Barcelona – all you’ve ever wanted and… more!

Have you ever thought about ONE city that represents you, your personality, the person that you are?
Well… I have! And it was really difficult to decide, as each time I wanted to be… a different city. When romantic and wild, I’d be Paris . When mature and serious, yet cheerful and smiley, I’d be Istambul. When in need of light and faith and hope, I’d be Rome . When undecided and full of energy, I’d be Bucharest . When I feel like floating while breathing colours that make me forget about everything, I’d be Venice during the carnival. When I miss myself, I’d be a quiet village in Transylvania , breathing rhythmically and smiling. And after all these changes, when I really feel like finding myself, I’d definitely be Barcelona , as Barcelona is all of the above and much more.

I had the chance to actually live in Barcelona for almost two months. I had visited it before, so I was already in love with the colorful and cheerful spirit of the city, but Barcelona still offered me many special surprises, as this place is to be discovered just by taking long walks on the streets, looking everywhere around, not searching for something in particular.

Barcelona is architecture – not only Gaudi, but also the other Modernista-style constructions. While walking through the city, you can almost feel Gaudi’s spirit freely breathing from the irregular shapes that you find just around every corner. Gaudi is not only the well-known Sagrada Familia that you definitely must see, but also La Pedrera, Casa Batllo and the unique Park Guell.

If you only have around two days to spend in Barcelona , I strongly recommend you not to leave until you have visited at least one of Gaudi’s works. My personal choice would be La Pedrera, as the money spent for the entrance and the audio-guide were the best spent 10 euros of my life. It feels like entering another world and you suddenly understand a different dimension of life. If you still have some time left, don’t hesitate to walk through Park Guell. It is huge, so it will take you some time, but it is full of pleasant surprises and it is different from any park I have ever walked through.
If you have more time, Sagrada Familia is very interesting on the inside, but the queue at the entrance is generally very long so it will take hours just to get inside. If you plan on doing this, just make sure you plan around 5 hours for the whole visit.

The really nice part about Barcelona is that it’s so much more than architecture. If you walk along La Rambla, you will see so much life and so many colors and so many things to turn around to that you will feel… dizzy. You could then walk along the sea-shore, enjoying the view, or visit the Aquarium, or simply take a boat along the coast. Whatever you choose, it will make you feel really alive.

You could also plan a climb on the Montjuic fortress, as the view on the city is fantastic. Then, make sure you arrive to Plaza Espanya for the most amazing game of the “singing fountains”. The “show” is amazing, but you should know that they are only “performing” during the summertime week-ends, only between certain hours (from 9.30pm – 11pm on weekends from October until May, then the days are extended – just make sure you check the schedule before). It’s a dance of lights, water and music. The way the waters dance is simply amazing!

If you are a “night bird”, you will find many clubs and discos. The night life of Barcelona is mainly centered around La Rambla and the port and along the sea-shore. During the summer time, many terraces are open until morning.

If you like the sea and the sun, you could consider the smaller villages a few kilometers away from Barcelona. However, if you do not have much time, you can anytime go to the Barceloneta beach, but it usually is very crowded, especially during week-ends.

The costs for a trip to Barcelona can be much reduced if you book both the flight and the hotel some time in advance. If you go with some friends, you might as well consider renting an apartment instead of a hotel room. It is cheaper and it usually allows you to live in the centre for less or the same price as a hotel room further away from the city centre.

My piece of advice to you is to really consider visiting Barcelona and you will see that each time someone will ask you what city represents you, Barcelona will be your answer with no hesitation! As Barcelona is all you’ve ever imagined and more!