Barcelona, Spain

View from Gaudi's Park Güell towards Barcelona's old town and seaside.

Barcelona is Spain's second largest city, with a population of nearly two million people, and the capital of Catalonia. A major port located on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, Barcelona has a wide variety of attractions that bring in tourists from across the globe.

The many faces of Barcelona include the medieval Old Town, the unique street grid resulting from 19th-century urban planning. The city has both long sandy beaches and green parks on the hills, pretty much side-by-side. Barcelona is also famous for a number of prominent buildings, of which perhaps the most-known are by the architect Antonio Gaudi, including his Sagrada Família, which became Barcelona's symbol to many.

Founded more than 2,000 years ago as the ancient Roman town Barcino, Barcelona is thus as historic as it is modern, with a constant flow of projects changing the face of the city and long-standing penchant for design and innovation. Thanks to the wealth of attractions, a very well-developed accommodation base, a lively nightlife and a robust transportation system, Barcelona has become one of Europe's, and pretty much the world's, most popular tourist destinations.

Districts

• Ciutat Vella. Barcelona's old town, including the medieval Barri Gòtic, La Rambla (Les Rambles), Raval, and El Born (also known as La Ribera).

• Eixample. Modernist quarter, central hub of the city, and the area to go to find Antoni Gaudí's work.

• Gràcia. Formerly an independent town, it joined the city in the 20th century. Narrow streets and a cosmopolitan and young atmosphere with not too many tourists

• Sants-Montjuïc. Plaça Espanya and Montjuïc have been the focus of several great fairs and exhibitions. They have left behind museums, monuments and festivals for travellers to explore.

• Sant Martí. More beaches along the coast, but generally fewer tourists and tourist attractions.

• Inland Suburbs. Mostly residential, but there are some sights if you want to explore. It includes Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona; Tibidabo, the highest point in Barcelona; and more Gaudí architecture.

When to visit

August is probably the busiest time for tourists in Barcelona. That said, a very large percentage of the shops and restaurants can be found closed from early-August to early September. During this time, you will find the most expensive hotel rates (outside of conference times such as the Mobile World Congress) and the city is devoid of locals as the vast majority of residents go on vacation in August and leave the heat and humidity to the hordes of tourists who come. This also happens to be one of the highest periods of home break-ins as criminals know that many places are unoccupied for an entire month.

Barcelona is great off-season and is a lovely city even in the winter months of January and February, as long as the possibility of rain is low. Given the high humidity, 19–23 °C (66–73 °F) is considered comfortable weather, which is usually the temperature between April and June and between late September–November. This is the best time to visit the city. Anything warmer than this can feel too hot.

Easter week, as well as Christmas to New Year's Eve are very busy times. If you'd rather avoid the crowds, don't come during those dates. Also, avoid visiting during the Mobile World Congress or the Formule 1 racing, unless you are ready to pay extremely expensive hotel rates.

Toddler happiness is considered a public responsibility in Spain. In any public place, people around you will make every effort possible to make your toddler happy: whenever he or she looks bored or is crying, everyone does their best to entertain or to calm them.

Visitor information

• Tourist office at Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça de Catalunya, 17-S (Metro: L1, L3. Bus: 9, 22, 28, 42, 47, 58, 66, 67, 68. Train: R4). 8:30am-8:30pm. This is the main tourist office in the city. (updated Oct 2015)

The other tourist offices can be found at Plaça de Sant Jaume, Ciutat, 2 Ajuntament de Barcelona. (City Hall.) Opening time: Monday to Friday: 8.30am-8.30pm. Saturday: 9am-7pm. Sunday and public holidays: 9am-2pm.; Estació de Sants, Plaça dels Països Catalans. How to get there: Metro: L5,L3. Bus: 63,68. Opening time: daily, 8am-8pm. and Aeroport del Prat. Terminal 1 and 2. Opening time: Daily, 9am-9pm. All are closed on 1st January and 25th December. For a full list of tourist information points check the link above.

The department store El Corte Ingles publishes a free street map for tourists. You can pick a copy at the store, or at one of the many hotels in the city.

• Barcelona Card. This card gives an opportunity to visit more than 25 museums and other sites in Barcelona without an extra charge. For another 70 plus sites it offers various kinds of discounts during a validity period of the card. It also includes a travel pass for public transport in Barcelona (for details see Hola BCN! card below). The card is available for purchase for periods of between 2 and 5 days.

Bear in mind that if you don't plan to see lots of museums every day, then it may be cheaper to buy transport-only tickets. They cannot be used on the cable cars or funiculars (except for Montjuïc) From €20 for a Barcelona Card Express (2-day), up to €60 for a 5-day card (10% discount if bought online in advance); a version for children is available as well.

