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A City Break In Barcelona

Barcelona in Spain is an amazing European city that is certainly worth visiting when the lockdown is over. Known for its Gaudi architecture, tapas, Gothic Quarter and much more you really need to spend a few days soaking up the atmosphere of this Spanish City to find out what it can offer a tourist.

A long weekend in Barcelona is a decent amount of time to explore and find out what this city can offer on your first visit. If you do love this city of course you can come back again and again and although most people speak English I recommend you learn Spanish Barcelona to get the most out of subsequent trips.

It can be tricky to work out how long to stay in Barcelona. Much of it depends on what kind of trip you want while you explore Barcelona; if you’re happy with a jam-packed itinerary of the best sights in Barcelona, or if you prefer to just chill on the beaches and maybe a day trip to another part of Catalonia.

The fundamental thing in these cases is to organise and design a good itinerary so that your time in Barcelona will be utilised to the maximum. Also, think about booking a tour in Barcelona to make the most of your time. Here is a simple four-day plan in Barcelona to make your visit to the capital as interesting and as exciting as possible.

Day 1



Start your first day by visiting La Rambla on a tour of the historic centre of Barcelona. A walk along this popular road is a must to discover much of the identity of the city. The 1,200 meters of street, is full of surprises and don't forget to make a stop at the Boquería Market for some shopping. Just watch your purse as this area is known for pickpockets.

The best thing after this tour is to enter the Gothic Quarter. The Cathedral of Barcelona, ​​Calle del Bisbe and Plaza de San Felipe Neri are some of the places that show the essence of an unforgettable walk that is more like a trip back in time.

The Gothic Quarter goes a long way and the best thing is to get lost in its streets to discover its charms. After that, a good idea is to return to La Rambla and walk to the Mirador de Colóm or the Columbus Monument. Inside a lift takes you to a viewing platform 60 meters high and from which you can get some of the most beautiful views of Barcelona. To conclude the day, the ideal thing is to relax in the Old Port of the city, which today has become a modern leisure space where you can visit the interesting Maremagnum shopping.

Day 2



The immeasurable legacy of Antonio Gaudí in Barcelona is well worth dedicating a day to. Start the day early by visiting the Sagrada Familia to avoid the constant queues. This cathedral is truly astounding, and the architecture is absolutely breathtaking. 

Next visit Casa Milà (popularly known as La Pedrera) and Casa Batlló, two examples of Catalan modernism that the Reus-born architect represented like no one else.

You could take the Metro or the bus to return north in search of Park Güell, another of Barcelona's icons that seems to transport the traveller to a fairytale setting.

If you still have time, you could continue discovering the north of the city, finishing the day at the Tibidabo mountain with its Amusement Park, Collserola Tower or the  Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart.

Day 3



After spending two days in Barcelona, visiting the most iconic places, you probably have fallen madly in love with this city. However, the following tour will amaze you even more. The magic mountain of Montjuic cannot be missed on a Barcelona itinerary. For impressive views of the entire capital go to the Plaza de España, the place from which the buses that go up to Montjuic depart then take a bus.

The Olympic Stadium, the Spanish Village, the Montjuic Castle or the Palau Sant Jordi are some of the places that it is possible to visit on Montjuic that had a special role during the most important event that Barcelona has experienced, the 1992 Olympic Games.

On the way back, make a stop at the National Museum of Art of Catalonia and at the Magic Fountain, which offers a light, sound and water show every day.

Day 4



You may be tired on your last day but there is still lots to see in Barcelona. An interesting route for today is to discover the vibrant neighbourhoods of Born and La Ribera, with their small shops, curious cafes, independent restaurants and historic markets. Don't forget the Cathedral of Santa María del Mar, a Gothic masterpiece that leaves everyone who admires it open-mouthed.

What better way to finish off your stay in Barcelona than with a walk along the Barceloneta beach. No matter which time of the year you find yourself travelling in, any time of the year is the best time to visit Barcelona beaches. You can relax with the sea breeze, the sand and the great view of the Mediterranean. An idyllic picture that can put the perfect climax to a trip that will become unforgettable and that will surely leave you wanting more and more time in Barcelona Spain.

If you are looking for more ideas of what to do in Barcelona, check out this post on top places to visit in Barcelona and this Barcelona Hen Do guide which is very informative.

