UltimateCity Guide Barcelona
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Barcelona’s beaches curving north from Nova Icària and Bogatell, with the city and the hills beyond Barcelona’s beaches curving north from Nova Icària and Bogatell, with the city and the hills beyond The tree-like columns and vaults of the Sagrada Família’s nave, lit by its stained glass The concert hall of the Palau de la Música Catalana, under its stained-glass skylight The mosaic-clad roof and spire of the Casa del Guarda lodge at Park Güell

The city guide to Barcelona, Spain

Best of Barcelona

Gaudí’s mosaics above the city, Gothic lanes and Modernista mansions, four Three-Star kitchens and a seafront that runs for kilometres: Barcelona, checked place by place.

Where to eatWhat to see

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Barcelona

Barcelona grew from the Roman and medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter across the plain in the Eixample’s great grid, where Gaudí and the Modernistas built its signature houses, and down to the beaches beyond the old port. Here are the grand hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the Gaudí sites and the museums, markets, rooftops and day trips to Montserrat, Sitges, Girona, the Costa Brava and the Penedès. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Basílica de la Sagrada Família

New this year

The Sagrada Família’s central tower

Eixample·Basilica

The Tower of Jesus Christ, the basilica’s central tower, was blessed and inaugurated on 10 June 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death. Book the first slot of the morning on the basilica’s own website, when the light pours through the windows.

Plan your visit

Barcelona by neighbourhood

From the Gothic Quarter to the hills: each area has its own guide.

The carved Gothic footbridge over Carrer del Bisbe in the Gothic QuarterNeighbourhood guideGothic Quarter & El BornMedieval lanes and Gothic churchesThe mosaic façade and bone-like balconies of Casa Batlló on Passeig de GràciaNeighbourhood guideEixample & Passeig de GràciaModernisme and the grand hotelsThe mosaic-clad roof and spire of the Casa del Guarda lodge at Park GüellNeighbourhood guideGràciaPark Güell and village squaresNova Icària and Bogatell beaches from above, curving north along the coastNeighbourhood guideBarceloneta & the PortBeaches and seafoodTorre Glòries lit in red and blue at nightNeighbourhood guidePoblenouFactories, 22@ and beachesThe three-storey Gothic cloister and bell tower of the Monastery of PedralbesNeighbourhood guideSarrià, Sant Gervasi & PedralbesThe upper cityThe Palau Nacional, home of the MNAC, above its cascades and stairways on MontjuïcNeighbourhood guideMontjuïcMuseums and gardens on the hill

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go.

The Gothic façade of Barcelona Cathedral at dusk, above an empty squareBefore you goBarcelona essentialsEntry, money, etiquette and getting aroundA red high-speed train at a platform in Barcelona SantsGetting aroundGetting aroundMetro, trains and the airportBarcelona’s beaches curving north from Nova Icària and Bogatell, with the city and the hills beyondItineraryFour days in BarcelonaThe classic first visitThe arched Modernista lobby of Hotel Casa Fuster, with its marble columnsLuxury guideLuxury BarcelonaThe finest addresses

Beyond Barcelona

A mountain monastery, the coast, Girona and cava country.

The monastery of Montserrat beneath the mountain’s serrated rock pinnaclesBeyond BarcelonaMontserratThe monastery in the mountainThe church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla on its headland above the sea at SitgesBeyond BarcelonaSitgesBeaches and a church on the seaThe painted houses of Girona’s old town lining the River OnyarBeyond BarcelonaGironaPainted houses on the OnyarThe white houses of Cadaqués around its bay on the Costa BravaBeyond BarcelonaThe Costa BravaCoves and white villagesRows of vines in the Alt Penedès wine countryBeyond BarcelonaThe PenedèsVineyards and cava cellars

In depth: Barcelona’s back stories

Gaudí, the grand hotels, the MICHELIN year, rooftops and where to buy.

