Barcelona City Guide

Activities in Barcelona

Spain is one of Europe's more affordable countries. If you are particularly frugal it's just about possible to scrape by for around 20.00 EUR a day. This would involve staying in the cheapest possible accommodation, avoiding eating in restaurants or going to museums or bars, and not moving around too much. A more comfortable budget would be 40.00 EUR a day, allowing for a basic hotel room, set meals, public transport and entry to museums. With 120.00 EUR a day you can stay in excellent accommodation, rent a car and eat some of the best food Spain has to offer.

Participate

There are plenty of opportunities for exercise in this healthy, sports-keen city. If you're a golfer, you'll be itching to play in Spain, one of the capitals of the game. The seafront is the best spot for jogging, walking, skating and blading.

Golfing is a Spanish speciality. In Barcelona, the only moderately difficult Club de Golf Sant Cugat is welcoming.

For an easy run and a few gasps of fresh sea air, use the seafront stretch from Vila Olímpica to Barceloneta.

The promenades along the shoreline are your best bet for an obstacle-free skate or blade. The view makes exercising here particularly liberating.

Tennis players can serve up some volleys at the Barcelona Tennis Olímpic, where you can also hire gear.

Barcelona isn't the best spot for casual cycling, but the tourist office can point you in the right direction if you're really determined to escape the hills, pollution and bad drivers.

Tours in Barcelona

Gandering at Gaudi

Three days gives you a great chance to really experience Barcelona. Start with the medieval core, the Barri Gòtic. You can wander down La Rambla from Plaça de Catalunya, a handy junction of Metro stops and taxi ranks. About halfway down, take Carrer de Ferran to Plaça de Sant Jaume. Once the Roman forum, this is the heart of town. From here you can stroll around La Catedral and surrounding monuments, including segments of the Roman wall and the fascinating Plaça del Rei, which is now part of the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat. From here, cross Via Laietana and stroll down Carrer de l'Argenteria to confront the most beautiful church in the city, the Catalan Gothic Església de Santa Maria del Mar. The area around it, El Born, is loaded with restaurants and bars where you can take a load off. Art fans will want to set aside a couple of hours for the nearby Museu Picasso. To finish off the day, jump on the Metro and head to Gaudí's extraordinary work in progress, La Sagrada Família.

Now you have your bearings, fans of Gaudí could easily spend day two wandering in search of his curious architectural efforts. Start in the old town with one of his earliest projects, the Palau Güell. Then move north to L'Eixample to see some of his most extraordinary contributions to the cityscape, the Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. Need a little Zen time? Head for Parc Güell, yet another Gaudí gem. Here you can take a refreshing stroll among the trees and weird modernista touches, and admire the splendid views back over the city.

Day three could be dedicated to Montjuïc. There is loads to discover here, from the Fundació Joan Miró to the myriad gardens and Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.