If you are traveling to Barcelona during this spring you probably need to maximize your time so that you can go back home being sure that you haven’t missed anything important, and believe me, there is a lot to do. That’s why we have written this short guide to help you out on this complicated task of choosing what’s the best to do in Barcelona in spring. Ready?

Discover the city walking through its neighborhoods

Even if it’s quite a large city, it has the perfect size for walking. Forget about the subway and the touristic bus and start a journey on your feet. Walking from one neighborhood to another is the best way to know the real Barcelona, its citizens and its real essence. This way you will be able to access some spots that most tourists don’t get to, at the same time as you try different tapas in the several breaks you will be willing to take.

“Walking or cycling is the best way to know the real Barcelona, accessing some spots that other tourists would never arrive to”

The first walking tour will probably be Ciutat Vella, meaning old city in Catalan. So a good idea could be to start from Raval where most of the underground culture happens, then walk Las Ramblas, afterwards Gotic with all its historical monuments and buildings, then Born full of trendy shops and finally Barceloneta where the beach is located. Walking through this four neighborhoods will give you a clear picture of the old Barcelona. If you still have some strength left you should definitely walk to Ciutadella, a wonderful park not far from Barceloneta where you can lie on the lawn, rent a boat on the lake or even look at the Catalan parliament.

Restricting your walk only to the most central neighborhoods could be a big mistake as you would be missing many interesting sides of the city. Some examples are Gracia, Sants, Sarrià or Horta. They all used to be small towns before being absorbed by the big city and you can still experience that feeling through their streets.

Another good idea is to bike these distances instead of walking them. You should take into account that Barcelona is very prepared for cyclists, offering them cycle ways for almost every possible route. Moreover, as it is quite a flat territory (at least the central area) you don’t really need to be in good shape in order to cycle. There are a lot of companies that offer bicycle rentals on a very affordable daily or weekly fare.

Discover Gaudí and Modernism

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest touristic attractions and the most distinctive feature of the city is the modernist architecture, especially the buildings designed by Gaudí. You can find several examples of his work throughout the city, whether civil or religious buildings. The most famous are the Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell or La Pedrera. But there are still other Gaudí buildings that even if they aren’t that known they are really worth visiting, such as the Palau Güell, Casa Batllo or Casa Vicens.

“Modernist architecture is the most distinctive feature of Barcelona, especially Gaudí’s buildings”

But Gaudí was not the only example of modernist architecture in Barcelona. Other impressive buildings following this aesthetic are the Palau de la Música or Casa Amatller designed by Puig i Cadafalch or Sant Pau Hospital, which has a really dreamlike atmosphere in its gardens in the middle of the city.So as you see, if you fancy architecture and modernism Barcelona will keep you entertained.

Go up to the Olympic mountain of Montjuïc

Right next to Ciutat Vella we find the mountain of Montjuïc. It’s a perfect spot for taking a walk among trees or for having a picnic with great views over the city. Moreover it’s not a very visited place by tourists. We can either walk, take a bus or the funicular to go up the mountain.

Here we can visit the facilities that were built for the 1992 Olympic Games, including the Palau Sant Jordi or the telecommunications tower designed by Santiago Calatrava. If you walk up to the top you will find the Olympic Stadium and the botanical garden. Afterwards, we can take a cable car from the hill, going through the port of Barcelona until the Barceloneta beach.

Go to Primavera Sound music festival

If you visit Barcelona during spring and you fancy pop, rock and indie music you are very lucky. Why? Because during the month of May this city hosts one of the most important music festival in Europe, the Primavera Sound.

It happens in Parc del Forum, a huge outdoors venue right next to the see where artists such as Metronomy, Pixies or Arcade Fire have played. This is definitely a must go for every alternative music lover, having achieved an attendance of over 170.000 people in its last edition.

Take a bath in the Mediterranean

Spring also offers a great weather in Barcelona being the average temperature around 20 degrees Celsius. This means you will be able to relax in many of Barcelona’s beaches and enjoy the breeze of the Mediterranean at the same time as you take a nice bath in the see.

Barcelona has 4.2 km of sandy beaches just 10 minutes away from downtown starting at Barceloneta beach. Moreover, you can always visit other coastal towns with large and quiet beaches such as Masnou or Castelldefels.

So know I guess you are pretty ready for visiting Barcelona during spring, you can be sure you won’t regret your decision. Remember to check some apartments for rent in Barcelona when planning your trip, choosing between the best locations to enjoy this city of permanent vacation.