2 days ago
How to spend an ideal summer weekend in Barcelona
Barcelona combines everything that is most charming about Mediterranean cities – a relaxed pace, months of endless sunshine, unbeatable food – with the cultural and design clout of almost any city in the cold north.
Its patchwork of architectural styles displays dark, Gothic façades next to the harlequin buildings of the Modernistas and the skyline-piercing constructions of Jean Nouvel or Herzog and de Meuron. A day spent admiring them can be topped off with a sundowner on one of the city's many beaches before dinner at any number of Michelin-starred gastronomic temples or humble, family-run tapas bars. This is a city with a proud sense of identity and its language, culture and traditional festivals are fiercely guarded. Human pyramids, fire-breathing dragons and fibre-glass giants strolling the streets are in evidence most weekends if you look hard enough.
For further Barcelona inspiration, see our in-depth guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, bars and nightlife, shopping, attractions, beaches and things to do for free.
In this guide:
What's new in Barcelona this summer
Cuisine: Nuara
The Port Olímpic has undergone a classy transformation, with the tacky bars ripped out and the introduction of some excellent new restaurants, including Nuara. Its USP is meat and seafood cooked over an open fire and served alongside sophisticated salads, paella and more, on a wide terrace overlooking the marina.
Cinema: Sala Montjuïc
This year, the beloved outdoor Sala Montjuïc cinema will move from the castle at Montjuïc to the 'Three Chimneys' – a newly zhuzhed-up seaside zone at the very north of the beach. Films are a mix of contemporary and classic from every era, and are shown from the end of June to early August.
Culture: Grec Festival
The Grec, a festival running from the end of June to the beginning of August, brings together 90 performances of dance, music and theatre in more than 50 venues across Barcelona. The loveliest place to catch a show is the outdoor Grec amphitheatre on the flank of Montjuïc.
How to spend your holiday
Day one: morning
Modernisme is the local take on art nouveau, and the Passeig de Gràcia is its showcase. Starting at the top and walking downhill, you'll pass Gaudí's undulating apartment block, La Pedrera, which now contains an exhibition centre. Be sure to head up to the roof for the perfect Insta shot alongside Gaudí's warrior-like chimneys. A little further along you'll come to his fantastical Casa Batlló, a glittering, polychromatic affair, also open to the public – although with limited time you might want to just check out the façade and those of its neighbouring buildings, which perfectly illustrate the contrasting styles of modernisme.
A short stroll seawards from here will take you to Tapas24, one of the city's best tapas bars, but make sure to get here well before 2pm for any chance of a seat.
