By Lauren LeBrun, on December 26, 2016

The best of Barcelona

Barcelona is one of Europe’s most exciting and beautiful cities. It’s the largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the second biggest city in Spain. In spring of 2016, my husband and I started a year long backpacking trip around the world. During our trip, we spent a week in Spain and saw some of the city’s most incredible sites. Here are the best spots that we uncovered in Barcelona.

Viewfinder Tip: Book your tickets online for La Sagrada Famíliía. Entrance to the cathedral is permitted in time slots, so schedule this ahead of time to avoid waiting.

La Sagrada Famílía

Antoni Gaudí started designing La Sagrada Famílía in the late 1800s. He was inspired by nature when developing the exterior structure and interior decor. The cathedral truly is one of the highlights of Barcelona. When you walk inside, you will find a series of tall columns that stretch toward the ceiling to symbolize a forest. When you observe the walls, you will see large stained glass windows that fill the church with colorful light. One wall has cool colored glass, while the opposing wall has warm colored glass. This captures the light from sunrise and sunset to give the cathedral a wide range of color throughout the day. And the outside of the church is just as beautiful as in the inside!

Las Ramblas + Boqueria Market

Another fun spot in Barcelona is Las Ramblas. It’s the main shopping district in the middle of the city. More than 150,000 people stroll down these streets every day to go shopoing, watch the street performers, and enjoy food and drink. Also, Boqueria Market is nearby, which is an outdoor market that has lots of food vendors. You can buy all kinds of meats, fresh produce, eggs of all types, as well as nuts and dried fruits.

If you love beautiful architecture, amazing food, and fun shopping, make sure you book a trip to Barcelona. You won’t regret it! For more information about Barcelona, check out these 2 unique ways to explore Barcelona and how to spend 48 hours in Barcelona.

What do you want to see most in Barcelona?