Get around

The department store El Corte Inglés publishes a helpful (and free) street map for tourists. You can pick a copy at the store, or from most hotel front desks. They're also available at the tourism information offices (including one at each terminal at Barcelona El Prat Airport).

At the Tourism Information Offices they also sell "official city maps", but they aren't that worth. Ask instead for the free "Barcelona Hotel Map", which contains a pretty good blow-up of the Old Town alleys.

By public transport

Smartphone apps are the best option to navigate inside the city. They provide bus information in real time and routes to destionations with train, metro, tram and bus. Some aplications for Android and iPhone are Google Maps, Citymapper and Adif, the last provides real time for Renfe trains (Rodalies de Catalunya). Only some station of bus and FGC (Plaça Catalunya and Provença) provides free WIFI.

• The Barcelona Bus Turístic links all of the Barcelona tourist sites you could possibly want to visit. It has three routes (map provided as you board), including a northbound and a southbound line that leave from opposite sides of the Plaça de Catalunya. Each takes 1-2 hours. The hop-on/hop-off format lets you get-off risk-free at any interesting stop, see what interests you, then get back on any later bus at that or any other stop. One approach is stay on for an entire route, then continue while getting off at locations that interested you earlier. Buses are double-decked, with the open-air upper deck offering much better views... sunscreen essential in summer months, jackets in winter/early spring/late fall.

As you first get on, you are offered earphones. Outlets near every seat let you choose among many languages and playback volumes. As you approach each significant location, you receive audio describing it. You can buy tickets at the bus stops and elsewhere (e.g., better hotels) valid for one day (€27, April 2015) or two consecutive days (€38, April 2015). At least in March 2015, it's cheaper to buy tickets online.

— Red Line: Estació de Sants- Creu Coberta- Plaça d'Espanya - CaixaForum Barcelona - Poble Espanyol - MNAC - Anella Olímpica - Fundació Joan Miró - Telefèric de Montjuïc - Miramar - World Trade Center - Colom/Museu Marítim - Port Vell - Museu d'Història de Catalunya - Port Olímpic - Platja de Bogatell/Cementiri del Poblenou - Parc de la Ciutadella/Zoo - Pla de Palau - Barri Gòtic - Plaça de Catalunya - Casa Batlló/Fundació Antoni Tàpies - Passeig de Gràcia/La Pedrera - Francesc Macià/Diagonal.

— Blue Line: Monestir de Pedralbes - Palau Reial/Pavellons Güell- Futbol Club Barcelona - Francesc Macià/Diagonal - Eixample - MACBA/CCCB - Plaça de Catalunya - Casa Batlló/Fundació Tàpies - Passeig de Gràcia/La Pedrera - Sagrada Família - Gràcia - Park Güell - Tramvia Blau/Tibidabo - Sarrià

— Green Line: Fòrum - Port Olímpic - Platja de Bogatell/Cementiri del Poblenou - Poblenou - Parc Diagonal Mar.

• The metro can take you to many places. Stations are marked M on most maps; every station has a detailed map of exits to the city. A one-journey ticket cost €2.15, so it's best to buy a multi-person 10-ride ticket for €9.95 (2015) for Zone 1 which includes most tourist areas (called a T-10) or a personal 50-ride monthly ticket. These tickets are also valid on the buses, trams, FGC (Catalan Railway Network) and on the main Spanish Trains (RENFE (Rodalies de Catalunya)). 2- to 5-day public transport tickets are available that allow unlimited travel on the metro and bus networks (€14 for two days, €32 for five (March 2015)).

These are an excellent value. Be sure to look after them well as bent or damaged cards will not be read by the ticket machines (such cards can be replaced at one of TMB's customer service centers). Metro operating hours are: Sunday and M-Th 5:00 to 24:00, Fri 5:00 to 2:00, Saturday 24 hr (continuous service from Saturday at 5:00 until Sunday at 24:00). Trains are fast, often coming in two minute intervals.

Announcements are made only in Catalan and Spanish, though signs and ticketing machines are generally trilingual in Catalan, Spanish and English. In case of temporal break on the line -for example, power failure-, a announcements are made in Catalan, Spanish, French, Japanase, and other many languages.

Pay attention to the fact that to get from metro lines operated by TMB (1,2,3,4,5, 9/10 and 11) to the ones operated by FGC (6,7 and 8), or vice versa, you need to exit and then enter through a new pay-gate. In this case, if you had a one-journey ticket, you need to get a new one. If you used a multiple journey ticket (such as the popular 10 rides T-10 ticket -the one that locals use the most-) you won't be charged for a second time when changing lines (as long as you are within the stated travel time for a single journey).

