Barcelona is a city of the grid, the Eixample, the 520 city blocks of the Ildefons Cerdà plan of the 1860, the octagonal blocks with the chamfered corners, the wide streets, the light, and the air, and the Sagrada Família, the Gaudí’s church that has been under the construction for the 144 years (the 1882–2026, the target completion date of the 2026 was the first announced but the work continues, and the completion is now projected for the 2034), rising above the grid like a mountain of the stone, the faith, and the mathematics that is the most extraordinary building in Europe. The Barcelona is the city of the Gaudí, the city of the Catalonia, the city of the Mediterranean, and the city of the 32 million visitors a year that makes it the most visited city in the Spain and one of the most visited in Europe. The Barcelona is the essential European city break, and the guide below is the brief, the essential, and the effective.

Brief Guide to Barcelona

• The Gaudí, the essential Barcelona: The Sagrada Família: the most famous church under the construction in the world, and the essential Barcelona experience: the Nativity Facade (the east, the detail, the joy, and the Gaudí’s original work), the Passion Facade (the west, the stark, the angular, and the Josep Maria Subirachs’ controversial 1987 addition), the interior (the forest of the columns, the stone trees branching to support the ceiling, the light through the stained glass, the blue, the green, the red, the gold, and the most beautiful church interior in the world. The ~€26 for the basic ticket, the audio guide, and the essential strategy: book online at the least 1 month in advance, the tickets sell out the fastest of any attraction in the Spain. The tower, the Nativity or the Passion tower, the view of the city, is the ~€36). The Park Güell: the Gaudí’s garden city, the mosaic serpent, the Hall of the Hundred Columns, and the view of the Barcelona from the terrace. ~€10 for the Monumental Zone (the area with the Gaudí’s works, the park beyond is the free), and the essential strategy: book online, the morning slot, and the park before the heat and the crowds. The Casa Batlló and the La Pedrera: the two Gaudí apartment buildings on the Passeig de Gràcia, the Casa Batlló (the “House of the Bones,” the dragon-back roof, the skull balconies, and the most beautiful staircase in the Barcelona. ~€35) and the La Pedrera (the quarry, the undulating stone façade, the roof, the chimneys, the ventilation towers, the most beautiful roof in Europe, and the best view of the Gaudí’s work. ~€25). The essential strategy: choose one (the €60 for the both is the steep, and the Casa Batlló is the essential, the interior is the more beautiful, and the experience is the more immersive). More Spain →
• The Gothic Quarter and the La Boqueria: The Barri Gòtic, the Gothic Quarter, the medieval streets, the cathedral (the 13th–15th centuries, the cloister, the geese, the 13 white geese, the tradition that dates to the earliest years of the cathedral), and the Plaça Reial (the arcaded square, the Gaudí lamp posts, the first commission, the 1879, and the best café in the Gothic Quarter: the Ocaña, the terrace, the coffee, and the people-watching). The essential walk: the Las Ramblas (the 1.2 km of the pedestrian boulevard, the flower stalls, the street performers, the pickpocket warning, the Las Ramblas is the busiest street in the Barcelona and the busiest for the pickpockets. The essential rule: the camera is on the strap, the wallet is in the front pocket, and the backpack is on the chest in the crowd), the La Boqueria (the market, the best in Europe, the jamón, the fruit, the seafood, the Bar Pinotxo, the counter, the Juanito, the chickpeas with the black pudding, the best breakfast in the Barcelona. ~€10 for the plate), and the Plaça de Catalunya (the central square, the pigeons, and the start of the Eixample). The essential lunch: the Cal Pep in the El Born (the counter, the seafood, the tuna, the clams, the tortilla, and the best meal in the Barcelona. ~€35)