Cool Things To Do In Barcelona

An Overview of Barcelona

Famed as one of the most beautiful and culturally active Mediterranean cities in Spain, Barcelona is home to impressive beaches, trendy restaurants, great cuisine options and some of the grandest masterworks of Architect Antoni Gaudi. The city is a world-famous travel destination and also hosts the Barcelona La Mercè Festival, held in honor of Mare de Deu de la Mercè, the Patron Saint of Barcelona. There and many interesting and cool things to do in Barcelona.

Cool Things To Do In Barcelona

Casa Mila

Popularly known as La Pedrera or The Stone Quarry, this is an unconventional housing project in a waving Modernista style. It was the last private residence designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudi.

Casa Batllo

This is an expressionist architecture piece of marine inspiration with fantastical elements. The roof of the this building mirrors a dragon’s back using shiny scales as tiles. The organic elements give this structure a strange and outlandish appearance, especially from above.

Labyrinth Park of Horta

Locally named “The Parc del Laberint d’Horta” this is a ranging historical garden with classical styles incorperated into the estate grounds. The 19th century romantic gardens and impressive hedge maze were once part of the Desvallas Family estate.

Park Güell 

This park system is among the most famous sights of Barcelona. The strange and beautiful outdoor space is filled with ceramic structures, unique mosaics, decorated Roman-styled temples and a world-famous forested park area. The park is named for Eusebi Güell, a wealthy patron who supported Gaudi’s fantastic work. Visiting this unqiue park is a fairly cool thing to do in Barcelona.

Calder Mercury Fountain

Hidden within the Fundacio Joan Miro Modern Art Musuem, this is a highly toxic fountain encased inside a protective glass cage to protect guests.

Montjuïc Cemetery

Perched on the rocky incline of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona, this is a large cemetery filled with unique modernist grave sites. The site is also called Cementiri del Sud-oest or Cementiri de Montjuïc.

Chocolate Museum Barcelona (Museu de la Xocolata)

This is a wonderful and impressive museum crafted to showcase the history of chocolate. Inside the museum, there are complex chocolate sculptures and actual treats for sale. The museum is fairly small, only requiring an hour or so to visit.

La Sagrada Familia

There is no building more iconic, stunning and tragic than the truly fantastic La Sagrada Familia. This massive, entirely unique church has been forever unfinished since the devestating death of it’s architect, Antoni Gaudi. The structure contains a wondrous minor basilica of magical proportions, impossibly narrow spires, bizarre natural curves and a mind-bending interior. The designs of La Sagrada Familia were the crowning masterwork from Antoni Gaudi’s mind.

Ciutadella Park

This is an extremely idyllic and famously green oasis in the center of Barcelona with unique abstract artworks. The park has a long history, so many monuments are scattered throughout. The stunning Arc de Triomphe can be found here.

Bunkers of Carmel

Located high above Barcelona, these bunkers were once used during the Spanish Civil War as an anti-aircraft gun encampment. The ruins offer stunning panoramic views of the city and distant sea.

Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

These are the endlessly popular sound-and-light magic fountain shows found in Barcelona. The shows involve pumping 2,600 liters of water per second for fantastic performances. The fountains are situated beautifully near the Palau Nacional on the Montjuïc mountain. The fountain shows at night are widely considered one of the most magical things to do in Barcelona.

Sant Pau Recinte Modernista

Considered the largest Art Nouveau complex in the world, this hospital building hosts over 600 years of art and history. Inside, visitors can enjoy stained glass windows, illustrious paintings, impressive mosaics, elegant arches and large windows providing natural light.

Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Odd as it may seem, one of Europe’s most vital supercomputers is now housed inside a disused chapel. The MareNostrum is one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, now protected behind layers of protective glass. The supercomputer was responsible for performing daunting, enormously complex calculations which led to breakthrough discoveries such as genome mapping, weather predictions and astrophysics.

Parc de l’Espanya Industrial

Located in an unassuming residential area, this public park is a former steam-powered mill from the 1800s. The space was eventually converted into an industrial park with lakes, wide lawns, trees and sculptures. However, the oddest feature is a large children’s slide in the shape of giant metal dragon.

Street Performers of Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas is a popular tourism and shopping avenue in Barcelona. It also happens to be an excellent place for catching street performances. The area is known as Barcelona’s best location for busking.

Museu Egipci de Barcelona (Egyptian Museum of Barcelona)

This is a small museum absolutely crammed with rare, protected and restored Egyptian artifacts. Though tiny, there are over 1,200 artifacts on display with items portraying history from Egypt’s Pre-dynastic period, the Old Kingdom Era, the Middle Kingdom Era, the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Roman rule.

Palau Güell

This is one of Gaudi’s first major works. the unique structure cemented his relationship with his main patron, Eusebi Güell, eventually leading to some of the most iconic and beloved buildings in Barcelona.

Read more about cool things to do in Barcelona and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

Affiliate Disclosure: Leftfade Trails contains affiliate links, so using services or products through these links supports the website, at no extra cost to the user. All links are to tested services and products designed to aid travelers on their journeys. Some links specifically connect to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate this website earns from qualifying purchases.