If there is one city in Europe I would move to, it would be Barcelona. It’s a well designed city – attractive, tropical, a convenient hub, great weather and offers travellers a mix of a metro and beach lifestyle. I have visited twice and still haven’t seen or experienced everything on my list. Barcelona is overwhelmingly massive with so much to see and do, travellers need to come visit again and again.
The good thing is there are so many cheap flights to Barcelona from London, it’s easy to fly over for a week long stay or a weekend getaway. Barcelona offers something for every type of traveller whether you’re a solo backpacker, a couple or group traveller.
Here are my top 5 reasons why Barcelona should be on your list this summer:
COSMOPOLITAN yet TROPICAL
Like the idea of being lost in a big European city, but crave the sea at your feet? Barcelona can offer both: boardwalks lined with palm trees overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and busy city streets lined with modernist buildings fit for a metropolis. After all, there’s nothing like Antoni Gaudi’s architecture.
TRENDY yet CASUAL
Barcelona is a great place to shop with all the major European brands in the city, but if you’re like me and don’t care to shop while travelling, head over to the beach in your flip flops instead. You won’t feel out of place. That’s the beauty of Barcelona. You can see many locals in casual wear, rollerblading or biking down the boardwalk in cut off shorts, tanks and sandals. Barcelona has a laid back vibe so you can go trendy as you want or casual as you want.
CONTEMPORARY yet TRADITIONAL
At first glance, you’d have no idea Barcelona is located in the Old World. Barcelona is designed like a modern 21st century metropolis with a thriving urban cultural scene- cool graffiti murals and contemporary public sculptures line the pier; street performers come out to play and modern day buildings and hotels stretch upwards towards the sky.
To escape the modern day appeal for a short while, get lost in the narrow lanes of the old medieval Gothic Quarter and you’ll find tradition and history at every corner. Cheer on the locals building human towers called castells, an 18th century tradition or watch the older generations take part in a Sardana dance, a traditional circle dance typical of the region.
TOURISTY yet UNEXPLORED
Barcelona is a very touristy city and on your first trip expect to see and do all the touristy things like walking down Las Ramblas, chilling out at La Barceloneta Beach and seeing Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Yet there is so much more to explore in Barcelona you could spend days here and you’d never get bored. What makes your trip unique from everyone else is all the unplanned experiences you come across – like when I said heck to my map and started walking in a direction away from the city and came across a random flea market (scored a pretty cool handbag for 3 euros and a story to boot!) or the time I stepped out of the metro, a little puzzled and asked a florist on Las Ramblas for directions in broken Spanglish. He surprised me by speaking in Punjabi – he was actually Indian and I had no idea.
So although Barcelona is on the beaten path, you can find plenty of experiences on that beaten path that are uniquely yours and still so much left unexplored of the city that you’ll want to come back again and again.
ENERGETIC yet RELAXING
Barcelona is lively, vibrant and well known for its energetic nightlife, but if you want to take a break from it all, you can relax at a tapas bar or cafe, walk down the pier, hit the beach or chill out at a waterfront restaurant instead. Barcelona has a laid back vibe just as much as a party lifestyle.
Barcelona is an awesome city to visit and if you have time, make sure to visit it again.
Looking for inspiration for your travels to Europe? Read my articles on Paris, Florence, Budapest and more!
Photo credit: desiglobetrotter and creative commons.
