Barcelona! Top Ten Attractions : Travel Blog #2

And we can daaaance in the streets of BARCELONA!

It has been near impossible to get that Ed Sheeran song out of my head since arriving in this beautiful city. And true to the lyrics, something about this city does make you want to dance with joy! From the Gothic ancient architecture, to the Gaudi nature, to the authentic culture around every corner is an adventure waiting to happen! I fell absolutely head over heels in love with Barcelona, and I'm going to show you the TEN REASONS why!

In this article, we'll discuss the most important things to do in Barcelona per my experience, and some tips that would have been extremely helpful to know in advance. Before we get started, I want to point out two things.

1) We used a schedule of sleeping in a bit, eating a light breakfast and leaving the house around ten or eleven. We then walked to our destination for the day and enjoyed the attraction, stopping for a lunch of packed granola bars usually. We would walk home in early evening and eat dinner followed by school for the day, and typically a movie and dessert. This schedule worked really well for us and allowed for my dad to do his work calls in the evening here while we were doing school. This was perfect because of the time difference.

2) We visited every major tourist attraction in Barcelona.... except Tibidabo. So I'm not going to list Tibidabo on this top ten count, not because it isn't cool: just because I have no way of judging it as I've never been!

Now the moment you've all been waiting for.... TOP TEN BARCELONA VERSION!

1) Park Güell

Don't be deceived, this is actually pronounced Park Gway. Believe me, we learned that the embarrassing way. This beautiful park is full of Gaudí's style (a prominent and incredibly creative Barcelonian architect) from houses to towers to unique pillars! Full of sunshine and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Park Güell is an absolute must when visiting Barcelona. Unlike Madrid which has plenty of beautiful and spacious parks, green grass is hard to come by in Barcelona which makes this park all the nicer! We had such a gorgeous first day here!

2) La Pedrera

Señor Gaudí designed this gorgeous house right in downtown Barcelona for a rich family of the last century. Gaudí was famous for going over the top with his projects and making things well... a little gaudy! It is truly beautiful and fascinating to see the products of his imagination. La Pedrera looks Gothic and fluid from the outside, but a trip inside its doors will reveal a house that made day to day life feel like quite literally like a picnic in a fairy forest! It was amazing to picture living here back in the day!

3) Sagrada Familia

This is quite possibly the most famous place to visit in Barcelona. This cathedral has been under construction for years upon years and is set for completion very soon! Yet another product of Gaudí's imagination, its 500 person mass fills up at least an hour before service starts every Sunday with tourists wanting to catch a glimpse of the cathedral in action. We were too late to go to mass our first Sunday, but we made it on the second try! However, as it was January and windy when we went, a wind tunnel was created by the open doors and it was by far the coldest church service of my entire life. Possibly the coldest I've ever been in my existence period!! It was worth it though for an up close view of the most gorgeous church ever, and they kindly translated the mass to English as well as several other languages! Easy walking distance from everything, this is a MUST see.

4) Camp Nou

Barca! Barca! Baaaaaarca!!! If you ever are in Barca, try to catch a game of Europe's finest players: FC Barcelona! The Camp Nou (pronounced camp now) stadium is the biggest I've been to in my life, and the fans are exciting to watch and cheer with as they root on their favorite fútbol team! The stadium is incredibly clean and the people classy in a refreshing European way. This is such a fun experience that I highly recommend!

5) Churros and Chocolate

Don't laugh, but I swear to you that you will regret it if you pass up the chance to try this Barcelona staple. If you walk down the busiest street, Las Ramblas, it is impossible to go more than a block without passing a tent offering chocolate and churros. Unlike sweetened American churros, these are buttery, salty, and perfectly complement the pudding-like hot chocolate that the Spanish do so much better than America. Their hot chocolate is so thick that it makes more sense to eat it with a spoon than to drink it! I'll miss it so much when we get home!

6) Montjuïc

We walked almost everywhere in Barcel0na, sometimes over twelve miles a day! However, on our day trip to the impressive castle of Montjuïc we cheated and took an incredible gondola ride up the mountain! As nice as the castle is, the highlight of Montjuïc is most definitely the views. Right near that gorgeous Mediterranean Coast, it will take your breath away!

7) Outside the MNAC

This museum is stunning! I'm sure its nice to actually go inside and check it out too, but based on my experience of viewing the gorgeous exterior and surrounding grounds, I was more than satisfied! It was beautiful for a picnic with live music, fountains, and an impressive overview of the majority of the city!

8) Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló is another one of Gaudí's creations. While La Pedrera had distinct garden themes, this house transports you under the sea as soon as you step through its magnificent doors. Featuring incredible windows overlooking one of the nicest streets in Barcelona, a wealthy family lived here happily decades before. Just like at its sister, La Pedrera, Casa Batlló is adorned by a SPECTACULAR rooftop in the sunshine. It also uniquely sports a patio garden in the back which is a rare treat in this packed and bustling city!

9) Zoo de Barcelona

This one's title pretty much explains what it is! This gorgeous outdoor zoo is home to many impressive animals on its beautiful grounds. The walk in under the Arc de Triumph of Barcelona alone is worth the visit. Us kids also had the chance to view our very first hippos in real life! The gorillas were especially entertaining.

10) Jansana's Gluten Free Bakery

Last but certainly not least, this bakery was our favorite ever. Located a mere two blocks from our apartment, we visited at least once a day, sometimes twice!

With an incredibly friendly staff and amazing prices, you cannot beat this little bakery. After all it is a CRIME to leave Barcelona without sampling a baguette!

Now you have a brief list of the best places we went! Unlisted but still amazing visits were the Aquarium of Barcelona, Picasso Museum, History Museum, Gothic Area, Grosso Pizzeria, and Mercat de Boqueria. Everything we did in Barcelona was so incredible and we loved every second. The people were so kind and the atmosphere so welcoming. I truly look forward with great anticipation to returning someday!!