough, but I’ll try my best to fit everything!

DAY 1

- Get some conformable shoes and be ready to walk all day long!

1. PASSEIG DE GRACIA.

- Always, always, ALWAYS, start your route in Passeig de Gracia. In my opinion, this avenue is what Barcelona is all about, here you will understand the true meaning of this city. Start your walk at the hotel “Casa Fuster”. This hotel marks the beginning of this modernist avenue filled with amazing architecture. Try to go up to the hotel’s terrace to see the perfect view of the avenue before starting your route.

- As you walk by, look down your feet. You will see a unique and different tile that you will

only find in Passeig de Gracia. This hexagonal tile was designed by Antoni Gaudí in 1904 to pave the floors of the Casa Batlló, but due to a problem of production delays were not carried out and it was decided to pave the service floors of Casa Milà (La Pedrera). Also, notice the beautiful benches in the corners with the lampposts.

- As you keep on walking, you will start to see high-end shops and the best hotels in Barcelona. From the beginning of its creation, this avenue was considered luxurious. The aristocracy and bourgeoisie chose Passeig de Gracia as the location for their mansions. If you want to see a REALLY cool bathroom décor, find the “Boca Grande” restaurant in one of the allies of Passeig de Gracia. You won’t regret it! Also, the food and the ambiance are really nice – stay if you want to stay for drinks or dinner.

- The first important building you will find in this avenue is Casa Milà or La Pedrera. This building was designed by the master of this city – Antoni Gaudi – for the Milà family during 1905. If you have the time, don’t doubt to go inside and take the guided tour. You will understand a lot more about this avenue and Gaudi.

· Note: Go inside Massimo Dutti’s store and go up to the second floor, you will find a nice terrace where you can see La Pedrera’s back façade (for free).

- Now you will reach the most important part of this avenue, “The Block of Discord".

The so-called Manzana de la Discordia – the Block of Discord – is the most famous collection of modernist buildings sharing the same facade in Barcelona. This is the block located in Passeig de Gràcia between Calle Aragó and Calle Consell de Cent, and it is a fine display of the contrasts between the different architectural trends of the day. At number 35 is Casa Lleò Morera, designed by Domènech i Montaner; a little further along you come across Casa Amatller, designed by Puig i Cadafalch; and finally, Casa Batlló, a work by Gaudí.

- In this block, you will find the most famous building: Casa Batlló designed by Gaudí for the Batlló family in 1906. If you have to choose only one building to go inside and pay the tour guide, always choose Casa Batllo. After La Sagrada Familia it is the most impressive building made by Gaudi + the audio guide is really cool.

- Next to Casa Batllo, you will find Casa Amatller. This building was made for the Amatller family, which had a chocolate factory (that is why you can see the shape of a chocolate bar at the front façade’s top). Go inside to taste the amazing chocolate they sell.

- After you are done admiring this block, cross the street and pay a visit to “El Nacional” – you will find it in a narrow alley. Don’t even look up for pictures of this place online, let it surprise you. You will never imagine what it’s like inside. I will just tell you that you can have a great lunch here and don’t leave without seeing the bathrooms (yes, Barcelona has something with making really cool bathrooms).

2. Plaza Catalunya:

- Even though every tour guide of Barcelona recommends to absolutely go straight to Plaza Catalunya… I might defer a bit. Of course, you have to see it once, but don’t spend too much time on it. My best advice is to go straight to El Corte Ingles, go up to the last floor and enjoy the beautiful views of this plaza from the big food court! You can also grab something to eat here for a good price.

3. Portal del Angel and the gothic quarter.

- Right after Plaza Catalunya, you will find this street filled with shops called “Portal del Angel”. As its name explains it, it is a “portal” for the gothic quarter. In my opinion, it is the best way to see the gothic quarter for the first time. As you keep on walking straight, you will suddenly see how the narrow street opens up and Barcelona’s cathedral appears in. a big plaza. If you want to see a view of the cathedral from the top, go to Hotel Colon’s terrace and enjoy it. Enjoy its beautiful façade and walk to the narrow alley to its right to get lost into the gothic quarter’s magic.