To be clear, you get 10 journeys on a T-10 ticket, and once a journey begins, you have a certain amount of time (stated on the card) where you can use the pay gates the TMB metro, the FGC metro (6/7/8), TMB bus, tram, and local RENFE (Rodalies de Catalunya) lines up to once on each journey. The number of rides left will be indicated on the back of the card as well as the fact that the T-10 has been fully used up. The text that appears in the ticket when you use the 10 travels is "Titol esgotat", below 10 lines of times used. The bus map may also be downloaded, this allows you to plan your route and make connections.

Usual features are: all cars are air conditioned; there are large screens for video advertising between lanes (e.g. at Universitat).

• The RENFE trains are not the same that metro. Please use the correct word to avoid wrong indications, metro is subway/underground and train is RENFE. Renfe isn't the correct name, the real is Rodalies de Catalunya and outside Catalonia is Cercanias. You can referer using the previous names without problem. The trains can be very chaotic and no information or contradictory information.

If you are lost, ask locals. Younger people in particular are more fluent in English and will be of better help. Indications are rarely in english, and public address system only in catalan and spanish. Civia trains, provides free spanish sockets in every entrance shared for 2 doors. That's mean exists 3 sockets for each car.

Although the metro is the best option to visit tourist zone, the're others transports integrated into ATM. ATM is the system that allow you use train, bus, metro... and only pay once. The following public transports are integrated inside ATM: bus, metro], Rodalies (Renfe) and FGC.

The Barcelona Card features unlimited free travel on public transport and free admission and discounts at around 100 visitor attractions. The card is available for purchase for periods of between 2 and 5 days, costing €37.00 for a 2-day card and €62.00 for a 5-day card. But you will get an online discount of 10% if you are booking in advance. If you don't plan to see lots of museums every day, then it is cheaper to buy transport-only tickets.

But there are many things that you will want to do in Barcelona that are not eligible for discounts. You can't use the Barcelona card on fun transport options like cable cars, funiculars (except to Montjuic), for example.

The Barcelona ComboPass is a non-Official combo pass available for periods from 2 to 5 days and includes the benefits of the Barcelona Card described above, plus the Hop on/off Bus Turistic and the Montjuic cable car. However, it will not necessarily save you money compared to buying each ticket separately. For example, it costs €78.90 for a 2-day Barcelona ComboPass, but if you purchase the 2-day Barcelona Card (€33.30), the 2-day Bus Turistic ticket (€30.60), and the Montjuic cable car ticket (€9.27) separately and online from the Official city ticket offices, then you will only pay €73.17 and save over €5 per person.

By bike

Due to the demands of bicycle hire companies, the city's bike share system 'Bicing' is not available to tourists. Therefore maybe consider walking instead.

• Barcelona Ciclo Tour. Located in Carrer Tallers, at 50 mts from Plaza Catalunya, Barcelona Ciclo Tour offers daily guided tours both for individuals and for groups. The tours last 3 hours and include a free drink at a beach café. Price per person: 22€. Also night tours available. Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 09:30-20:00.

• Bornbike Experience. Tours Barcelona. Bikes for €6. They offer guided city tours such as the Gothic to Modernism Tour, Beach Tour, Montjuïc Tour, and the Tapas Tour.From 22€ rent a bike from 6€ Carrer marquesa nº 1 metro Barceloneta.

• Barcelona Rent a bike. Bicycle rental which allows to choose among classic Dutch bikes, family bikes, tandems and electric bikes. Prices from 6€. Three locations available: Plaza Catalunya, Barceloneta beach and Arco de triunfo. Opening hours: 9:00-20:00.

• BCN Rent a Bike, close to the Palau de la Música and the Cathedral, rent classic bikes, the iconic Flying Pigeon, and provides tours guided by architects with a detailed knowledge of the city and its monuments.

• Rent-A-Bike, very cheap and comfy Dutch bikes for only 9 Euro per day, located in the nice Gracia/Eixample district. Carrer del Perril 31, opened: 9:30-20:00

• Biking in Barcelona. Backed by Biciclot, a co-operative that promotes the use of bicycles in Barcelona. They offer high-quality tours for groups (from 12 to more than 100 people), private groups or individuals, as well as bike rentals.

• Budget Bikes. With top quality Dutch bicycles on hire, Budget Bikes offers good group reductions as well. They also offer a 24/7 booking option through www.donkey.bike so that riders don't have to worry about complying with opening hours of rental shops. Once they made their booking online, riders use the Donkey Republic app to locate and unlock their bike – by connecting to its smart lock through Bluetooth (works offline).

• Deviant Bikes. Bike rental in Gracia, they specialise in fixed gear and single speed bikes and longboards. Bikes cost €20 per day and boards €15 per day. GoPro video cameras are included with the rentals.

• e-bikerent. Electric Bike rental €7-20 per day. Tours to highest points of Barcelona from €30 for about 4 hr.

• Terra Diversions. Bicycle hire in Barcelona city center: You can rent a bike or do a tour. Big selection of city bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, road bikes and children bikes in different sizes.

• Pedals Barcelona. MTB and Roadbike Tours. In a 1 to 5 days tour you will pass through some of the most beautiful Natural Parks around Barcelona. The route is self-guided although you can choose to have a guide. Pedals adapt to your needs.

• Plan Bike Barcelona. Cool beach cruiser bikes for rent. You can find them near Plaça d'Espanya.

• Ajo Bike Barcelona. Ajo Bike is a budget bike shop in El Raval, a vibrant district in central Barcelona. You can rent a bike for as little as 4 euro for 2 hours. The price for 24 hours is 10 euro and if you are more people, every extra person pays 9 euro. On Monday a bike could be rented for 48 hours on the price of only 10 euro.

• Easyin city. From 09am till 09pm, every day of the week in the center of Barcelona, rent your bike from 3€ different style of city bike, 4 carrer bertrellans at the front of decathlon.

Exotic transport

• Telefèric de Montjuïc links the city to the top of Montjuic, with 3 stations (Parc de Montjuïc, Miramar and Castell de Montjuïc). Costs: €10.30 for two-way trip.

• Tramvia Blau is an old tram (beginning of the 20th century) connecting Av. Tibidabo metro station and Funicular station at the foot of Tibidabo. Costs: €4.50 for a two-way trip.

• Funicular del Tibidabo connects the foot of Tibidabo with the view point. Costs: €9 for two-way trip.

Tuk Tuk

Offers different routes through Barcelona city and most visited spots. Also offers open routes up to clients preferences, friendly and multilingual. The tour is fun, silent and smart, and 100% ecological.

By scooter

• Mattia46 50cc, 125cc, 150cc, 200cc scooters for rent for a cheap price to enjoy Barcelona.

• GoCar is a two-seater, 3 wheeled vehicle that runs with a 49cc size scooter engine. It is legally classified as a scooter to drive on the roads. The GoCars were created with the purpose of being rented to tourists as a different way to see a city.

• Scooters for singles or couples are a great way to explore Barcelona at their own speed. If you are coming as a group you can get a personal tour of all the places you like to see.

• Vesping, Passaje Simo, 24 - Next to Sagrada Familia, 10:00-20:00. Explore the city on a GPS guided Vespa. Choose from the tours or go explore on your own.

• Barcelona Moto Rent, your scooter rental, gives you the opportunity to travel and visit the city for a cheap price. Carrer Roger de Lluria, 31 - Next to Plaça Catalunya.

• Rental Moto Barcelona Scooters for rent in Barcelona. Rent, your scooter at the best price, the best way to discover Barcelona. Carrer Mallorca 1-23, - Next to Sants Station.

By Segway

Explore highlights the of Barcelona by segway in hours. Barcelona Segway day gives you the opportunity to Get to know the history of Barcelona from professional tour guides also get advice for the best places for eating going out and shopping. En Rull 2 08802 Barcelona.

By car

Parking around all major tourist destinations is expensive (€3/hour, €20-36/day) and the spaces are difficult to navigate, as there are several classes of public parking spaces, with complicated rules for each class. Barcelona is plagued with the same problems that plague other major European cities; massive traffic jams and extremely narrow streets in some areas, coupled with a very complicated road system. As such, driving yourself around is not recommended for tourists, especially those with no driving experience in large cities. Public transport will get you to all the major areas, and you should use that as your main mode of transport.

Having a driving map is essential - plan your route before you set off. Navigating with an average tourist map is frequently misleading: many streets are one-way; left turns are more rare than rights (and are unpredictable). As an example, Gran via de Les Corts Catalanes is technically two-way, but in one direction supports only minor traffic: after every crossroad you'll find the traffic light on the next crossroad turns red by the time you reach it.

But if you have to take a rent a car there are several companies there to get great car rental rates. Some free parking spots reported by travelers are:

— Near Moll de Sant Bertran (which is south-west from Museu Maritim) - driving at B-10, exit to WTC and make a complete round at roundabout, heading to warehouses - and park next to its employees cars.

— Somewhere near Guell Park.

— Near Font Màgica, in Plaça Espanya.

Getting around by car makes sense if you plan to spend much more time driving outside the city borders than inside it - and ideally if you don't plan to park overnight at all. Otherwise, for purely in-city transportation, consider renting a scooter, or using public transportation instead.

What to See and Do in Barcelona

Despite having 1.6 million people within its city limits and nearly five million in its metropolitan area, Barcelona is a relatively compact city, with many of its top tourist attractions within easy walking distance of each other. This makes it practical to "do" Barcelona by means of a professional walking tour or even to explore its streets and attractions entirely on your own.

Walk around the winding streets and hidden squares, fountains and palaces in the Barri Gòtic (Ciutat Vella). If you are thinking of visiting several museums, an "articket" will save you some money. It is a combined ticket costing €30 and covering admission to six museums.

• The most spectacular sights in the night are Musical fountains, in Plaça d'Espanya. From Th-Su, May to October, 9:00PM. Each session lasts 30 minutes, with the last one starting at 11PM; Casa Batlló; Torre Agbar office tower, highlighted F-Su 7-11PM and City views from Montjuic hill.

• Harbour Cable Car. Jun-Sep: 11AM-8PM. The 1450 metre long harbour aerial tramway with red cars connects Montjuic and Barceloneta. It starts in Barceloneta on the top of the 78 metre tall Torre San Sebastian tower, which has also a restaurant at its top accessible by an elevator. It has an intermediate stop at Torre Jaume I tower (close to Columbus monument), which can be reached by elevator from ground--107 metre tall tower, the second tallest aerial tramway support tower in the world. The final point of the tramway is Montjuic.

Overall, the tramway is quite old (built in 1929), and the car is packed with tourists during the daytime--particularly sensitive for a stroller or a wheelchair. Plan your route wisely as the capacity is limited. It can be up to 1-1.5 hours from the moment you join the queue to the moment you get in the car. Currently, the Torre Jaume I tower in Barceloneta is temporarily closed for renovation, while two other stops work as usual. The facility doesn't accept credit cards, it's cash only. One-way €10, round trip €15.1.

• Montserrat. A little ways outside the city of Barcelona (roughly an hour and a half), lies the beautiful Montserrat mountain range. Today there are a handful of newer buildings that have been built on the range, but upon visiting, it is easy to slip back into the past to imagine what the mountain range must have been like hundreds of years ago.

A beautiful monastery stands at the center of the mountain range where visitors can attend masses that include wonderful live church choirs of young men who live at the monastery. The range is home to many rock climbers who venture to the high altitudes to challenge the vertical limits of Montserrat. It also affords visitors an excellent hiking experience through scenic paths, all of which over look the surrounding cities, including Barcelona.

The beauty of Montserrat speaks for itself. It is a must see and will provide a full day of sightseeing. For the most full experience possible, it is encouraged to seek out a travel guide who will bring you there for the day and show you every nook and cranny of the mountain range, providing exceptional background and knowledge on the ancient and beautiful structures that still stand strong today.

• Temple of Augustus. The Temple of the Roman colony of Barcino date of the first century BC, was dedicated to the imperial cult. The building was located on the axis of the Forum, an arcaded square where the main public buildings clustered in the city, the church or the bar, where he met the Ordo Decurionum or municipal senate, there was the market on all products sold arriving anywhere in the Mediterranean.

The temple overlooking the city, which rises on a podium which is accessed by a staircase, but had also built a small hill's highest point, known as Mons Taber on which built Barcino. Today the remains of the Temple is located inside a building which houses four columns and Corinthian fluted shaft, and architrave of the podium. Address: Paradís street.

• F.Cervera Ancient Art Gallery - In F.Cervera Gallery you will find a premier collection of ancient art pieces. You can check the Etruscan and Roman antiquities.

• Gaudi architecture and Modernist Barcelona. Gaudi's masterpieces are the Parc Güell in Gràcia, the still unfinished (as of 2015) Sagrada Família in Eixample and the houses La Pedrera/Casa Milà and La Casa Batlló both in Eixample. Other Gaudi works open to the public are Palau Güell and Torre Bellesguard, while Casa Vicenç" is expected to open in 2016. The Ruta del Modernisme run by Modernisme Centre (Pl. de Catalunya, 17, subterráneo): guidebook and discount voucher book for €12.

Takes you round all the best Modernisme (art nouveau) buildings in Barcelona. The main part of the route can be walked in a couple of hours, providing you don't stray too far from the main routes. The Tourist Offices offer a pack that includes discounted tickets to many attractions such as La Pedrera and La Casa Batlló. All can be seen from the outside for free. Outside of Barcelona you can also visit the Cripta Güell (accessible by FFCC train) and the Artigas Gardens (accessible by Alsa buses).

La Sagrada Familia. One of the most famous and breathtaking locations to visit in Barcelona the most famous building in the entire city and its landmark, La Sagrada Familia. Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. From the outside, visitors are astonished by the sheer height and intricacy of the design of the church and although it is not completed yet, the progress that has been made is incredibly impressive.

The project began nearly a century ago and was designed by one of Spain’s most well known and respected architects in Spanish history, Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi was born a Catalan (ethnic group in Spain) and produced some of the most moving buildings and works of art that are still standing and praised by the Spanish people. Undoubtedly, his most famous work is La Sagrada Familia.

La Sagrada familia is a masterpiece in the center of the city of Barcelona. The height of the church will be, once it's finished, exactly equal to the height of the largest mountain in the nearby hills, the reason being because Gaudi felt that no man-made creation should ever rise above God’s natural creations. The height of the church is overwhelming when standing at its base and the inside is even more impressive.

Upon first walking into the church one cannot help to feel their stomach drop as they witness one of the most impressive and beautiful creations known to man. Visitors first gaze up at the height that the ceiling extends to, supported by beautiful hand shaped columns, which were hand-shaped to resemble the trunks of trees.

As a lover of nature, Gaudi included many elements of God’s natural beauty within his work. As visitors move towards the center of church they cannot help but to twist their head in a full 360 to admire all of the stained glass windows that line the walls of the basilica. During the day these windows produce incredible natural light (a personal favorite of Gaudi) that illuminates the sheer beauty of the inner church.

The church is absolutely breathtaking. La Sagrada Familia is an absolute must see for every visitor in Spain and the Barcelona. It is truly a masterpiece and is sure to please visitors of all ages.

To avoid the queue, tickets may be booked online and collected at Sagrada Familia itself. You will need to indicate the time of visit. If you plan visit either the Passion Tower or the Nativity Tower, the ticket will grant you entry one hour before the scheduled time you booked. You can stay in Segrada Familia for as long as you want after descending the Tower. The Passion Tower has elevator both ways. The Nativity Tower option means you to take the elevator up and walk all the way down. You enjoy the view of the city as you climb down, not the external wall of the Tower.

• Kids & Family Walking Tour. Interactive and fun walking tour of the Gothic Quarter for families with children.

• Museum of Natural History - in the Forum - Museu Blau.

• Can Framis Museum. Catalan Modern Art with activities for kids and guided visits.

• CosmoCaixa: Museum of Science. Amazing museum for kids from 4-5 onwards. Adults will really enjoy it also.

• Tibidabo Amusement Park. Located on the Tibidabo hill overlooking the entire city of Barcelona, this is an amusement park focused on kids with priceless views.

• Beaches. Named the #1 Beach City in the world by National Geographic, Barcelona's beaches are world-renowned. Although locals prefer that you do not stroll through the city in beachwear, the beaches themselves have a very open and relaxed atmosphere. As with many other European beaches, you will find topless (and even nudist) beach-goers.

Unlike many European beaches, however, you will find fun and friendly "chiringuitos" common on Spanish beaches that offer you a place to sit down and listen to music while you have a drink and grab a bite to eat directly on the sand as you watch beach-goers strolling by. Please be aware that the sand at the main beaches is quite rough - may have small stones and shells as well.

The Barcelona beach season starts around March 15th and goes until around November 15th. The High Season for beach-goers is usually from the end of May until the end of September.

Barcelona's Beaches: Sant Sebastià, Sant Miquel, Barceloneta, Somorrostro, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella, Llevant.

• The Ciutat Vella, meaning "Old City," is the oldest, most central and most tourist-visited neighborhood of Barcelona.

• Las Ramblas is the liveliest pedestrian walkway in town and is spelled in the plural because it is actually a series of streets (each one a "rambla"). Though crowded with tourists, Las Ramblas is tree-lined and beautifully laid out. All along the way, you will meet with interesting street performers, some of them doing stunts, some of them costumed and some of them offering to do pencil sketches.

• Placa de Catalunya is a square located in the very center of the city. It is the city's transport hub and a favorite rendezvous point. The square is famous for its many fountains and statues, and it is lined by shops on every side.

• The Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) is at the very heart of the Ciutat Vella. Here, you can see numerous buildings that date from medieval times as well as a few that go back to the Roman Period.

• El Portal de L'Angel is a spacious pedestrian walkway lined by some of the most expensive and most in-style shops in all of Barcelona.

• In Sants Montjuic, you can ride high in the sky on a cable car that takes you from the sea coast all the way up to the mountain known as Montjuic.