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Castlexperience Montserrat Tapas and Wine Tour Review

On our recent trip to Barcelona, we took a half day tour to Montserrat to visit the national park, monastery, and Oller Del Mas winery. The tour was with the company Castlexperience who run daily wine tours from the Barcelona area. They pride themselves on passionate staff who are really enthusiastic about the Spanish and Catalan culture and who know their food and of course their wine.



The day started at Plaza Cataluña, the main square in the centre of Barcelona. Here you are greeted by staff with a pink umbrella, easy to spot for sure! From here they whisk you off on coaches to Montserrat. Our tour guide was Simon and he was a very likeable and personable character. As we drove out of Barcelona in our comfortable air-conditioned coach (so important in the Spanish heat) Simon told us some history of the city.

As we weaved our way into the hills the scenery was impressive, Montserrat literally means saw, which describes the jagged edges of the rock formations in the mountain, and you are surrounded by amazing mountains and awe-inspiring views.

In little over an hour, we arrived at Montserrat and the Benedictine monastery which it is famous for and home of the Black Virgin, one of Spain's more revered icons.  The scenery as we stopped was breathtaking.

When we stopped as well as the beautiful scenery I was amazed how, rather than being a simple affair, the monastery was much grander than I thought. 


The community is made up of 80 or so monks that all follow the 'Rule of Saint Benedict', devoting their lives to prayer, welcoming pilgrims and working.


I am not a religious person but the monastery was interesting to see. While we were there we also saw a procession to celebrate a birthday of one of the saints. 


As I said many people go to visit the black Madonna, which is of religious significance and you can find more about this here. People queue to see the statue and the tradition is for you to kiss or touch the Virgin's hand whilst opening your other hand out to Jesus.

After a short visit to Montserrat, it was time to get on our coach again and head to the Oller Del Mas winery. 

The Oller Del Mas winery is based in a medieval castle that dates back to the 10th century and was completely restored from 1981 to 2008. The winery uses organic methods to produce their wine with much of it picked by hand. This way the fruit is cared for and not squashed or damaged by the harvesting process. By picking the fruit this way, they can carefully select the best grapes for the wine.  With the Montserrat mountains sheltering the vines from the extremes of cold and heat, the area has a microclimate perfect for growing the best grapes.

We were shown the grapes on the vines which were small and sweet. The sweeter the grapes the more alcoholic the wine apparently. All the wine that is made here is made from grapes grown by organic methods and none of the grapes was bought in. We were then shown the machinery where they sort the grapes (although some are sorted by hand), and then to the cellar where the wine is stored in vats. 

 It was interesting to hear about why the wine is aged in vats. As well as the benefits of flavour from the vat, Simon said that one year in a vat is equivalent to 18 years in a bottle, so it helps with the ageing process.

 Then it was the fun part, tasting the wine. For the wine tasting, we were given a selection of three different wines and a tasty plate of tapas too. They did ask prior if anyone had any dietary needs and vegetarians were easily catered for. 

 The three wines chosen were all red, were all sold at the vineyard and were of different price points. All very tasty wine, that is for sure. At this point, I admit I forgot to make a note of the wines as I was enjoying the company and food too much! We learnt about wine as well. Did you know that you can make white wine out of red grapes but you can't make red wine out of white grapes? This is because the colour of the wine is due to the skin being left in contact with the grape juice. I must admit I knew this due to my Marks and Spencer's wine book I had on my shelf at home!


Before long it was back to the coach and the short trip back to Barcelona. 

Mr W and I both really enjoyed the Castlexperience tapas and wine tour. It was informative, it was fun, we got to see the beautiful Montserrat mountains, the monastery and a lovely vineyard. The best part for me was tasting the wine and enjoying the tapas. Often the success of a tour relies on the tour guide and Simon was very good, and always happy to answer any questions during the tour. He really knew his wine and obviously enjoyed talking about the vineyard to us. There was also no hard sell to buy the wine at the end of the tour. If you do however want to explore Montserrat on your own there are other options too. 

Here is a video we made of the tour for our travel blog Fly Drive Explore.




So if you want something different to do, outside of the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, try the Castlexperience wine tours. They do a small range of tours and pride themselves on knowledgeable interesting guides. Tours range from 50 Euros to just under 100 Euros for an all day tour inclusive of food and wine tasting. The half day Montserrat tapas and wine tour was 64.99 Euros which we both thought was decent value for what you get. We were given two complimentary tickets for the purpose of this review. Highly recommended.
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48 hours in Barcelona

Barcelona is frequently on the top of the polls as the most popular city in Europe. However, if you have limited time you may wonder how to pack it all in for a weekend break. Here is my suggested itinerary on what to do in Barcelona in 48 hours.


