Barcelona is a very unique tourist area in Spain. It is a major European city, along with being a lovely seaport town, and it has beautiful beaches and is elegant.
One of our favorite things is walking down the main tourist thoroughfare, La Rambla. This most famous street in Barcelona runs from the Plaça de Catalunya to the port, and it is packed with street cafes and statuesque performers. Along this route is a wonderful place called Mercat de la Boqueria. This market has the freshest seafood, fruit, vegetables, meat, cheeses, nuts, wines, beer, and tapas; the displays are incredible. Proceeding down La Rambla, the Gothic Quarter consists of several plaças (European squares).
Continuing the walk to the Mediterranean, there are many beautiful beaches with cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea. This area of Barcelona is considered to be its seaport area. Also, it contains a casino, aerial trams (Transbordador Aeri del Port), and the city’s cruise port.
Gaudí, the famous architect, has significantly influenced many of the structures in Barcelona. One of the most unique buildings visited is the Sagrada Família, The Unfinished Church. It is the world’s largest unfinished Roman Catholic Church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that famed architect Antoni Gaudí designed.
We have often stayed at the Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel. It is a unique hotel with a huge open breezeway that cuts through the hotel. There is a feeling that you could fall off of this hotel at any time. The rooms blend together, and once the door to your room closes, it may be challenging to find the door again. It has two pools, one 28 stories up on the roof, and a bar with beautiful views. The other pool is inside and more like a large jacuzzi. The hotel is located midway between the airport and the downtown area and is a quick metro subway ride from the airport.
We have stayed at other hotels in Barcelona, including the Hotel 1890, the Barcelona Meridien Hotel (both on La Rambla), the Grand Marina Hotel (at the Cruise Port), and the Novotel City Center (on the Diagonal).
The city of Sitges must be mentioned and is a short trip to a beautiful coastal town just 30 minutes from Barcelona via high-speed train. This town is perfect for lunch and strolling around for shopping.
What also must be mentioned is that Barcelona Airport–El Prat (BCN) is a very modern and beautiful place to arrive and depart from. The airport was modernized originally for the Olympics in 1992 and continues to be one of the best airports in Europe.
