Sun, palm trees, a sea breeze, life in slow motion.
Life in Barcelona seems to be a little easier.
Barcelona is an extraordinary city located on the shores of the Balearic Sea—a vibrant and colorful modern oasis, home to creative industries and free-spirited people.
Barcelona is summer for the soul, because freedom is not a physical state, but a metaphysical one.
Without getting too carried away with praise, whatever I say about a city like Barcelona will fall short.
You’re probably wondering why everyone raves so much about Barcelona and what’s so special about it. I mean, it’s just a city like any other. Well, yes, but no. For some people, like me, Barcelona is a place where I’d be willing to spend part of my life, because everything about this city defines me.
In general, visiting any destination depends entirely on a person's motivations and inner world, since every city has its own unique charm and appeals to everyone in different ways.
I’ll explain why I keep coming back to Barcelona time and time again and why I think it’s such a great destination in the following paragraphs. I’ll also share some details about our adventure in the height of summer, as well as information about our tour and the local sights we visited, as well as some important tips, so I hope you’ll find this not only enjoyable but also helpful if you haven’t been to Barcelona yet but are planning to go.
Barcelona is a city full of life and a wide variety of activities, and anyone who has visited it would say that there’s never enough time to enjoy everything.
The average flight time from Sofia to Barcelona is 3 hours, with several airlines offering service; the low-cost carriers Wizz Air and Ryanair offer direct flights.
We chose Lufthansa for our trip because it offered a quick connection in Frankfurt with no layover, and it actually ended up being even cheaper than the low-cost carriers WizAir and Ryanair, due to the baggage fees charged by the latter two. We found these flights on Skyscanner.
The airport that serves Barcelona is El Prat, and it is the city’s only airport. It is connected to the city center by metro, Aerobus, or taxi. We took the metro to get to our Airbnb, since it was located near a metro station, and in general, traffic and gridlock are among the modern drawbacks of larger cities.
If you’re planning a short stay in Barcelona and want to explore more extensively, get a pass for all lines—the Hola Barcelona pass for 4 or 5 days, priced at 30 or 38 euros. It’s valid on all modes of transportation except the Aerobus and the cable car to Montjuïc Castle. You can purchase a public transit pass directly at El Prat Airport. ( here you can see more details about the pricing options for Hola Barcelona and where you can top it up).
They say that the climate in Barcelona in August is similar to that of Morocco, so keep this in mind: if you’re traveling in the summer, always bring water and a hat, because the risk of heatstroke is quite high.
The metro is a very fast and convenient way to get to all the major destinations in Barcelona, and the lines are very well connected to one another, but there’s one unpleasant drawback during the summer months—some of the stations aren’t air-conditioned, and taking the metro in August can be an incredibly stuffy experience for some. But we’ve found other, more pleasant ways to get around the city, which you’ll learn about in a moment.
Barcelona is a prime example of how a sustainable and eco-friendly urban environment should be developed, and it was a tremendous pleasure for me to ride my bike through its narrow streets, pedaling along and enjoying the palm-lined city, let the wind blow through my hair along the Barceloneta waterfront, or simply discover little colorful spots in the city center. 🙂
Bicycle rentals are available on almost every corner. We used DONKEY REPUBLIC., since you can rent a bike at any time of day or night, and the bikes are unlocked with an app similar to Spark or the Hobo scooters in Sofia)
DONKEY REPUBLIC bikes are orange and impossible to miss; they come equipped with a front basket.
One day, we rented bikes for a full 12 hours and rode over 25 km around the city, visiting some of the most famous spots, such as La Rambla, Barceloneta, Ciutadella Park, Passeig de Gràcia, the Arc de Triomf de Barcelona, Port Olímpic, and many others.
Accommodations: If you're not a fan of shared rooms in hostels and are looking for budget accommodations in Barcelona, I highly recommend Airbnb There are many advantages, and most importantly, Airbnb listings are in prime locations in the heart of Barcelona, close to the most interesting sights, local spots, bakeries, bars, restaurants, and local cafes—and you might even meet some interesting people.
A girl from Turkey named Hande, who was studying film and directing in Barcelona, was living in our apartment, and staying with her was a childhood friend of hers who was doing an internship in the government.
The girl gave us some invaluable recommendations and directed us to the street with the most delicious pinchos in Barcelona.
Our starting point was about a 10-minute walk from the Gothic Quarter, between the Poble Sec and Rocafort metro stations, and close to Plaza España and Montjuïc.
Here's a link to our apartment; if you're interested, you can find it here.
