THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Barcelona

Best Free Things to Do in Barcelona

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What travellers are saying

  • Kalia Z
    72 contributions
    Super cool part of the city. Cathedral was beautiful, so was the palace beside it didn’t pay to go inside, but just viewing the outside was enough. I definitely recommend spending a whole day walking through this area. We went inside another cathedral and climbed up that tower and had an amazing view of the entire city and the other big cathedral.
    Written July 13, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Clarissa Macedo
    Quebec City, Canada193 contributions
    Big variety of foods, drinks and many more. It’s a paradise for people like me, who love to visit and eat fresh food.
    The downside is the amount of tourists.
    It’s hard to move around and you must be careful with your belongings.
    Written July 18, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Raintree_Thailand
    Bangkok, Thailand4,206 contributions
    Magnificent church, built in the 14th century. It is relatively plain on the outside and without a great deal of art on the inside, but the incredibly high vaulted ceiling and soaring columns let great deal of light in and imbue a heavenly feeling. While there is apparently a charge to enter in the daytime, we were able to enter in the early evening without payment.
    Written June 15, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • dg2014jg
    Magnolia, TX1,082 contributions
    Your best plan is to book a hotel in this area for your visit to Barcelona. The streets are lined with trees. The restaurants are very good. The shopping is wonderful. We can walk up and down, and there are benches scattered around to take a break. I love this street.
    Written July 4, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Erena Rowe
    Nelson, New Zealand14 contributions
    We were there before the tourism protests. We enjoyed the area, we kept away from La Rambla as there is nothing to get excited about, extremely touristy and tacky. However the restaurants at the other end looked okay. We spent most of our time in the gothic area, and looked for restaurants/cafes away from the main streets. We always had good food and service. The two different hop on hop off bus companies always seemed busy, but it’s good way to look around especially if your jet lagged!
    Written July 9, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • dg2014jg
    Magnolia, TX1,082 contributions
    I had wanted to see this area and to look all the way down to the Venetian Towers. Unfortunately, there was no water. Best to see this with the fountain operating and the light show in place.
    Written July 4, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • BTS1972
    Munich, Germany3,531 contributions
    One of the jewels of Barcelona. While requiiering EUR 15 entrance fee, it is worth the money. The viwe from the roof top is nice, but not really worth the stair climbing. But it is included. In all, a must see.
    Written July 5, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Steve_of_N21
    London, UK3,054 contributions
    Situated to the East of Barcelona in the El Born district, this green space is on the site of a former military fortress, the Citadel, which was here until 1869 when the government official General Prim ordered the demolition of the building and the return of the land to the city and his statue on horseback is one of many throughout the park. However, the most impressive is the Monumental Waterfall, which is the Parc de la Ciutadella’s most eye-catching feature and opened in 1881. It is the work of the master builder Josep Fontseré, who was appointed to undertake the transformation of the area but was assisted in the Waterfall by a young Antoni Gaudí. It is also home to the Parlament de Catalunya building that was built in 1932.
    Written June 3, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • dg2014jg
    Magnolia, TX1,082 contributions
    This is a gorgeous area of Barcelona which needs to be explored on foot. We had gone through this before on a HOHO bus, and it does not do justice to it.
    Written July 4, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Steve_of_N21
    London, UK3,054 contributions
    El Born is sandwiched between La Ribera to the north and Barceloneta to the south with Via Laietana as its border with the Gothic district to the west. Our hotel was on Via Laietana so we explored it most days and nights especially as, although it has a reputation for art galleries, pricey boutiques and shoe shops it is also home to several decent small traditional tapas bars and a couple of the cities burgeoning craft beer bars. It’s a maze of narrow roads and interconnecting alley ways opening up to the occasional squares, such as the one that houses the impressive Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar. For me, outside of a couple of quirky art galleries I didn’t really pick up on the expensive shops side, but certainly more the bars and restaurants. For those into craft beer DIECI8 Bar and the fairly recently opened Barna Brew Born are two craft beer bars well worth searching out. And there are several authentic tapas bars which are frequented by the locals and tourists alike.
    I found it a perfectly safe area to explore both during the day and at night, but like various other areas of Barcelona where tourists congregate pickpockets and scammers work here. So just have your wits about you and your possessions tucked away and you will be fine.
    The El Born district technically stretches east far enough to include the Parc de la Ciutadella which is a fantastic green space and a pleasant area to stroll when the sun is out for a contrast to the narrow streets of the rest of the El Born district.
    Written June 3, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Steve_of_N21
    London, UK3,054 contributions
    The sea front sand stretches all the way from the fairly new W Barcelona Hotel to the Forum in the eastern end of Barcelona’s sea front and encompasses several beaches, but this one is probably the most famous and the one most visitors to Barcelona will experience.
    It’s a very lively beach and one where the locals come to play games, pose or just relax on the sand, and for the tourist it is a great spot to stroll along or just sit on the sea wall to sit and do a spot of people watching.
    We always walked it whilst in town and never used it as a beach and to be honest if we had considered doing a bit of sunbathing we would not have chosen here as the sheer number of beach hawkers trying to sell you all manor of things is just off the scale, and from where I was sitting it didn’t look very relaxing for the poor people trying to sunbathe on the beach. For this I would tend to recommend the quieter beaches away from this tourist centre.
    Written June 4, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • dg2014jg
    Magnolia, TX1,082 contributions
    What an impressive site. You can walk to this from Montjuic or take a HOHO bus around it. This is a heavy traffic area so be careful crossing the street! But definitely put on your bucket list for Barcelona.
    Written July 4, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Oldjack
    Greater Melbourne, Australia28,977 contributions
    The Plaza de Catalunya could be described as the hub of Barcelona and is a large square surrounded by department stores and the start of Las Ramblas. It is always busy as may tourist buses start and end here. If in Barcelona it is almost inevitable you will visit the square, which is interesting because of the people and activity , more than its artistic design
    Written June 28, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Steve_of_N21
    London, UK3,054 contributions
    Normally I would say don’t bother with the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor de Jesús (Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) as internally it’s a pretty average church compared to others in Barcelona. But much of its attraction comes from its privileged location on one of the highest peaks in the city, from which you get truly excellent views. But once you’ve made it up here you might as well take a look at the inside of the church, which oddly is on two levels. The ground level has some impressive frescos and stained glass windows, then the upper level once you climb the steps is more about the columns to the roof space but still has some nice statues and features. However, it’s the views from here that really win the day.
    Written June 3, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Thomas V
    Oakland, CA16,992 contributions
    The oldest neighborhood in the city where there were settlements in Roman times. Many of the buildings here are from centuries before ours, lots of history, lots of narrow streets, and a good place to wander. You will enter some big open squares where there is more air and sun.
    Written April 6, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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