Barcelona is a city bursting with culture, history, and things to see and do. For anyone with even the slightest inclination for wanderlust, a weekend getaway in Barcelona is a real treat.
Autumn is the perfect time to visit primarily thanks to its climate. You miss the sweltering heat of summer, yet it’s never too cold to spend the day wandering around the city. And that’s lucky, because it’s hard to beat Barcelona for a place to stroll around. If you’re wondering what to do in Barcelona, the city’s architecture is one of its crown jewels, magnificent enough to capture the imagination of even the most design-averse minds.
From Modernisme landmarks like Casa Batlló to the winding gothic streets of the old town; from the grand boulevards of Eixample to ultra-contemporary buildings like Torre Glòries: it has it all.
You can also go further afield than these inner-city sights if you’re feeling adventurous. Travelling to the outskirts for Gaudi’s Park Guell is well worth it for the fairy tale-like wonderland, and so too is Montjuïc, where, alongside designer gardens and an Olympic Park, you’ll come across an old military fortress castle that dates back to 1640. As you map your way around the city you’ll find remarkable architecture in abundance.
Speaking of mountains, Barcelona also boasts Tibidabo. It’s worth taking the cable car funicular up for the views alone, but the amusement park is where the real fun is. It’s like a trip back in time, as most of the rides are still there from the turn of the 20th century.
Of course, as well as its architecture, Barcelona is famed for its art. And there’s no better place to see that than in the MACBA, Barcelona’s Museum of Contemporary Art. This Autumn marks the start of the first of their Panorama exhibition series, specifically exploring contemporary art practices based in and around the city. There can’t be a much better way to see the driving heart of the city’s culture. This particular exhibition is called Notes for an Eye Fire and includes a whole range of disciples – from paintings to sculpture, video installation to performance, alongside photography textiles and whole-body experiences – meaning there’s something for everyone.
If you’re hungry from all that walking around, you can’t say you’ve spent autumn in Barcelona if you’ve not grabbed some castanyes (chestnuts) or a moniato (sweet potato). In autumn, the streets of Barcelona are lined with vendors roasting these delights over open fires. They’re perfect for a bite to eat on the move as you stroll around the city taking in its sights and sounds. They’re also steaming hot to keep you warm and utterly delicious too. And if you prefer something more refined, you’ll find many of the restaurants in Barcelona’s famed gastronomic scene do their own spins on this traditional fare in autumn too. Either way, these dishes are a delight on an autumn day – a must-try.
Don’t think twice about it, a weekend getaway in Barcelona is something everyone’s got to experience at some point in their life.