Day 1 

 Am - Tour of Barcelona

 To gain your bearings go on a tour of Barcelona. Three main ways to do this are: self-guided with a good travel book or app, Hop on Hop Off bus trip or a guided tour.


We took a Sanderman's New Europe free guided tour of Barcelona after being impressed with the same company in Prague. The idea with this tour is that although it is free you tip at the end, what you think the tour was worth. We couldn't fault the tour which lasted two and a half hours and covered the city centre, and Macu, the tour guide was excellent.   The tour visited the Gothic Quarter (Bari Gothic), Barcelona Cathedral, Santa Maria Del Mar and much more. We learned about the history of Barcelona and about the Catalan people. Highly recommended. We even learned about the Spanish Inquisition - Monty Python would have been so impressed!

Have lunch in the atmospheric Bari Gothic area. The centre of old Barcelona, many buildings date from medieval times. There are many narrow streets opening out until peaceful squares. Stop and have some tapas and sangria whilst people watching.

 PM - Casa Batllo


Casa Batlló is an architectural masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi. The modernist exterior has an inner beauty. There are few straight lines, and much of the exterior is decorated with mosaic tiles. Inside areas are likened to sea creatures, the roof is arched and is shaped like a dragon. 



As you enter the building you are given a small tablet and headphones for the augmented reality tour, and through this the building really seems to come to life, adding to the already worthwhile experience. If you are a lover of architecture you must visit, I thought it was excellent.  There is only a certain number people let in every hour so I would get tickets in advance online to be sure you get the required time.


 Spend time back at your hotel to freshen up and relax.

 For dinner try eating al fresco ate La Boqueria food market, just off La Rambles. This bustling food market has many cafes and stalls serving tapas and fresh fish. Alternatively, have dinner in one of the many restaurants such as 7 Portes. Try one of the infamous Paellas, washed down with wine, good conversation, and laughter. 

 Day 2 

 AM - Sagrada Familia and the Picasso Museum

Antoni Gaudí, one of the most famous figures of Catalan culture and world architecture, spent over 40 years designing Sagrada Familia and when he died in 1926. The work was then taken over by his collaborator and today it is still 10 years off being finished being funded by entry fees. 

This beautiful cathedral is like nothing I have ever seen, being in the Art Noveau style, the ornate interior is beautiful and awe-inspiring, with geometric curves, ornate detail, designs of plants, animals, and wonderfully coloured stained glass windows. Go even if you are not religious. Highly recommended also to book your tickets online to avoid the queues.


After the cathedral, visit the Picasso museum. With over 4000 works of art, you can learn about the man and his life. A perfect stop for any modern art lover.

 Have lunch in one of the many cafes, bars or restaurants in Barcelona, then go back to your hotel to freshen up before tonight.

PM - the Tapas Experience tour

If you want to get a true flavour of how the Spanish eat, try a Tapas Experience with Sanderman's New Europe. As we enjoyed the free tour the day before, we decided to pay for this, which cost 20 euros and consisted of a visit to three tapas bars, a selection of 7 tapas and 3 drinks.

 Our guide Montse was fun and explained the history of tapas. Legend has it that tapas was created when people put a slice of bread or meat over their glass of sherry between sips to protect it from fruit flies. 

 The tour ends with an explanation of how to drink from a Spanish Porron, which is a traditional wine pitcher. First, we tried with water, then the brave ones amongst us tried the red wine. It was tremendous fun, helped by the fact most of us already had a couple of glasses of wine or beer at this point! You can read more the Barcelona tours we took on the travel blog we write together Fly Drive Explore, including our top 5 places to visit in Barcelona.
Mr W trying the Spanish porron

So this is what we packed into 48 hours. If we had more time we would have visited Parc Guell, Gaudi's beautiful park with amazing architecture. We stayed at Eurostar Marina Hotel. A stylish 5-star hotel which was an oasis of calm.

 If you are not sure where to stay in Barcelona, check out this helpful article. If you are doing Barcelona on a budget this backpacking Barcelona city guide is also useful.

 Tell me, have you been to Barcelona? What are your top tips?

MummyTravels
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