The best things to do in Barcelona in 2024

There are two types of tourist: those who love Barcelona, and those who have never been.

The wonders of a visit to Spain’s avant-garde second city are well-documented, with a fusion of Spanish influence, Catalan tradition and the luck of Mediterranean geography creating a destination that has it all in the eyes of many visitors.

It is a city that at various points has diverged from the rest of Spain, from its language and history to the artificial beaches and modernist buildings that have come to define its coastline and architecture.

But it has maintained a lot of what visitors love about Spain – from tapas joints and vibrant nightlife to cultural festivals and a love of football – while adding a slew of things to do that are as unique as the city itself.

We’ve rounded up a selection of the best, from visits to local markets and art galleries to strolls around its Olympic park.

Discover Gaudi’s legacy

If you’ve never been to Barcelona before, you’ll soon realise that its main landmarks were all the brainchild of the same man, architect Antoni Gaudi, the pioneer of Catalan Modernisme. He is responsible for designing both La Pedrera (also known as Casa Mila) and Casa Batllo, the eccentric buildings located on the city’s main thoroughfare, Passeig de Gracia.

By far Gaudi’s most important work was the Sagrada Familia, a vast Catholic church which began construction in 1882. It is one of Barcelona’s must-visit landmarks, incorporating various design ideas across its 18 spires and intricate facades. Visitors can enter to watch the light pour in through the various stained glass windows before ascending its steeples for a view over the city.

Gaudi’s contributions to Barcelona were not limited to buildings though, and the vibrant Park Guell also contains the architect’s work and his old house, which exhibits some of his other designs. The often-photographed mosaic walls that adorn the central square are one of his most famed projects, though there are other structures to explore in both the free-to-enter and paid sections of the park (combined entry tickets are available on the Sagrada site for €50/£43).

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