On the first day of our stay, we didn’t have much time, so we decided to enjoy the magic of the Magic Fountains, since they were right next to our Airbnb—within walking distance and close to Plaza España (Placa Espanya). Well, I won’t lie—it really was a soulful, romantic experience that draws the attention of over 50,000 spectators every evening.
Anyone who has seen these fountains with their spectacular sound, light, and water shows can confirm this.
To be honest, I had slightly higher expectations for these fountains. I think the fountains in Dubai put on an even more spectacular show, and as someone who saw the ones in Dubai for the first time, I can hardly imagine anything more unique than that 🙂 But if you’ve never seen anything like this before, the Magic Fountains really are a breathtaking experience and a wonderful way to end the day.
It’s good to know that the show starts around 10 p.m. every day during the summer, and to get a good view, you’ll need to arrive at least two hours early. There are restaurants on almost every side street along the way to the fountains.
And don’t forget—while you’re standing there with your mouth agape, captivated by the evening scenery—to keep an eye on your belongings and bags, because in all the commotion, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. A word of advice from me: never go out carrying all your money and documents, especially in such crowded places in Barcelona.
The list of must-see places included the Gothic Quarter and Park Güell.
The Picasso Museum is a striking emblem and symbol of subculture in Spain as a whole. The eccentric sculptor and painter Pablo Picasso—a surrealist and founder of Cubism, who, along with the ill-fated architect Antoni Gaudí, captivates visitors to the city with his architecture—offers the perfect opportunity to understand the foundations of the modern-day Barcelona identity: that of the contemporary bohemian. You can learn more at
about Gaudí’s architecture in one of Barcelona’s architectural gems,
namely Park Güell. The charming Gothic Quarter, or Barri Gòtic, features narrow medieval streets filled with modern bars, clubs, and Catalan restaurants. The Pablo Picasso Museum is located right in the heart of the Barri Gòtic, and we explored it with an audio guide, just as Dan Brown describes in his books. Interestingly, Picasso lived and worked in the Barri Gòtic from 1895 to 1904, and Joan Miró was born and lived here during his youth.
Park Güell is located on one of the city’s hills and was designed by Antoni Gaudí at the request of Spanish industrial magnate Eusebi Güell; it was originally conceived as a residential neighborhood but later became a cultural icon of the city. As soon as you enter the park, the sense of reality seems to vanish.
Another important thing to know is that visiting museums and attractions in Barcelona is quite expensive compared to Bulgaria, and I recommend that, once you’ve set your budget, you buy tickets in advance for the places you plan to visit. Also, when planning your cultural tour of the city, you can save time and money if you know one small detail—on the first Sunday of every month, museums in Barcelona are free or offer free admission during certain hours. Here’s a link to the full list of museums and their hours— here.
The “Gothic” Quarter, although buildings in this style have also been preserved in other parts of the city. The neighborhood begins with “Placa Nova,” the oldest square in Barcelona, which once served as the entrance to the Roman settlement of “Barcino” and was home to the city’s largest market in the 13th century. Even slaves were sold at this market.
Barcelona Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is a Gothic cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries, with the bulk of the work carried out in the 14th century. The cathedral is 93 meters high and 40 meters wide; the bell towers were added between 1386 and 1393. The octagonal bell towers rise to a height of over 50 meters, and the spire atop the central tower rises to a height of 70 meters.
Placa Real
The most romantic square in Barcelona. A series of classic arches in the heart of the city’s historic district, a row of austere palaces in a style reminiscent of those in Napoleonic-era France, palm trees growing right out of the stone slabs, a fountain adorned with the sculpture group “The Three Graces”—all of this is “Plaza Real.” It’s a square where you can escape the hustle and bustle of La Rambla, rest after a long walk, sit down at one of the many cafés or beer gardens, and try the famous Catalan “bocadillos” (sandwiches).
It was built according to a design by Daniel Molina. Antonio Gaudí also contributed to the square’s development. This was one of his first works—the design of the square’s original streetlights. On Sundays, stamp collectors and coin collectors from all over the city gather in this square. Trading continues throughout the first half of the day.
Barceloneta Beach
Barcelona has 4.5 km of beachfront that is free to use and maintained around the clock. Just 10 minutes from the city center, you’ll find a pleasant summer retreat where you can enjoy a cocktail or some tapas at one of the beachfront bars—the most famous being the Chiringitos—while the seafood restaurants along the shore serve up fantastic paella.
Interesting facts about Barcelona:
Access for vehicles with high emissions has been restricted by administrative order. The permanent low-emission zone in Barcelona takes effect on January 1, 2020.
July and August feature the city's best cultural festivals, which take place outdoors.
Important equipment:
Power Bank
Internet Roaming Cookie
Travel insurance up to 10,000 euros
Apps: TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet