As lockdown continues to drag on into Summer you can bet we’re on the phone to our travel agent to plan our next trip away and what better place to visit than one of Spain’s most cultural city’s - Barcelona. Home to some of Europe’s finest architectural landmarks and a superb history of art, it’s certainly a city worth popping on the bucket list.
Where to Stay
In Barcelona there’s no need to worry about staying in a specific district to get the most out of your break. The city is supported by a great metro service that connects you with its array of grand attractions scattered throughout the city.
For the best of both worlds we’d recommend staying at a hotel along Port Vell. It’s around the corner from the dramatic gothic quarters and within walking distance to the main attractions all whilst obtaining beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea. Instagrammable to say the least – make sure you choose a hotel with a roof top bar or balcony to get the best coastal views.
If you enjoy being in the hustle and bustle of city life you might want to situate yourself in the Eixample area. Populated with luxury apartments you’re only too close to the passion and energy of salsa! You can pick from an array of salsa clubs within the area and it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a professional – the Spanish just want you to move and have fun.
What to Do
You can’t travel to Barcelona without laying sights on La Sagrada Familia -an incredible project by Anton Gaudi who dedicated his life to the design and construction of this breath-taking basilica when he took over the plans in 1883. An ambitious design to say the least, it combines architectural and engineering styles from the Gothic and Art Noveau forms and is to date only three quarters finished. We’d recommend a fully charged camera for this extraordinary sight as you’ve most certainly never seen a religious structure like it.
Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera is a must-see for every visitor of Barcelona. An impressive building full of contemporary innovations, it was originally designed as a private residence by architect Anton Gaudi boasting a self-supporting stone façade, free plan floor, underground garage and a stunning roof terrace. A modernist piece of work that was truly ahead of it’s time, you can enjoy exploring this dream-like building with it’s original furnishings.
Park Guell, situated on Carmen Hill is a public park that takes you on a spectacular journey of gorgeous greenery, terraces, never ending mosaic benches all combined with the architectural features by none other than Anton Gaudi. A park filled with breath-taking views - it’ll take a few hours to get round so we’d advise you take your trainers and some water for this adventure.
What to Wear
Barcelona is a fashion forward city and it’s no wonder that just about anything goes (dependent on the season of course) when it comes to fashion. Homed to some of the biggest fashion houses like Agatha Ruiz De La Prada and Paco Rabanne, the Spanish are confident in their style and love to celebrate colour and edgy silhouettes. That being said we can’t forget that Spain is actually responsible for making black fashionable (something we’re all thankful for!) so we’re dedicating this fashion edit to its original fashion roots – Black!