The tree-like columns and vaults of the Sagrada Família’s nave, lit by its stained glassThe back storyGaudí and the ModernistasHow the Eixample became a galleryThe balconied façade of the Majestic on Passeig de GràciaThe back storyThe grand hotelsPasseig de Gràcia to the seaA greengrocer’s stall piled with fruit and vegetables inside the BoqueriaThe back storyEating in BarcelonaThe 2026 MICHELIN yearNova Icària and Bogatell beaches from above, curving north along the coastThe back storyRooftops and the waterfrontSunset to the seaA red high-speed train at a platform in Barcelona SantsThe back storyFour day trips by trainWhich line, from whereThe warrior-like chimneys on the roof terrace of Casa Milà, La PedreraThe back storyBuying in BarcelonaNeighbourhoods and rulesTorre Glòries lit in red and blue at nightFun factsBarcelona fun factsThings you might not know

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St MichaelSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide Helsinki Cathedral above the South HarbourFinlandULTIMATE HelsinkiSuomenlinna and the South Harbour, saunas by the sea, Aalto and the Design District, two-starred Palace and day trips to Porvoo and Tallinn.Visit the guide The Golden Horn and the mosques of the old city, IstanbulTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide The Triple Bridge over the LjubljanicaSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth TowerUnited KingdomULTIMATE LondonRoyal palaces and the Thames, world-class museums, West End theatre, grand hotels, and the restaurants and bars of Soho, Mayfair and the City.Visit the guide La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la MarSpainULTIMATE MajorcaPalma’s cathedral and palace hotels, the UNESCO Tramuntana, Deià and Sóller, nine MICHELIN-starred kitchens, and Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountainsOur sister guideULTIMATE MonacoThe Casino and Monte-Carlo’s palace hotels, the Prince’s Palace on the Rock, superyachts in Port Hercule, Larvotto’s beach clubs and the Grand Prix streets.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Stone Bridge over the VardarNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide The gilded domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, SofiaBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey MosqueAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide The tiled roof of St Mark’s Church in Zagreb’s Upper TownCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the ExumasOur sister guideULTIMATE The BahamasSeven hundred islands: Nassau and Paradise Island, the Exuma Cays and the swimming pigs, Harbour Island’s pink sand, marinas and island hopping.Visit the guide The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. JamesOur sister guideULTIMATE BarbadosThe Platinum West Coast and Sandy Lane, UNESCO-listed Bridgetown, rum where it was born, Friday nights in Oistins and the wild Atlantic east.Visit the guide Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coastUSAULTIMATE CaliforniaSan Francisco, Napa and Sonoma, Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe and the national parks.Visit the guide The beach at Rosemary Beach on the Gulf of MexicoUSAULTIMATE FloridaOrlando and the theme parks, Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Scenic Highway 30A.Visit the guide The Las Vegas Strip at duskNevadaULTIMATE Las VegasThe Strip and its shows, MICHELIN dining, Sphere and Fremont Street’s neon, with Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon beyond.Visit the guide Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles beyondCaliforniaULTIMATE Los AngelesHollywood and the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills’ grand hotels, the Sunset Strip, the Getty and the beaches from Santa Monica to Malibu.Visit the guide Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami BeachFloridaULTIMATE MiamiSouth Beach and the Art Deco district, Wynwood’s murals, the Design District, Little Havana’s cafecito and the beaches of Key Biscayne.Visit the guide Sunset at the Naples PierFloridaULTIMATE NaplesWhite-sand beaches and sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico, Fifth Avenue’s terraces, grand beach resorts and golf, with the Everglades and Marco Island close by.Visit the guide The New York City skyline from Top of the RockNew YorkULTIMATE New YorkManhattan’s grand hotels and MICHELIN dining, Broadway and the Met, Fifth Avenue shopping, Central Park and the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO.Visit the guide The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery SpencerCaliforniaULTIMATE San FranciscoCable cars over Nob Hill, North Beach cafés, the murals of the Mission, three-star tables and the Golden Gate Bridge.Visit the guide Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed PitonsOur sister guideULTIMATE St LuciaThe UNESCO Pitons and Soufrière’s drive-in volcano, Marigot Bay, Rodney Bay and the Gros Islet street party, reefs, rum and cocoa.Visit the guide The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.Visit the guide The Lujiazui skyline and the Oriental Pearl Tower lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverChinaULTIMATE ShanghaiThe grand hotels of the Bund facing the towers of Pudong, every MICHELIN star, Yu Garden, the two Shanghai Museums and day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Visit the guide The Nine Arch Bridge near Ella, in the hill countryOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hourUnited Arab EmiratesULTIMATE DubaiBurj Khalifa and the Fountain, abras on the Creek, resorts on the Palm, every MICHELIN star of 2026 and day trips to Abu Dhabi and Hatta.Visit the guide

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Barcelona, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Gran Teatre del Liceu

    This week's pick

    Gran Teatre del Liceu

    La Rambla·Opera house

    The Liceu opens Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi on 30 October (until 11 November), with Verdi’s Requiem on 3 and 4 November. Across the old town, the Palau de la Música hosts the London Philharmonic on 31 October.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Barcelona’s beaches curving north from Nova Icària and Bogatell, with the city and the hills beyondItineraryFour days in BarcelonaFour daysThe mosaic-clad roof and spire of the Casa del Guarda lodge at Park GüellItineraryA Gaudí dayOne dayThe carved Gothic footbridge over Carrer del Bisbe in the Gothic QuarterItineraryThe old town on footOne day, on footThe Palau Nacional, home of the MNAC, above its cascades and stairways on MontjuïcItineraryMontjuïc and Poble-secOne dayThe warrior-like chimneys on the roof terrace of Casa Milà, La PedreraItineraryA property viewing day: the Quadrat d’Or and SarriàOne dayThe monastery of Montserrat beneath the mountain’s serrated rock pinnaclesItineraryA day trip by train: Montserrat or SitgesOne day, by train

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Eating in Barcelona: the back storyEixample · In depth
    2. 2DisfrutarEixample · Creative
    3. 3ABaCSant Gervasi · Creative
    See all 26

    Cafés

    1. 1Granja M. ViaderEl Raval · Granja
    2. 2BubóEl Born · Pâtisserie
    3. 3EscribàLa Rambla · Pâtisserie
    See all 5

    Bars

    1. 1Rooftops and the waterfront: the back storyPasseig de Gràcia · In depth
    2. 2ParadisoEl Born · Cocktail bar
    3. 3Dry MartiniEixample · Cocktail bar
    See all 8

    Hotels

    1. 1The grand hotels of Barcelona: the back storyPasseig de Gràcia · In depth
    2. 2Mandarin Oriental, BarcelonaPasseig de Gràcia · City hotel
    3. 3Majestic Hotel & Spa BarcelonaPasseig de Gràcia · City hotel
    See all 17

    Sights

    1. 1Gaudí and the Modernistas: the back storyEixample · In depth
    2. 2Basílica de la Sagrada FamíliaEixample · Basilica
    3. 3Park GüellGràcia · Park and UNESCO site
    See all 10

    Art & Culture

    1. 1Museu PicassoEl Born · Museum
    2. 2MNAC, Museu Nacional d’Art de CatalunyaMontjuïc · Museum
    3. 3Fundació Joan MiróMontjuïc · Museum
    See all 8

    Parks & Beaches

    1. 1Parc de la CiutadellaEl Born · City park
    2. 2Montjuïc gardensMontjuïc · Gardens
    3. 3Parc del Laberint d’HortaHorta · Historic garden
    See all 6

    Walks

    1. 1The Gothic Quarter and El BornGothic Quarter · Walk
    2. 2Passeig de Gràcia’s ModernismePasseig de Gràcia · Walk
    3. 3Carretera de les AigüesCollserola · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1Passeig de GràciaEixample · Luxury avenue
    2. 2Mercat de la BoqueriaLa Rambla · Food market
    3. 3Mercat de Santa CaterinaEl Born · Food market
    See all 5

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 112Barcelona · Emergency number
    2. 2Hospital Clínic de BarcelonaEixample · Public hospital
    3. 3Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant PauSant Pau · Public hospital
    See all 8

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Barcelona: the back storyEixample · In depth
    2. 2Lucas FoxBarcelona · Estate agent
    3. 3Engel & Völkers BarcelonaBarcelona · Estate agent
    See all 6

    Developments

    1. 1The Sagrada Família: Tower of Jesus ChristEixample · Basilica
    2. 2Spotify Camp NouLes Corts · Stadium
    3. 3Plaça de les GlòriesGlòries · Urban park
    See all 5

    Motoring

    1. 1Barcelona taxis (AMB)Barcelona · Taxis
    2. 2Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaMontmeló · Motor-racing circuit
    3. 3The Garraf coast road to SitgesGarraf · Scenic drive
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Four day trips by train: the back storyBarcelona · In depth
    2. 2Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)El Prat de Llobregat · Airport
    3. 3Metro and buses (TMB)Barcelona · Metro and bus
    See all 7

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