• Also in Sants Montjuic, you can see a Flamenco Show, which is a traditional Spanish performance with guitar music, song and dance, at the Tablao de Carmen.

• Coastal tours of Barcelona can be had by sail boat for three-hour spans, but you can also arrange for full-day coastal tours by "classic yacht."

• Take a bike tour of Eixample to see its imposing Modernista architecture, some of it mimicking medieval style, and also stop of at the Japanese Library.

• Attend a football (soccer) match at Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona and the largest-capacity stadium in all of Spain, seating over 99,000. Besides football matches, concerts are also occasionally held there.

• Cruise miles of beachfront boardwalk starting from Barceloneta or get a tan on the beach.

• Sit on a wooden bridge to Maremagnum in Ciutat Vella and cool your toes at the water's edge: with a book, sandwich or just for a short rest.

• Wander the Barri Gòtic in Ciutat Vella, the largely intact pseudo-medieval center of the city.

• Enjoy your Sangria at La Plaça Reial in Ciutat Vella, near the La Rambla Street. Great place to sit, relax and drink.

• Walk in Born in Ciutat Vella, a very popular area with great restaurants and places to have a few drinks. If your accommodation is on Rambla, Born is a great place to escape the crowds, enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and meet off-the-beaten track travellers and non-tourist-industry locals--especially in the evenings.

• Ride the Cable Way to get from the sea front to Montjuïc mountain in Sants-Montjuïc.

• Sit and sip on a coffee in Plaça dels Àngels in Ciutat Vella, while admiring the whiteness of the MACBA and the best street skate tricks in town.

• Catch a performance at the beautiful Teatre del Liceu or the Palau de la Musica Catalana both in Ciutat Vella.

• Visit a Flamenco Show in a real tablao. Although the dance is not local to Catalunya, one of the best Flamenco Shows in the city is Tablao de Carmen in Sants-Montjuïc. A cheaper alternative is in the jazzclub Jazz Si in Ciutat Vella.

• Rent a bike or join a Biketour and get to see the highlights of the city in a different way. Ride from the magic beaches of the Mediterranean, to Gaudí's modernist buildings through the medieval atmosphere of the Old Quarter.

• Sail 3 hours to see Barcelona from the sea.

• Mail boats serve almost all populated in Barcelona, and are amongst the cheapest way to reach many areas, though far from the fastest or most comfortable. The government has a mailboat schedule of mailboat routes online which may or may not reflect reality.

• Camp Nou (FC Barcelona stadium). If you are football fan, it is a must see attraction.

• Sail on a classic yacht. Enjoy a day trip sailing along the Barcelona coastline on a classic yacht.

Stay safe

• Pickpockets. Barcelona is Europe's pickpocketing capital. Never keep your wallet, cash or important documents in trouser pockets or in bag pockets: a money belt is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent being robbed. As always, be alert in crowded places, such as public transport, train and bus stations, La Rambla and Raval.

People may approach you asking for change, or to change money. Just ignore them. If you are asked to change money, then official-looking police may approach you afterwards to 'check' your wallet for ID, etc. These are not police, so be at your most vigilant or you might find they have taken a few cards or cash upon returning your wallet.

Pickpockets use the football trick as the local specialty. At certain tourist hotspots, there are people who will try to show you a 'magic trick'. This involves tying a piece of string around your finger. While you are distracted (and your arm is effectively disabled), an accomplice will pickpocket you. It is also possible that criminals will pose as tourists and ask directions to approach their victims. Keep your distance and be careful in tourist places.

The subway is a hotbed for pickpocketing activity, which can range from simple opportunistic thefts to coordinated attacks. Be especially wary on the subway platforms at Sants train station and Sagrada Família. A group of men will come out of seemingly nowhere while you attempt to enter a subway car and block your entrance and exit in a coordinated manner, effectively pinning you against the doors while they close.

They will act as if the car is just crowded and they are trying to get on as well, but, in reality, they have already gone through your pockets. Once they take stuff, they quickly return to the platform and walk off calmly while you are trapped in the departing subway as they make sure they exit just before the doors cannot be reopened. Violence in these situations is rare, and in most cases the goal of the thieves is to rob you undetected.

Do not leave anything in a back trouser pocket (except maybe a map of the city). Hold on to your bag or purse at all times. Do not leave anything unattended while you sit in a cafe or restaurant. Traveling with another person or persons is a good practice. Have the others look out. The impression that you are paying attention is enough to deter most thieves. This makes someone else an easier target than yourself.

• Scams. Scams are incredibly common, especially in very touristy areas. The number one thing to remember about a scam is that you should never speak with someone you don't know who walks up to you in a crowded area. Do not sign their petition, give them directions, or help them with their problem. Being rude is actually your best defense against scams. You can't be tricked if they don't have time to speak with you.

