Modernista masterpieces, medieval streets and Mediterranean sands. Duncan Rhodes reveals the colourful character of the Catalan capital.
If Barcelona were a woman she would be a ravishing but rebellious Miss World misfit, one who regularly neglects her beauty sleep for debauched nights out that can leave her looking distinctly worse for wear. The city’s best features, such as La Sagrada Familia, are perennially being patched up by unsightly cranes and scaffolding, graffiti (only some of which transcends to art) is splashed over shutters and walls and the household garbage of local residents and bodily excrements of fiesta people smear what might otherwise have been the picturesque streets of Barcelona’s Old Town.
Table for two?
Bizarre perhaps, but it’s the city’s rough edges that makes you love her even more. Barcelona is no too-good-to-be-true model tourist town, full of perfect paint jobs and picture postcard plazas. She is a real city who wears her fierce Catalan heart on her sleeve, dresses in the fading – but still beautiful – Modernista facades of yesteryear, and courts the company of dreadlocked hipsters, tattooed beatniks and other assorted counter-culture kids. Liberal, self-contented and loud-mouthed (especially after a caña or two), this is a city which never feels guilty about having a good time, and doesn’t care what she looks like in the morning.
Best of the Beaten Track…
Gaudi grabs the headlines when it comes to attractions in Barcelona, and it’s interesting to note that the very works once mocked for their OTT grandiosity and ‘superbly creative bad taste’ (Dali), have now become synoymous with the city’s aesthetic. La Sagrada Familia is of course his crowning glory and it really is worth braving the queues to get up close and personal with this towering cathedral, built along the architectural principles of Mother Nature which intrigued Gaudi as a boy. Gaudi’s foray into landscape gardening, Park Guell, is also well worth the metro ride north (take the green line from the centre up to Lesseps). The views over the city are tremendous and film buffs will enjoy deconstructing scenes from both L’Auberge Espagnole and Vicki Cristina Barcelona. It’s free to enter (for now!). For the rest of Gaudi’s masterpieces, including mansions Casa Battlo and Casa Mila (aka La Pedrera) on the grand Passeig de Gracia boulevard expect entry fees and long queues.
Other attractions worth dipping into are Las Ramblas (currently been cleaned up of drug dealers and prostitutes after some saucy shots of daylight ****ery made the front pages of the press). Aside from the theatrical street performers, this chaotic boulevard is also the gateway to the sensory overload of La Boqueria food market and palm-tree serenity of Placa Reial, a good starting place for a jaunt deeper into the Gothic Quarter.
Cubism taken too far
Those with a bit more time to play with should get over to Montjuic (Jewish Mountain) home to an oddball selection of cultural greats such as MNAC Museum, Poble Espanyol, Joan Miro Foundation, Caixa Forum, Calatrava’s needle and by night the delightfully cheesy Magic Fountains light and sound show. If at some point you feel your ‘museum legs’ coming on, then there’s always Barcelona’s many beaches to check out. They have their critics, but any qualms about dirty water and overcrowding is offset by the sheer entertainment provided by unabashed nudists, bronzed volleyball players, bongo-bashers/banjo-strummers, Asian hawkers, South American surfers and many more colourful characters. If the heat gets too much an ice-cold mojito at one of the chiringuitos (beach bars) = time well spent.
Hipsters’ Guide
Whereas most cities have their very own Shoreditch, Friedrichshain or Kazimierz, virtually every district in Barcelona has Bohemian aspirations. El Born is the prettiest and home to a comfortable mix of tourists checking out the superb Picasso Museum and fitting in some boutique shopping, together with arty locals going about their business, slowly. I suggest picking up a Diana camera at the Lomography store, before heading to the Passeig del Born in the evening to capture the lively buzz of Barcelona’s barflies sticking into their cañas and conversation. Elswhere, a socially-excluded immigrant population, assorted waifs and strays, and the counter culture community, are normally enough to scare the average tourist away from Raval, leaving the likes of Rambla de Raval – one of the city’s prettiest streets – to be enjoyed by the brave. All in all the Raval area is full of surprise finds, such as El Jardi restaurant where tapas is accompanied by birdsong in the Gothic courtyard of the old Santa Creu hospital.
