I went in Barcelona for the first time in August 2021, when the restrictions of the pandemic were still present. You could freely walk the streets until one in the morning, while the bars were open until midnight. The sun set just before ten o’clock, making the evening relatively short. I was visiting a friend who had gone there for work. Fortunately she had spent about a month in Barcelona and had discovered the main places to see during my visit. These places offer a wonderful mix of what Barcelona has to offer, so I decided to share them with you.
Day One
My first day started with a visit to Casa Batlló, a really interesting experience. According to the museum’s narrative, the house was built in such a way as to allow natural air circulation through the architecture. The architect, Antoni Gaudí, aimed to imitate nature and give “breathing” to the house where Josep Batlló, Amàlia Godó Belaunzárán and their children would live. Vibrant colors and motifs made the house seem like a dynamic living being. The museum on the top floor offers a bar and a photo opportunity on one of the house’s small balconies — an experience that, while interesting, wasn’t worth it for me.
Afterwards, I headed to La Rambla, passing through Plaça de Catalunya. The next stop was the Palau Reial Major, which dates back to the 11th century. In front of it stood the Catedral de Barcelona. “The present Gothic cathedral stands since the fourth century on the site of an early Christian cathedral of the fourth century — the remains of which are still visible underground and in the Historical Museum of the City,” Barcelo Experiences, 2024. I continued my walk towards the ‘El Beso‘ mural, where I definitely took some photos. For dinner, we enjoyed some delicious seafood tapas and baked potatoes at Gats in the old town.
Day Two
I started the next morning with a short run along La Rambla. I often like to enjoy the daily life of a city through running, and I never get bored running in cities.
Today’s walk started with a short stop at La Pedrera, Casa Milá, another Gaudí masterpiece. Afterwards, I continued towards the Arc de Triomphe, walking along the ‘Paseo de Lluís Companys’. I was walking through soap bubbles and people having fun with them. The Arch itself was impressive to me. It was decorated with red bricks, unlike the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Rome or other places I’ve visited.
For lunch, we tried a chicken paella at a very simple restaurant. The dish was a mix of ingredients with lots of flavor. Later, we went to the Sagrada Família. We knew there was a huge crowd and we didn’t want to waste time in line. For this reason, we were enjoyed the view from the outside. We spent the afternoon in La Barceloneta beach. It was massively public, not like the ones we are used to in Albania. Since we didn’t have an umbrella, we decided to visit in the afternoon when the sun was low and we could enjoy the sunset. The sun did set on the sea, as it does along the Albanian coast, but on the opposite side. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and tranquility, although the sea water was not that clear. We spent that evening in a small bar by the sea, talking and enjoying a glass of wine.
Day Three
On the third day we decided to take the Funicular to Tibidabo. Apart from the cathedral on top of the hill, we spent most of our time at the amusement park, where we tried some exciting attractions like ‘Diavolo’ and ‘Muntanya Russa’. Next, we visited Mirador De Horta, a point on a bare hill that offers a great view of the city.
In the afternoon, we spent time strolling through “Barrio Gótico”, where we enjoyed the lively way of locals and tourists days, interlacing. For dinner, we had different ‘tapas’ again at a bar in Plaza Real.
Unfortunately, we were unable to visit Park Güell, as the tickets we purchased online, through an intermediary site, turned out to be invalid. When we got there, the reception didn’t sell tickets and refused to show the official website where we could get others. After some time, I read testimonials online and a similar thing had happened to many tourists. I don’t know how something like this can happen in a European city, if it’s not intentional. It hasn’t happened to me in any other country. The ticket costs €10, and I recommend you read the reviews of those who have bought before.
Day 4
The last day, before I returned to Tirana, we went at Billy Brunch. We enjoyed a chia seed pudding, pancakes with fruits and mimosas. The orange juice of the mimosas was sour and they didn’t taste good.
One last recommendation for the evening of the fourth day! On one of my visits in Barcelona, during my way to Colombia, I visited Bar Marsella. This place was known as the oldest bar in the city and frequented by Hemingway himself. It was really old inside, with walls surrounded by wooden material and a very simple decoration. An interesting place to spend an evening with friends.
During both visits, I really wanted to visit the Picasso Museum but couldn’t because of the time I spent shopping. Now I have one more reason to go back.
