Discover Barcelona in a day
You should never get discourage by a short stay in a city when traveling. With a little planning you can make time to see all the top spots on your list. We were able to see some amazing spots in the city of Barcelona, Spain with just a two night stay and only one full day to this beautiful city. I will walk you through how you can do the same!
Arriving in Barcelona
As you make your way to ground transportation the first choice in a new city you have to make is how you will get around. There we were at the metro pass machine, do we go for the single trip fare or maybe the 10 fare pass. As we excitedly looked at each other, nope 10 fares won’t do, how often are we in Barcelona for two days!? With that realization we decided on the 48 hour Hola Barcelona Travel Card.
The 48 hour Hola Barcelona Travel Card is good for unlimited metro rides for 48 hours after validation which includes between the airport and city center. We purchased these for a total of around $34 (€30) for two tickets. This was obviously a no-brainer for us for the price and our quick trip and I will share how we made it worth every penny.
Gaudí La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
La Pedrera is a modernist building which was designed and built by famous architect Antoni Gaudí. Antoni Gaudí’s architecture can be found all over the city so this building is on of many of his works and the first of many that we visited. It was built between 1906 and 1912 as a private residence and also goes by the name Casa Milà after the owner Pere Milà who commissioned it and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Want to check it out? You can get here on the Metro via the Blue or Green lines and get off at the Diagonal stop.
La Sagrada Família
La Sagrada Família which is under construction to this day is one of the most iconic buildings in Barcelona, Spain with so much history behind it. It was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site for Antoni Gaudí’s work on the building. The construction of La Sagrada Família started in 1882 by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar only to resign a year later from the project. After Villar’s resignation Antoni Gaudí took over the project and transforming it to his own architectural style and vision. The building was less than a quarter complete at the time of Guadí’s death in 1926 and he is buried in the crypt of the building. Due to the destruction of the Guadí’s plans, drawing and plaster models by revolutionaries during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 construction of the building came to a halt. Continued progress in the construction of this building has been on and off although it is anticipated to be complete in 2026, at the 100 year mark honoring Gaudí’s death.
Want to check it out? You can get here on the Metro via the Blue or Purple lines and get off at the stop by the same name, Sagrada Família. This gorgeous building towers above you as soon as you exit the Metro making it impossible to miss.
La Sagrada Família
Hospital de Sant Pau
Hospital de Sant Pau
The Hospital Sant Pau is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site that can be found in Barcelona, Spain. This complex was built between 1901 thru 1930 by Catalan architect and politician Lluís Domènech i Montaner. This hospital is now a museum and cultural center, although was still functioning as a hospital until June 2009.
Want to check it out? You can get here on the Metro via the Blue or Yellow lines. On the Blue line get off at the Sant Pau Dos de Maig stop. On the Yellow line get off at the Guinardó-Hospital Sant Pau stop.
Entrance to Gaudí Parc Güell
Gaudí Parc Güell view
Gaudí Parc Güell
Gaudí Parc Güell
This park is also named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Barcelona, Spain. Gaudí Parc Güell is an amazing place to explore for not only the surrounding Guadí architecture but also gorgeous views overlooking the city of Barcelona all the way to the ocean. Eusebi Güell hired Antoni Gaudí to design this public park, which was built between 1900 to 1914 and officially opening in 1926. The park filled with beautiful gardens and colorful tiled architecture is located on Carmel Hill, which is part of the Collserola mountain range. This is a perfect place to stroll, explore, and even picnic during an afternoon in Barcelona.
Want to check it out? You can get here on the Metro via the Green and Blue lines. The shortest walk to the park will be on the Green line getting off at Vallcara or Lesseps stops, due take into account that you will be walking uphill both to get to the park as well as while walking around and exploring the area. If you have trouble with steps or steep hills this might not be spot to add to your list. If you are already on the Blue line and are up for a roughly 20 minute uphill stroll to the park you can get off at the El Carmel stop.
Have any favorite spots that I missed? Please share in the comments so others can check them out and I have another reason to go back to Barcelona!
Salud!
-Jessica