We encourage a free forum where travellers can share tales or snippets that benefit other traveller's experiences who are coming to Barcelona. Whether you would like to share a hot tip to a Barcelona destination or restaurant, or discourage future travellers from a bad experience, we welcome your comments. The opinions expressed here do not reflect the opinions of the webmaster of INNside Barcelona nor any of its employees.

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GENERAL and FOOD - What more can I say.  Friendly people, beautiful architecture loads to do.  It's addictive.  Things to bring home include Cava, good Balsamic vinegar, Rioja, olives and Paprika, Hams and cheese." - Ada IRELAND

THE BORN QUARTER - The Borne area is wonderful; the shops are small and individual, the Picasso museum is well worth a visit and the chocolate shop which sells everything imaginable in the most delicious chocolate from brownies to beer and even chocolate jostiks is unforgettable. We plan to return!
Best wishes - JOANNA D. - UK

RESTAURANTS and ARCHITECTURE: Coming to Barcelona is a great experience.  There's so much to see and do whether you are interested in partying, shopping, wining and dining or the arts and architecture or in many cases all of these!
 
A great time of year to come is in September for the festival Merce when all sorts of madness reigns.  There are music events and street parades, fireworks and a great festival atmosphere.
 
For those interested in all things foody try a visit to the bouqerie the indoor market just off the Ramblas.  Even if you are not a culinary genius this is a great place to see the displays of local produce.
 
Irata deserves a mention for a snack and a drink on an evening.  Tucked into the Bari Gothic its busy and has a great range of tapas that are paid for by counting up your cocktail sticks.They also pour the local cider behind their backs and from a great height.  The Born district is up and coming with some wonderful bars and food places.

The Quinze Nits restaurant inm the Placa Reial is also worth queuing for even if it is to see what the fuss is about reasonable prices and good food in a lively square. When we were there one of the waitresses demonstrated the ability to give a good cuff across the head to the under waiters!
 
Check out the Montjuic area with the castle and a wonderful view over the city it also has the likes of  the Jardins Botanical, the Olympic stadium,  the Miro Gallery  and the Poble Espanyol a village made up of all different architectural styles.  Good arts and crafts to be bought too. You can get there by taking  taking the funicular and the cable car up to the castle.  The views are great.  You can also climb or for those less fit take the lift to the top of the middle tower just next to the port shopping complex and nip over to Barcelonetta for a day on the beach and great sea food . 
 
If there's one thing you shouldn't miss its Gaudi.  If the weathers fine (and we have been in January when it was) visit Parc Guell using the tube or the bus.  The entrance has two great Hansel and Gretel houses.  There's a snack bar, great gardens and wonderful Gaudi creations.  The Casa Batllo is worth the entrance fee and walkable from the Ramblas.  The Pedera only ten minutes away has a wonderful roof where you can sip champagne and listen to music. Get a guidebook and check out other Gaudi buildings.  Whatever you do go to see the Sagrada Familia for a truly wacky building with a metro station of it's own.  This great creation still isn't finished and is worth visiting every time you come to see what's new.  There is also so much to look at that one visit just isn't enough. Climbing to the top of the Sagrada also gives wonderful views.
You can buy books of tourist tickets which give reductions on entry to the most famous landmarks including the towers, the funicular etc.
 
A word of caution about the Ramblas.  Visiting is a must and people watching and looking at the mainly tacky tourist shops are great.  Mime artists and street artists abound.  Those interested in gardening or those with children will enjoy the bird and flower markets.  Do mind your belongings and do be prepared to be approached by people wanting to serenade you or make a caricature of you.  For grumpy people who want to eat their breakfast in peace this is not the place.  Oh and the food can be overpriced. Unless your ability to point, gesticulate and mime is really poor (forget this if you speak Spanish or Catalan) then try not to eat anywhere that has a picture of the food! - Jaqui S - UK

We happily indulged in everything Gaudi , and found the bar/eating place
where the artists hung out - the 4GATS , terrific atmosphere , and a super place to eat in the evening.
Our favourite Tapas bar was Que,Que/s on Passeig de Gracia ,sit at the bar sample everything ,and people watch - the staff are great too .One tip , if you plan to visit the Palau de la Musica Catalana , be sure to
book in advance - we missed out by trying to turn up on the day we wanted to visit .
Best wishes , Alice & John - UK

Some of our favorite things in Barcelona were the Boqueria Market right on Las Ramblas, full of brilliant fruits and vegetables and shiny seafood, and the PALAU de la MUSICA building--we couldn't stop gawking. It is a real eyefull of dazzling architecture, unbelievably complex. Everywhere we looked was another mosaic, huge porcelain rose or gorgeous piece of stained glass--it is a masterpiece of period art. We also found a visit to La Sagrada Familia to be enlightening--every picture we had ever seen failed to reveal the extraordinary detail and cratsmanship only clear on first-hand viewing. Barcelona is a real treasure.
- Pat G, Santa Fe, New Mexico

CHOCOLATE AT SAMPAKA COCOA - Just walking near the Ramblas de Catalunya, we discovered a wonderful place for lunch with a large rubber tree and glass ceiling. It was a charming chocolate shop and they served us a 3 course menu for lunch which was almost entirely made of chocolate! It's called Sampaka Cocoa and we heartily recommend their signature salad with mustard sauce and the jasmine tea chocolate drink. RM and JOE - CANADA

TOP OF THE CATHEDRAL - While I was in the Cathedral of Barcelona, I saw a lift and it took us to the towers with a turret and winding stone steps. The view from inside the cone of the top tower was stunning. The cloisters and the old quarter lay underneath. We went again in the morning early, but it was closed. I'm unsure the hours that the lift is open. - PT - USA

DRASSANES MUSEUM - This was a truly surprising adventure in the Maritime Museum of Barcelona. We were awed by the galleys -there is a life-sized one possibly over 150 metres long and easily 30 metres high. I'd never seen anything like it - BRAD J. - Brighton, UK

TAKE A BIKE RIDE THROUGH THE PARK (CIUTADELLA) ON A SUNDAY (with GREEK RESTAURANT) - Per Eric's suggestion, we went through the main city park with bicycles and then cycled the route through to the ocean boardwalk. Barcelona by bicycle is even more enchanting than by foot. The park is filled on Sundays with rastas selling marijuana baked goods and spontaneous drumming and percussion circles of up to 50 players at a time. Others are practicing an acrobatic jumping dance and in June, when we were there, the shade of the trees is much appreciated. A quick stop at the greenhouse cafe where full sized trees are clustered between the tables, and we were off again for the afternoon. Thanks for the great suggestion! CAROL C. - Boston, MA

THE LOOKOUT

- We've taken a taxi (too expensive!) to the HOTEL FLORIDA and have had afternoon drinks on one of the Mount Tibidabo cafés that overlook the city. This is my 5th time to Barcelona, and I had never seen the city from this perspective. The cable car to the top is also a big plus. JR and TF - Leeds, UK

THE CASTELLERS - I was walking through Sitges and noticed a crowd so I went over to a dead end street and found these people dressed in white with gray sashses - they were making these incredibly tall human pyramids. I don't speak Spanish or Catalan, but it seemed like they were having a competition. They were stacked at least 5 or 6 rows high. What are they doing and what is this called? Francine M - Santa Fe, NM