The following post was written by guest writer Gina Stark who maintains the travel blog Gitana. Please enjoy!

Barcelona is a city whose delights cannot, thankfully, be summed up in one article or one weekend.  But even with limited time for visiting, you can delve into many varied offerings proffered by this Catalan city of northern Spain.

Thankfully, a bounty of Barcelona’s beauty is located within a conveniently centralized area reachable by the mildly ambitious pedestrian.

It would take a concerted effort not to stroll La Rambla, the main grand boulevard of shops and mobs of pedestrians – locals and visitors alike.  It’s usually the first thing out of someone’s mouth when regaling you with a recent BCN visit, or when suggesting do-not-miss sights.  Outside of the colorful shops, you’ll find flower vendors, curiosities, musicians, culinary offerings and the venerable street artists.  These living sculptures have evolved into ever more creative and fantastic characters and creatures since my first visit, many years ago.

Street performer on La Rambla

If you need a sweet treat in your ramblings, keep your eye out for the lovely 200-year old art deco façade of Antigua Casa Figueres (at the corner of C. Petxina).  Somehow, entering this enchanted structure makes the anticipation of a sweet indulgence even more rich.  The name of the chocolatier doling out delights in this heavenly (or is it sinful?) space is Escriba. Try the hazelnut-infused chocolate, which is closer to oozing melted chocolate than what Americans are used to in a hot cocoa beverage.  Am I complaining? Claro que no!  My travel companion had the chocolate with cream (some of which I commandeered) Below, please witness the evidence:

So good!

Barcelona’s spectacular marketplace, Mercat de Sant Josep – aka la Boqueria – is another of the gems you’ll encounter at La Rambla 91.  If the booming, colorful stalls piled with mushrooms, olives, shrimp or cheese don’t make your stomach rumble hungrily, they will certainly whet your photographic appetite. 

The meandering streets of the Gothic Quarter entice you away from the hustle of the Rambla.  Allow yourself be thusly enticed, and explore the myriad narrow streets lined with shops, tapas bars, and historical sites. The Picasso museum is another wonderful find tucked away in this neighborhood.

At the far end of La Rambla, is the sea walk, aptly called the Rambla de Mar.  A lovely long stretch of open air, open ocean promenade, the sea walk offers a chance to join locals and tourists alike in a slower paced savoring of this lively coastal city.  The large fish sculpture in this picture, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, is all the more curious because when you are beside it, it looks like an abstraction of a wave, constructed of confetti.

Rambla del Mar

No visit to Barcelona is complete without taking in some of the fantastical architectural and sculptural feats of the celebrated pioneer of art and building, Antoni Gaudi.  One can spend hours gawking at his engineering feats, but cannot fail to recognize his love of the aesthetic and playful. Gaudi’s love for nature and the strength of natural elements and forms drove his designs and structures. Everything has a reason, meaning, purpose.

In close range of La Rambla, and farther up into the center of the city, you’ll find several Gaudi masterpieces.  My personal favorite, and the building to blame for my love affair with Gaudi, is Casa Battlo (DO take the inside tour – illuminating and breathtaking!) and Casa Mila – or La Pedrera – both centrally located on Passeo de Gracia.

Rooftop detail from Casa Batllo

Barcelona is a city of seemingly limitless sights, sounds, eateries and experiences. I have visited numerous times and I plan on returning to continue my savoring.