Mrs Lunge is approaching a significant birthday and I want to book a couple of nights away with her. One option which appeals is Barcelona so I wondered if anyone could offer advice on what is worth seeing and doing there? I’m also interested in which areas are best to stay in.

We’ll likely be there for 2 days and are more keen on cultural stuff rather than night clubs!

Thanks in advance, and apologies in advance, there will shortly be a similar titled thread about Amsterdam as well.

I’ve been a couple of times and Barcelona is ok but that’s it. Personally not that impressed with the place, there are far better cities in Europe to visit for a weekend.

Also watch for pick pockets, they’re everywhere.

Great metropolis ,don’t get turned over , lots of undesirables waiting to pounce ….just be aware and you will have a great time

I don’t like the city much, having visited both for work & play. As above, there are better cities in Europe. Choose somewhere you can get to from your local airpost… Seville, or Girona / Gerona in Spain.

I went for my Honeymoon, it was lovely – the Cathedral is the big draw of course, but there’s a massive queue for it everyday so get there early.

There’s also a missive castle on top of the city with stunning views – you take a very short bubble up to it – it’s exactly the same one as Super Morzine, it’s like they transported the cars and the wheel houses up there – it’s really expensive for what it is though – you can walk up for free.

We spent a day on one of the tour buses, they’re pretty good, if the commentary is a bit annoying (via headphones) used that to get out bearings and spent the rest of the time zipping about on the good and inexpensive under ground.

Restaurants are lovely, price varies hugely depending on how close they are to the main tourist places – the ones near the harbour are nicer and much cheaper than the ones in the City.

Its a very popular city for a weekend break. Nice mix of culture, night life and with beaches in the city center. I’ve spend a lot of time there and my daughter lived there for 2 years and loved it. As for most city breaks a combination of sightseeing and eating and drinking is the norm and Barca is great for both of those. Worth picking a weekend out of peak season as it can be crowded and of course hot – late May or June should be perfect. Gaudi buildings throughout the city and park, the Sagrada Familiara is looking like a proper building now (I first visited 30 years ago and it was a total building site). Bars and restaurants around the marina (old athletes accommodation from the 1992 Olympics) and beach other side of the road. Worth staying somewhere central around Ramblas and just explore on foot. Seafood restaurant Botafumeiro is one of my favourites anywhere in the world link

FYI Amsterdamn is great too, different feel of course and much smaller, no beach and weather not as good !

Avoid the ramblas, it’s full of English tourists and people sprayed silver standing very still.
I like Gracia and the borne areas but as I stay with friends who live ‘above the diagonal’ I tend to go out there more to avoid tourists.
It’s no worse than any other European city for crime, been going there for 20 years and never had any trouble but then I don’t wander around looking lost waving phones/camera/bling about or wander the streets pissed at 3am

Get yourself a T10 ticket at the airport train station and don’t bother with a taxi (unless you have heavy bags) the tube and bus network is cheap and easy to use

Personally I’d rate Madrid as a better bet for a cultural weekend (if you’re looking at visiting Spain). Barcelona’s nice, though, and the risk of getting robbed is much overstated – just take the usual precautions for crowds in a big city and you’ll be fine.

good city easy to walk around, cultural interesting older parts aka medieval, bari gothic the famous architecture of Gaudi, outside of the Sadrada famalia, best museum art gallery for us was

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
great museum

spent the whole rainy day there followed by a walk in the montejuic gardens

area up by the university was good and more quiet, we stayed near by good coffee and a different vibe from some of the centre

metro is great

personally avoid the rambles, touristy hell, lots more off to the side streets

we took mother in law 70 who likes graffiti art so we walked into a couple of areas that were more colourful but fine no hassle, in fact skaters were really friendly and chatty. As above just be aware same anywhere

Picasso museum and in fact all musuems/sights had huge queues so get there early

Nice city BUT having been to Paris Amsterdam Barcelona London Lisbon in the last 14 monthsmy personal fav is Lisbon.great modern art galleries, great to walk around, slightly madcap and dishevelled personally wonderful oh and cheap.

Just to follow up on @vondally’s post if you want an alternative to Barcelona then Lisbon is a good call.

Just to follow up on @vondally’s post if you want an alternative to Barcelona then Lisbon is a good call.

Another vote for Lisbon here, great place to visit. Oporto is nice, too, if Portugal appeals.

It’s no worse than any other European city for crime, been going there for 20 years and never had any trouble but then I don’t wander around looking lost waving phones/camera/bling about or wander the streets pissed at 3am

That’s good advice
however, I know 3 people that have been pickpoceted – all of them in Barcelona

According to Trip advisor the top 10 tourist cities in the world for pick pockets are …

1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Rome, Italy
3. Prague, Czech Republic
4. Madrid, Spain
5. Paris, France
6. Florence, Italy
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina
8. Amsterdam, Netherlands
9. Athens, Greece
10. Hanoi, Vietnam

Pick-pockets surely just follow tourism. So it stands to reason that the ten worst cities for pick-pocketing are essentially just the ten most popular tourist destinations.