- If you have time, you can walk to “Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar” and see the church built by the own people of Barcelona back in 1330. The interior its really impressive.

- You can also find Picasso’s museum near the Basilica. He built it himself and personally chose the collection he would show inside. If you have time, don’t doubt to go inside.

4. Las Ramblas and Paseo de Colon

- Before I keep on going, I have to state my opinion about Las Ramblas. First of all, Las Ramblas for me is just a passageway to reach the beach from the Gothic quarter by foot and it fits with my route. But it isn’t a place you should go straight ahead when arriving in Barcelona. It is very touristy, there are many tourist-trap-restaurants, ambulant sellers, pickpockets, etc, etc. Many tourists make the mistake of going straight to Plaza Catalunya and then walk down Las Ramblas because it’s what every guide advises. These two places are far from the true essence of Barcelona. If you really want to walk down a “Rambla” that shows more of Barcelona’s essence, go to Las Ramblas of Catalunya, which are way nicer, with cute small restaurants and less touristy.

- Getting back to the route... when you get to Las Ramblas after walking through the gothic quarter, start walking your way down. If you want to visit a common touristy place, go to La Boqueria – it is a food market that offers both local and international products.

- If you want to have really nice ice cream, have one at ROCAMBOLESC – made by the famous Catalan chef Jordi Roca.

- If you have time, go to the hotel 1898 and visit the terrace – Isabel La Catolica – to enjoy

amazing views of Las Ramblas and the gothic quarter. The terrace itself is beyond beautiful! Perfect for drinks.

- Now that you got to the end of Las Ramblas, you will find Paseo Colon. This is a very beautiful avenue worth seeing, filled with palm trees.

5. La Rambla de Mar and W Hotel

- Walk straight to “La Rambla del Mar” which is a beautiful bridge that takes you to the mall Maremagnum. The views from the bridge are really worth it.

- If you want to see the famous “Cap the Barcelona” a sculpture made by Roy Lichtenstein, go back and walk through the Port Vell where you will find other important sculptures.

- Now go ahead and walk up to Hotel W. It is one of my favorite hotels in La Barceloneta because it shows the modern side of Barcelona. If you want a nice (but expensive) Italian dinner, you can eat at Vellissima’s restaurant near the hotel, next to the port.

- If you want instead to eat a really nice Paella or some seafood, walk down to the beach to the “chiringuitos” at the bottom of the hotel.

6. La Barceloneta

Note: Up to now this route is 1 hour and 20 minutes walking (non-stop). If you are tired, leave la Barceloneta for the next day. If not, go ahead!

- To finish up the day, start off by walking straight through Passeig de la Barceloneta, or the famous “Paseo Maritimo”. You will walk all the way to Hotel Arts, where you will find the fish sculpture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

- If you are down to some amazing “Cocada” (a cocounut sweet drink) you can have one at “Coco house”. If you are still hungry and want some really nice pizza, go straight to NAP.

- For a nice sunset at a super cool terrace, go to "Terrace de les Indianes". You will have amazing views of the Port and Barceloneta.

Day 2

1. Gaudi’s Avenue– Sagrada Familia and Hospital San Pau.

- This is for sure going to be a very – very exciting day! Gaudi’s avenue is one of the most historical places in Barcelona. This street has by far the best angles of La Sagrada Familia and Hospital de Sant Pau. So, when you´re walking along the avenue or if you are just chilling outside at a café, you can see these insane structures without being overcrowded.

- As you walk by the street, you will notice the modernist streetlamps, which gives it a unique style. They were designed by great architect Pere Falques.

- Now it is the time to visit the great masterpiece of all times – La Sagrada Familia (I will do a separate blog for it). Make sure you buy the tickets online at La Sagrada Familia official website before coming, it usually sold out. Website: https://sagradafamilia.org/en/

- Before going into La Sagrada Familia do yourself a favor and admire it from ALL of its

facades. There are two parks that face two different facades of La Sagrada Familia – “Plaça de Gaudi” and “Placa de la Sagrada Familia”. Go to each one of them and see the amazing views from the lake.

