Secrets of Barcelona Guide: Part 1 - Breathtaking views

Welcome to the traveling guide for experiencing the best of Barcelona.

One of the beautiful things about Barcelona is a possibility of visiting really stunning viewpoints of the city. The city is surrounded by mountains to enjoy the views and with the sea to enter the blue lagoon. They say the best way to get to know a city is to get lost in it. That’s probably true but we had a help from locals to find breathtaking views and to document them.

1. Barcelona “bunkers”

Northern parts of Barcelona’s concrete jungle are at higher altitude. There are located Bunkers del Carmel, one of the most beautiful and charming areas of the city. From there you’ll be able to enjoy one of the best panoramic views of the city. Locals love to hang there with a couple of beers until the sun goes down. Hike is quite the pain but its worth the struggle.

2. Montjuïc mountain

Near the beach, there is a famous mountain called Montjuïc. Olympic games in 1992 were held in this part of Barcelona. Old military fortress is built on the top of the mountain, with roots dating back from 1640. Visiting inside of the fortress is free of charge on Sundays.

Panoramic views of the city on the one side and overview of the Barcelona’s beach, port and terminals on the other are stunning. This is usually the place to wander around when the weather is sunny. Hiking, walking or cycling on the mountain will help you recharge batteries. After this view head down to the cable car going from the mountain to the port for the full experience.

3. View from the Hotel W

Located on the beachfront along the famous Barceloneta boardwalk Hotel W sets the scene for a spectacular stay. Designed by world-renowned architect Ricardo Bofill also called Hotel Vela or Sail Hotel. Reminds a lot of the famous Burj Al-Arab from Dubai. To get to the last floor of the hotel without actually staying there you will need some luck. Elevator operates only with the room cards to get to the certain floor. Going up should be easy, just ask some of the guests to help you with that. After enjoying the view, there is a tricky part, going back. We had some luck and within 15 minutes one of the guests staying at the last floor came up with the elevator. Other options are stairs from 26 floor :)

4. Park Guel

Park Guell, the most memorable features of the park include the reptilian-esque colonnades, the colorful mosaics and the tiled dragon that guards the threshold. Gaudi! You'll either love him or hate him, but you can't deny it's pretty interesting. Guell park is a fun place to get lost for a few hours, recreate scenes from "The Spanish Apartment" and enjoy the outlandish and daring designs of Antonio Gaudi. A must-see in any Barcelona stop-off. If you need to get lost somewhere away from the urban jungle, that's one of those places you can make your own for a while. But remember - respect cactus!

5. National day of Catalunya – bonus

The National Day of Catalonia or La Diada Nacional de Catalunya is celebrated every September 11th, a historic date in the Catalan calendar. Since Barcelona is the main city of Catalonia part of Spain, everyone is coming to Barcelona to celebrate this day. We had a walk from the Arc de Triomf, down Passeig de Lluís Companys towards the main celebrations in Parc de la Ciutadella. You should catch a concert, poetry reading, or at least dignitary’s speech. Expect to see the odd senyera being waved, the Catalan flag of nine horizontal stripes, five yellow and four red which has a legend all of its own. Below is a picture of the common scene at that time, families with flags heading to the celebration.

More information on link : https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/spain/catalonia-day

Extras

Tips when visiting Barcelona :

• Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted cards. American Express is accepted usually at high-end establishments. Diners Club is less widely accepted
• Tipping is not expected in Spain. However, if you are extremely satisfied with the service provided you can show your appreciation by leaving a small ‘extra’ tip for your waiter or waitress
• You can buy a SIM card for about 25 EUR which includes 1 or 2 gigabytes (GB) of data plan for the internet. You can choose from 4 network providers: Movistar, Orange, Vodafone or Lycamobile.
• Health insurance – Covered via European Health Insurance Card (EU citizens)

Disclaimer: All images were taken with iPhone 6 while being in Barcelona.

Thank you for reading and I hope you’ll add Barcelona as your travel destination soon.