Barcelona has it all. It’s warm pretty much all year round, it has culture and history, but is matched with great nightlife and fantastic beach. Barcelona is and has always been an amazing holiday destination – especially for those of us living in Europe, as it’s never more than a couple of hours flight away. Here are some of the reasons why you might want to consider Barcelona for your next holiday.
Culture
Barcelona’s culture comes from its rich 2000 year history. Along the way, there have been many great artists, musicians, architects. The bilingual history of Catalonia is an interesting one, and the residents are very proud people. The architecture in Barcelona is very Gothic derived, and so even just walking around the modernised city – it still remains a beautiful place.
Barcelona is full of fantastic museums, too. In fact, afternoons on Saturday or Sunday are the times where you can get free entry into many of the museums. Barcelona has a Picasso Museum, which proudly hosts the most extensive Picasso artwork collection in the world.
Accommodation
Looking for accommodation in Barcelona is where the run really begin when booking a holiday. Holiday rentals in Barcelona make it difficult to go with a hotel room, as the apartments you can organise are both luxurious and provide much more space. In fact, Lugaris offer the ability to be pretty picky (like I am) when deciding on an apartment, as you can go with some spacious and family friendly, or something a little more luxurious or romantic.
Barcelona has the opportunity for all kinds of budgets, too. Because there are many beautiful towns around (which take very little time on the cheap trains or superb metro), you don’t have to stay right in the city if you want a little more space for a little less money.
Leisure
Spaniards are known for their laid-back approach to life, and Barcelona still retains this despite being a buzzing and vibrant city. It gives a fantastic balance to your trip, with the pace of life being just about right (and much more manageable than other cities, like London).
As a result, they have created some of the best theme parks and water parks you can find. Tibidabo Amusement Park is the most famous of the lot, which boasts a 100 year history and 25 attractions. Perhaps the most notable is the Camí Del Ciel, which is a skywalk in which you can see across the whole city in all its glory.
There are many incredible views for some leisurely hiking, too. Tibidabo mountain is also nearby, which has nine surrounding hills and mountain range reaching over 500 meters. Montserrat National Park is certainly worth a day trip too, where you can hike along the coastal mountain range and see some amazing plant life. In fact, it has well over 1200 plant species, which most often resemble tropical and mediterranean plant life. If you’re lucky, you may also come across some wild goats and geckos.
Nightlife
For those who are looking to party and drink late into the evening, Barcelona doesn’t disappoint. The city has become well known across Europe for having a great electronic music scene, and hosts some of the world’s most famous DJs. It doesn’t have to be all fast-paced clubbing however, as there are many great Latin rhythms and jazz specialist bars with incredible live music. The Harlem Jazz Club and Jamboree are the two most popular jazz venues in Barcelona, both with incredible music and a great atmosphere.
Sport
Barcelona football team is one of the best in the world. It’s got a magnificent history that is only topped by its overwhelming support. In the 99,000+ capacity stadium, Camp Nou is a special place, even for non-football fans. The atmosphere is incredible and you can watch some of the best football to have ever been played. With Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player to ever live, this is a great time to catch Barcelona in the dominant Messi-era that needs to be savoured and appreciated. Even non-football fans can appreciate the support and passions surrounding the game.
Shopping
For those of us less into sports though, shopping may be higher up on the agenda. There are many great highstreets with high-end designer outlets. But the great thing about Barcelona is that shops are integrated into the city life – so even when you’re far out the way sightseeing, you will always be near craft shops and great traditional shops. The blend of modern designer shops and more traditional ones is actually one of the greatest things about the city.
Passeig de Gracia is where you will find the big spenders among the high end shopping. It’s worth a visit no matter how big your budget is, because there are some beautiful shops and has a bunch of mind blowing architecture in its surrounding area. You’ll find Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Armani, Burberry, Jimmy Choo among many others. There are also some world class jewelry shops, too.