- There is NO WAY you come to Barcelona and not go inside this masterpiece. What you see outside IS FAR from what you see inside. You would never - not in a million years -would have imagined how the interior looks like. Please get the audio guide – there are so many hidden symbols in this place worth knowing!

- After you are done with La Sagrada Familia, it is time you walk straight ahead to Hospital Sant Pau. In my opinion, after la Sagrada Familia, this is the second masterpiece of Barcelona. You can’t leave without seeing it!

- The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

-Hospital Sant Pau came into being in 1401 with the merging of six hospitals in the city of Barcelona at that time. Santa Creu, the Hospital of the Holy Cross, as it was called in those days, was right in the center of the city, in what is now the Raval district, in one of the most important examples of Catalan Civil Gothic architecture. It was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1902. The inside of this hospital is INSANE. It looks like a palace! Please go in and grab an audio guide.

- Extra: If you want to see La Sagrada Familia from a terrace, go to Ayre Hotel’s terrace. It has the best views!

2. Visit Vila de Gracia’s neighborhood.

To finish up your day take a bus or the metro to Vila de Gracia.

- Gracia is located just a few steps from Passeig de Gracia, but it is like entering a different world that is small, tight but has a large population with true artistic and traditional lifestyles, which makes people-watching here very amusing. From buildings and streets to plazas, many things in Gracia are on a smaller scale than those in the center of town. Here you will find many cute restaurants and cafes. One of my favorites is Sabio Infante, not only it is delicious but has a very cool decoration and ambiance.

- In Gràcia you will find the first building Gaudi designed: Casa Vicens. It is worth going inside to see how he began to work as a young man.

- You can also enjoy the local vibe at Plaça del Sol, Plaça de la Virreina, and Plaça del Diamant. These three Plaças are well-worth the visit, especially at night when you can feel the heat of Gracia. The square Plaça del Sol is very lively at nighttime with a bohemian vibe coming from skaters, musicians, and street performers. You can see local young people sitting and having a cold beer while listening to guitar music.

Day 3

1. Plaza España + Montjuic

- This is also a MUST stop if you come to Barcelona. There is a lot to see here, so again wear comfortable shoes. That’s why you need the third day (minimum) to enjoy the city. As soon as you get to Plaza España – either by bus or metro – you will see the beautiful “Arenas de Barcelona Mall” which used to be a “Plaza de Toros” (A bullring). It’s really amazing to see how they reformed this space and made a beautiful mall out of it. For great views, you can go up to its terrace!

- Now you can walk o the incredible magic fountain of Montjuic. You will walk through the two main towers (Venetian towers) and start your way up! There are many stairs, but there are also electric stairs to help you up. Sometimes you have to walk further to the right to find them!

P.S: Thursday to Sunday at 9pm during winter and at 8pm during summer, the magic fountain show begins!

- While you are walking up, you can find further to your right the “German Pavilion” – also called Barcelona’s Pavilion - which is one of the most important works of Mies Van Der Rohe. It’s truly an architectural gem, so don’t miss it!

- You will reach the top until you find the National Museum of Art of Catalunya. If you wish to go inside and not enter the art collections it's free!

- After you finish with the museum, keep going up to Olympic Stadium and park. Here you will find a beautiful “Anella Olympic” which is a beautiful park next to Palau Sant Jordi (where they host concerts). You will also find the communications tower by Santiago Calatrava (Spanish architect). The views of Barcelona from this point are truly amazing.

- Now keep on walking through the beautiful gardens of “Joan de Maragall” until you get to

Joan Miro Foundation. If you truly want to see an exceptional museum, filled with the BEST works of Miro… this is the place. In my opinion, the best museum Barcelona has.

- After you are done with the museum, you can finish the route with Montjuic’s castle. You have two options: you either go on foot through the beautiful gardens or you use the cable car that will take you straight to the castle.