A common scam in Barcelona involves fake police officers, usually claiming to be "undercover" who will ask to see your passport or identification, then take your belongings when they can and run away. Overall various scams happen in the city which seems always preformed by a group of professional scam artists. When it happens, it's pretty ok to just walk away instead of start any sort of conversations with them.

Another trick is that one seemingly confused person will ask you for directions, diverting your attention and then suddenly fake police will appear asking for your ID. These are organized scams to steal things from you. If such incident happens, follow the advice above and just walk away, without listening to any of their conversation or speaking to them. Stay alert, especially in busy tourist areas near the Sants station and Plaça d'Espanya.

Another popular scam happens in the metro. A group of scammers (often middle-aged women) will surround a tourist, frantically asking for directions. Most tourists wont know what to say while one of the scammers empties their pockets. They will try to confuse the tourist while the metro stays in the platform, and will get out just before the doors are closed. When you realize you've been scammed, the train will have already left and they will be safely outside with your belongings.

The bird droppings scam is also common. One or more accomplices will secretly spray or throw a smelly liquid on you. When you look up thinking a passing bird has pooped on you, they will run up to you and tell you that they saw a bird poop on you. They will offer to help you clean up, and while you are cleaning they will go through your pockets and any bags you have set down. It is wise to beware of anyone who is attempting to touch a complete stranger.

A version of Three Card Monte is one of many common scams played on Las Ramblas. There are also people holding petitions to install a wheelchair lift in locations with a lot of stairs (or any other thing, usually very vague, that they think you won't be in favor of, such as a petition "against drugs"). Once your signature is obtained they will then aggressively ask for a donation. Sometimes there can be crowds of children demanding money with hardly anyone else in the area, making it difficult to get away.

There is a flat tire scam that seems to be popular in Barcelona that targets rental cars or those with foreign license plates. There are a few varieties of this particular scam, but it involves distracting the driver and passengers by mentioning a flat tire. Sometimes they are pedestrians crossing the street, other times they are people on motorcycles, but they are almost always working in teams.

Those in the car check to see if their tire is actually flat while someone reaches in to grab whatever they can. This can happen in traffic, but sometimes they'll offer to show you a garage nearby where you can get it fixed or they will offer to help you. In some instances, there will be absolutely no damage to your tire and in other cases the thieves will actually knife your tire. Be sure to keep your doors locked while driving in the city and watch for any suspicious motorbikes stopping near your car.

• ATMs. Choose an ATM in a busy area and merge quickly into the crowd to avoid being targeted. Barcelona is particularly well-equipped with ATMs. Many offer a wide range of services (withdrawals, transfers, mobile credit recharges, ticketing, etc.) and accept credit cards of various banks.

Most ATMs will not charge you a fee to withdraw funds (though your bank still may, of course). Catalunya Caixa is an exception: they will charge a several euro fee, so avoid their ATMs.

• Overcharging. Be careful in tourist areas. A variety of methods are employed, including the No Change trick.

• Areas of caution. Women traveling alone should exercise caution while exploring the more isolated parts of Montjuïc. The city beaches, particularly the ones adjoining Barceloneta, have proven to be quite lucrative for bag snatchers. Anything that one would rather not lose is best left, locked, in one's hostel or hotel.

Men traveling alone should expect the prostitutes on Las Ramblas in the early hours to be very aggressive and in league with pickpockets and robbers.

Also, people need to be careful when leaving the bars of the Olympic Port late as there are many pickpockets around.

Women should be wary of wearing exposed jewellery such as gold chains and necklaces. People walking down a street may be attacked from behind by a thief who may grab the necklace and try to rip it off the woman's neck before quickly running away, often down a convenient side street. This can even happen in daylight hours and in the full sight of others on the street.

In the event of such a robbery, people will need to find the local police station to report the incident, especially if a travel insurance claim is going to be made. Parts of Barcelona are covered by closed circuit TV surveillance, but only the more popular spots.

• Cars. Tourist drivers may attract special attention, such as Red light bag snatch or Flat tire scams.

• Reporting crimes. If you need to report a crime (for example, to claim on travel insurance), be prepared for the reality that is the downtown police station, officers may not speak English, despite that fact the official theft report form is in both English and Spanish. The police station most often used to report theft is the one underneath Plaça Catalunya beside the metro station, they have translators for English, French, etc. (Wikivoyage, Wikitravel, Wikipedia)

The Sagrada Família church by Antonio Gaudi is perhaps the most known landmark of Barcelona.