I went to a conference in Barcelona at which around 10% of the attendees were known to have been mugged or otherwise robbed. There may have been more.

I’ve had 2 attempted robberies in Barcelona, once the beggar’s baby trick, once the chocolate milk. So I conclude it’s not that safe a place.

You wouldn’t think it, but Malaga is a good city for a couple of days.

Re Pickpockets etc just be careful OP, like any big city. Looking at Jota’s list I have visited most and never had an issue

1. Barcelona, Spain – as above my daughter lived there for 2 years and I have visited many times
2. Rome, Italy – been a few times
3. Prague, Czech Republic – never visted so no personal experience
4. Madrid, Spain – been a few times
5. Paris, France – been many times, lived there for a year. Girl friend (French and Paris local) robbed via bag snatch on the Champs Elysees
6. Florence, Italy – more problems with too may tourists than pickpockets
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina – never been
8. Amsterdam, Netherlands – been many time never had an issue
9. Athens, Greece – never been
10. Hanoi, Vietnam – been many times, more safe in my view than European cities although a few scams aimed a drunk tourists – safer than HCMC/Siagon

Just got to be on the ball nothing else , if you look like a tourist you will be turned over ….. But great city , gracia is great day and night ,ravel area right hand side as u walk down las ramblas is well dodgy even of a day ….phone shops ,pimps and ladies of the afternoon !!!

Just to follow up on @vondally’s post if you want an alternative to Barcelona then Lisbon is a good call.

a polar opinion but found it a bit provincial/quaint and not exactly a buzzing metropolitan city and the food i had was mediocre apart form one very good up market restaurant, the art farty bit was tiny compared to what you get in BCN.
it seemed a very poor city as if it was down on its luck and desperate for your money.

they are quite different cities.

@Mr S – I think there is a decent amount of truth in that, Portugal is even more screwed than Spain post crises but as its for a weekend only and with a bit of research you can ensure you find the good eating spots.

Went to Barcelona during the October half-term
Lots of police keeping the criminal fraternity moving, no problems with thieves, hawkers, etc

Like many cities, two or three days is enough time without rushing

Gaudi was a genius (IMHO) and, if you like architecture, you really need to see the interior of his buildings (approx £45 family ticket). We paid online before travelling, it beats the queues

La Rambla / Las Ramblas (you choose) is worth a look, but we tended to do that as we crossed it from one area of the city to another

Hated the place, for the reasons above. I had a much better time in San Sebastian (smaller, prettier, great beaches, great food scene).

I went there this year, it was excellent. In any city you’ll have issues with pickpockets, just don’t be an easy target and you’ll be fine. Walking down La Rambla with your goods on display at rush-hour is probably foolish and to be honest, a pretty horrid experience anyway. “Do” that part of the city early morning and it’s wonderfully deserted and you can actually see the buildings etc rather than the other tourists and tat sellers.
There’s loads to do, we went for museums and art (the maritime museum there is great) etc but it’s a great place to just wander around and pop into the interesting spaces/churches/cafes etc that you find en-route.

(2nd the recommendation for Donostia (san sebastian to the spanish…) – one of my favorite cities on Earth)

Was disappointed with Barcelona, much prefer Rome.

I thought it was a fantastic city. Pickpockets weren’t a problem at all, the hysteria is daft. Just make sure you use common sense like in any busy city. The Gaudi architecture is awesome, and the buses make it easy to see what you want. As has been said, get there early as the queues get long. City and a beach holiday rolled into one. We stayed in the business district, the metro is uber efficient and runs all night

I used to dislike Barcelona for the thieves and general dangerous atmosphere but went last Xmas and it’s a helluva lot better than it used to be. So, dont let that put you off.

For sights – Sagrada familia, book the tickets in advance.
The other Gaudi houses and Parc Guell
The cable car.

Visited with the kids last year. Enjoyed it, especially as they were having a mini-riot a few blocks away from our apartment.

Liked the beach area, the backstreets around the Ramblas, as soon as you get off the main drag it improves. Loads of lovely architecture, good bars etc.

Didn’t rate the Sagrada Familia – or rather, didn’t think it lived up to the hype. Spectacular, but so packed you couldn’t take it in, and the building works don’t help you appreciate a cathedral (they were using a load of jackhammers up in the towers when we visited!). And expensive. I’ll come back when it’s finished. 🙂

Didn’t rate the Sagrada Familia – or rather, didn’t think it lived up to the hype. Spectacular, but so packed you couldn’t take it in, and the building works don’t help you appreciate a cathedral (they were using a load of jackhammers up in the towers when we visited!). And expensive. I’ll come back when it’s finished.

Local saying is that it will never be finished, because then they’d have to stop asking for money to finish it 🙂

Think Barcelona’s a real grower – been a few times recently and find it almost under-stated for a world city, appreciate it more with each visit. Think it’s got a very liveable feel to it which you don’t often get with cities of that status.