Experience & Events
You may have heard of a little-known soccer outfit by the name of FC Barcelona, held in great affection by the locals. The atmosphere at Camp Nou is electric for home games and sports fans should make the effort to partake in what is effectively Catalonia’s national religion.
Boozing and carousing at the Festa Major de Gracia
Year-round Barcelona is full of events and experiences that will linger long in the memory, such as the firework-laden all-nighter that is Sant Joan (Sant Juan in the rest of Spain) and the enthusiastically celebrated Festas Majores: week-long street parties held in each district throughout summer, culminating in La Merce, the city-wide celebration that comes with carnival-style processions and free concerts in every placa and park. If you really want to time your visit to perfection however come for the Sonar festival. Even if you can’t afford a ticket, scores if not hundreds of parties and concerts make up a formidable and much more affordable Off programme.
Pillow Talk
Ipod docks, pink neon lights and panoramic views make the pillows at Barcelo Raval some of the most progressive in the city. This sleek circular tower is a sign of the gentrification of Raval district, but a word of warning – it hasn’t happened yet! If you’re keen to go green Casa Camper’s total recycling policy and solar panels make for a eco-friendly stay, whilst for old school charm the family-run Hotel Grau is hard to beat. Overlooking a narrow street just off Las Ramblas, visitors are recommended to check out the accompanying bar next door for homemade Vermouth served since 1862.
Fork Out
Gastronome’s are spoilt for choice in Barcelona, and whereas Michelin stars are few and far between even the crappiest neighbourhood gaff will serve up a decent bocadillo. For upscale modern Mediterranean cuisine, with a spot of posing, Noti doesn’t disappoint, whilst a bit more rough and ready experiences can be enjoyed at Cal Pep, where you’ll have to queue for seafood tapas, or local favourite Cafe de L’Academia, which with characteristic Catalan obstinacy doesn’t bother to open at weekends. Alternatively why not go straight to the source at La Boqueria market. If kiosk restaurants like El Quim and Organic are too hectic for you, pop out the back of the market and discover Ra Town’s delightful sun-kissed, ivy-bedecked terrace.
Drop In
Hearts attack at Razzmatazz
The key areas for Barcelona nightlife are Placa Reial, favourite with the backpacker crowd and home to several bars and clubs of dubious quality, and Port Olimpic where a string of plush lounge bars serve up cocktails by day turning into clubs at night. For some more authentic options warm up at Lost-tribute-bar Bharma or student-fave Dixies before hitting the five dancefloors of Razzmatazz. Alternatively bar crawl your way around Raval, via swanky Marmalade and gritty Ambar before ending at Apolo for some indie/electro dirty beats. Alternatively take a taxi to Sala BeCool (for minimal house in winter) or the open-air La Terrrazza (balearic house in summer).
Getting There
Cheap airlines include Easyjet, Vueling, BMI baby, Wizzair, Jet2 and Ryanair (to Girona and Reus, both 1.5 hours away). BA, Iberia, BMI, Continental, Delta are the old school carriers.
More Juice
Barcelona Life is the latest portal by the web travel gurus at Lifeboat Ltd, and is rapidly growing into a handy resource – good weather, culture and nightlife info, whilst the hopelessly unstylish Barcelona Tourist Guide does at least have every bit of practical info you could possibly need. For free events and nightlife info check out this worthy blog, and for a wide range of local tips by local people check out the aptly named Spotted by Locals – Barcelona section.
Hard Copy
Time Out, Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are all decent guidebooks worth packing. For some more insight Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia paints a fascinating picture of Spain during the civil war, including the Barcelona street fighting. Movies-wise best to rent out Vicki Cristina Barcelona, even if the film bears little resemblance to the realities of life in the city. For that you should watch the highly entertaining L’Auberge Espagnole about an Erasmus year in the Catalan capital.
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If Barcelona were a man, would he be Duncan Rhodes?
Undoubtedly he would not. Duncan Rhodes does not have the required number of tattoos. But thanks for asking.
The Editor
[...] price – an unofficial Sonar Off programme of parties in every club and on every beach make Barcelona the place to be in mid-June. Nothing says I love you, like a hammer in the [...]
Enoyed your post a lot. You’ve painted a nice picture of Barcelona I must admit.