Barcelona attractions

With its signature red-and-white neo-Mudéjar brickwork, the Arc de Triomf of Barcelona stands tall in the center of the wide Passeig de Lluís Companys. Designed by Catalan architect Josep Vilaseca, it originally served as the entrance to the 1888 Universal Exposition, which took place at the nearby Parc de la Ciutadella.

The heart of Barcelona’s Old Town, Plaça del Rei is the city’s best preserved medieval square. The 14th-century Palau Reial Major (Royal Mayor Palace), which dominates the square was home to the counts of Barcelona and the Kings of Aragon. The Plaça is now an unofficial open-air museum of fine gothic architecture.

Overlooking southwest Barcelona, Montjuic Park (Parc de Montjuïc) is the city’s green hilltop getaway, packed with history and attractions, including the historic Jewish Cemetery, 17th-century Montjuic fortress, National Museum of Catalonian Art, Joan Miró Foundation, and the replica Spanish village known as Poble Espanyol.

St. James Square (Plaça de Sant Jaume) has been the civic and political center of Barcelona since antiquity, when it was the forum in the Roman city of Barcino. This large square in the Gothic Quarter is a popular local gathering spot and home to the Palau de la Generalitat (Parliament of Catalonia) and Barcelona City Hall (Casa de la Ciutat).

Backing onto the former fishing quarter that shares its name, this sandy 0.6-mile (1.1-kilometer) stretch of Mediterranean-facing beach is a beloved summer hangout with locals who flock here to sunbathe, swim, and play volleyball. The beach is lined withchiringuitos (beach bars), public artworks, souvenir shops, and cafés.

One of Barcelona’s most impressive architectural feats and renowned for its spectacularly ornate interiors, the Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de la Música Catalana) is one of the city’s most popular concert halls. Built in 1908 by Catalan art nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the venue hosts a range of traditional Catalan folk music performances.

La Boqueria Market (Mercat de la Boqueria) is Barcelona’s busiest market and arguably one of Europe’s most popular, serving as a vibrant hub of Catalan culture. The market dates back to the 13th century, but today’s version is held in the Mercat de Sant Josep market hall, a modernist iron and glass canopy built in 1914 along La Rambla. Piles of fresh fruits and vegetables, pails of glistening olives, and huge slabs of cheese line the stalls, alongside an array of local seafood and varying cuts of meat—including the odd pig head.

Housed in the neo-baroque National Palace (Palau Nacional), the National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) occupies a spectacular location, atop a hill in Montjüic. Inside is one of Catalonia’s largest museum collections: 260,000 works of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque art.

Plaça d'Espanya is one of the busiest hubs of activity in Barcelona. Its Magic Fountain (Font Màgica) is the site of an evening light-and-sound show, while its National Palace (Palau Nacional) houses Catalonia’s national art museum. Reminiscent of those in Venice, the two towers on the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina are city landmarks.

Standing at around 197 feet (60 meters) on the southern end of La Rambla, Barcelona's Columbus Monument (Mirador de Colom) offers some of the city's best views. The monument was the first place in the city to have an elevator (of the hydraulic variety); today, a modern lift shuttles visitors up to the viewing platform.

One of Europe’s largest and busiest cruise ports, Barcelona welcomes more than 2.5 million cruise passengers each year to its docks at the foot of Las Ramblas. The Catalan capital makes a popular stop and starting point for Mediterranean cruises, including liners operated by Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Costa.

A huge former hospital complex and an icon of art nouveau design, Sant Pau Recinte Modernista (Hospital de Sant Pau) is a must-visit for architecture buffs. Located in Eixample, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is recognizable for its red bricks, colored tiles, stained glass, and whimsical design.

One of Barcelona’s most dazzling attractions, the Magic Fountain (Font Màgica) was built in 1929 for the city’s World Exhibition. Travelers can still watch the fountain’s spectacular illumination displays, which feature music and a kaleidoscope of shimmering lights, all set against the majestic backdrop of Montjuic Palace.

The historic heart of Barcelona is the Ciutat Vella, or Old Town, home to most of the city’s tourist attractions and encompassing the districts of El Raval, Barri Gòtic, La Ribera, and Barceloneta. With its iconic architecture, world-class museums, and historic sights, the Ciutat Vella is where most visitors spend the majority of their time.