- Extra: If you get hungry and wish to have a nice Paella, you can go to Terraza Martinez. A really beautiful restaurant in Montjuic with amazing views! You have to make a reservation before coming here – it's usually full.

2. Avenida Diagonal

- You will rarely see many tour guides that advise you to walk through “Avenida diagonal”

because it isn’t that touristy. However, it is one of my favorite avenues and a MUST. Start your route from Plaza “Francesc Mascia”. From here you will walk all the way to Las Ramblas de Catalunya. While walking down the diagonal avenue, you will see many modernist buildings and fancy cafes.

- If you want to make a stop to eat, go to “Europa Café” – it is really good!

- When you get to Las Ramblas de Catalunya you will now understand why I prefer this kind of Ramblas. If you are down to eat one of the best tapas in town, go to “La Cerveceria Catalana” or to “Ciudad Condal”. Make sure you make a reservation before coming to one of these, they are usually pretty full!

- After you have something to eat, have a nice walk down this Ramblas to see the beautiful buildings around you – most are modernist.

- If you are down for another museum, Antoni Tapies is right around the corner. Really nice contemporary artworks.

If you have an extra day…

- If for any chance you decide Barcelona is worth another day (because it is) here are some spots you will love:

1. Tibidabo Amusement Park

- Tibidabo’s church is, after La Sagrada Familia, the most beautiful church in Barcelona. Go and buy the tickets to go to the church’s top for some amazing views. Asides from the church, there is a really nice amusement park. Tibidabo is at the top of one of the highest hills in Barcelona, so the views are amazing, in my opinion, the best of all Barcelona! You can either go by car or by the “funicular” a kind of train that takes you there.

2. Arc of Triumph

- If you have the extra time, the arc of triumph it’s also a great stop. You can walk down the pedestrian avenue until you get to the Ciutadella Park. Inside the park, you will find a fountain made by Gaudi!

TIPS:

To get from the center to the airport or vice-versa:

- Instead of taking the metro, which will take you more time, you can choose to take the Aero Bus shuttle – it's way cheaper too! It is a blue bus and usually costs 6 euros one way or 11 euros for the round trip. The bus goes from the airport terminal to Plaza Catalunya in just 20 minutes.

- Always buy a “T-INDIVIDUAL” metro ticket. It will work for 10 trips (either metro, bus, or metro-trail), and its twice as cheap as buying the ticket right on the spot. NOTE: Before you could share this ticket with someone else, now it's for a single person.

- Taxis are a bit expensive in Barcelona (forget about ubers here), but if you need a taxi – download the “Free Now’ app to get one as soon as possible.

- If you rent a bike or an electric scooter, make sure you go through the bike’s lines. Barcelona is filled with these lines and there is no need to go by the streets or sidewalks. The tickets are around 500 euros if you break the rule!!! Check out Bicing's map to see the ways you can go.

Website: https://com-shi-va.barcelona.cat/ca/bicicleta

Restaurant Recommendations I’ve been to:

- Sushi: Robata. It also has a mix of Japanese food. VERY NICE!

- Japanese-Peruvian mix: Restaurante Aji (at La Marina- next to the Casino).

- Pizza: NAP, Belillo, Madre Lievito (All napolitan style).

- Italian: Vellisima, Macchina Pasta Bar

- Peruvian: Leche de Tigre

- Hamburgers: Goiko or Chivuos

- Paella (arroces): Terraza Martinez, Barraca.

- Tapas: Cervecería Catalana, Vinitus, Ciudad Condal, Mirablau (nice views and terrace)

- Meat: 9 Reinas – Argentinians restaurant.

- Brunch: Flax and Kale, Al Sur Café, Sabio Infante.

- Arabian: La Caravana

- Greek: The Quick Greek – in Gracia.

- Drinks and eat: El Balconet (nice views), Terrace de les Indianes, Alaire Terrace Bar, Boca Grande, El Nacional, Feroz, Bellas, Negro-Rojo.

- Speak Easy Bar: Paradiso – cool hidden bar with unique drinks!