Located in the Raval district and just steps from Las Ramblas, Güell Palace (or more commonly, Palau Güell) is one of Antoni Gaudí’s first major works. Commissioned by his main patron, Eusebi Güell, for his private residence, it’s acclaimed for its innovative use of space, light, and materials and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The works of Joan Miró, one of Barcelona's most famous 20th-century artists, are displayed in this museum in Parc de Montjuïc. The gallery itself is a piece of modern art, its design incorporating terraces and interior courtyards to direct the flow of visitors and give the space an open air feel. It shouldn’t be missed.

This 19th-century structure, built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for renowned chocolatier Antoni Amatller, is a stunning modernist building featuring both Flemish and Catalan styles. The building is now a museum featuring period furniture and decorations as well as old photographs and other artifacts.

Framed by the curving waves of the Rambla de Mar walkway in Barcelona’s Port Vell (Old Port) is the striking mirrored frontage of Maremagnum mall. Housing over 40 different shops and restaurants, the shopping center offers both homegrown originals and international chains such as Mango and Victoria’s Secret.

One of Barcelona’s key athletic venues, the Olympic Stadium (Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys was first constructed in 1927 for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. The venue is best-known for its starring role in the 1992 Summer Olympics, which helped to transform the city into the thriving metropolis it is today.

One of three buildings on the Illa de la Discordia (Block of Discord) on Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Lleó i Morera stands beside Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and Josep Puig i Cadafalch’s Casa Amatller. Along with a distinctive ornamental façade, Casa Lleó i Morera has exquisite stained-glass windows and sculptures by Eusebi Arnau.Please note: Casa Lleó i Morera is currently closed to the public, but you can still take a virtual video tour of the building.

Home to more than 4,000 works by the incomparable Pablo Picasso, the Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso) is Barcelona's most-visited art collection. Housed within five adjoining Gothic mansions in the Old City, the collection traces Picasso’s career, from his early childhood sketches to works from his Cubism and Blue Periods.

One of Europe’s oldest theme parks, the enchanting Tibidabo Amusement Park (Parc d’Atraccions Tibidabo) has been a Barcelona staple for more than a century. Poised overlooking the city on the verdant Mt. Tibidabo, which stands some 1,680 feet (512 meters) tall, the park is celebrated for its family-friendly attractions and killer views.

Tucked away in a hidden corner of the Gothic Quarter, Plaça de Sant Felip Neri offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona. The small, quiet space has a charming fountain in the middle and is surrounded by buildings, including the baroque Church of Sant Felip Neri, for which the square was named.

Opened to the public for the first time in 2017, Casa Vicens is Antoni Gaudí’s original modernist masterpiece and the first house he ever designed. Built in Barcelona in the 1880s for Manel Vicens i Montaner, this UNESCO World Heritage Site sets the tone for the rest of Gaudi’s architecture, created during Europe’s late 19th century and early 20th century Art Nouveau period.

Located in the Barri Gòtic, Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi (Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi) is one of the oldest churches in Barcelona. Built in the 14th century in a Catalan Gothic style, it was gutted by fire in 1936 and restored in the 1960s. Known for its massive rose window and named for a pine tree that stood nearby, it also hosts a number of musical concerts.

Whether you like your animals fluffy or ferocious, there's something that fits the bill at Barcelona Zoo. Sitting on 35 acres (14 hectares) inside Parc de la Ciutadella, there are 7,000 animals and 400 different species that call the zoo home, with everything from dolphins to rhinoceros living in quarters that mimic natural habitats.

Football fans won’t want to miss Camp Nou stadium, home turf for Football Club Barcelona—and the legacy of Lionel Messi. It’s also the largest stadium in Europe, with 99,354 seats. Inaugurated in 1957, the famous venue has hosted a number of key international games over the years, including the FIFA World Cup, European Champions Cup, and two UEFA Champions League Finals.

Barcelona’s rich seafaring traditions are on display at the city’s Maritime Museum (Museu Marítim). Located in the Barcelona Royal Shipyard at Port Vell, the cavernous, Gothic-style building holds centuries-old war and merchant ships, modern sports boats, and a collection of maps, weapons, and navigational tools.

Barcelona's L’Eixample neighborhood was built in the 19th century as part of a scheme to enlarge the city of Barcelona by connecting it with smaller surrounding towns, such as Gracià (now a neighborhood itself). Some of the city’s most popular tourist draws are here, including Gaudí masterpieces La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, and La Sagrada Familia.

Built as a neighborhood indoor market in 1876, this iron and glass structure was repurposed as the El Born Cultural and Memorial Centre (El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria) to showcase archeological remains of Ciutat del Born that were buried after the siege of 1714. The center also hosts art exhibits and cultural events commemorating local and national history.