by Paul Heney
Last updated: 10:00 PM ET, Mon April 30, 2018
Barcelona, with its culture of design, is a natural spot for LGBTQ tourists. Throw in some amazing new and old architecture, great food, a stunning beach and great weather nearly year-round, and it's hard to believe that the gays haven't completely taken over this entire city yet.
I was amazed by a lot here-the wide boulevards, the aforementioned architecture, the people, the clean and efficient metro-but BarcelonaTurisme also wowed me.
The helpful staff there puts out a wide variety of free maps and books, including ones geared toward food and wine experiences, regional attractions, restaurants, the beach, LGBTQ travelers, landmarks designed by favorite son Gaudi, shopping, and even unique stores. They publish free apps for restaurants and metro walks, too. There are also nine local tourism offices offering guides, maps, tickets and advice, in the airport, the cruise terminal, and scattered around the main parts of the city.
My partner and I recently visited the city for the first time, and here are five great things we came home talking about to our friends.
1. Stunning architecture
You simply can't come to Barcelona without stopping at the glorious Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's as-yet-unfinished masterpiece. While it's stunning from the outside, the interior is somehow even more beautiful. Pay the extra fee to ride up into one of the towers for an unforgettable view of Barcelona.
Take a stroll down the Passeig de Gràcia, too, to see more examples of Gaudí's work, as well as other notable architects, like Cadafalch, Montaner, and Casanovas. The so-called Block of Discord contains three very different and distinct buildings that each tries to garner your attention.
And modern architecture fans will be pleased, too, with the interesting Agbar Tower by Jean Nouvel, a telecommunication tower by Sir Norman Foster, and works by Richard Meier, Santiago Calatrava, and Herzog and de Meuron.
2. Eixample
Barcelona's gay quarter, Eixample, is sometimes referred to as Gay-xiample, due to its density of queer-friendly bars, restaurants, and even hotels. Yes, the district boasts both the Axel Hotel Barcelona and TWO Hotel Barcelona by Axel, both part of the Axel chain of gay owned, "hetero-friendly hotels."
You'll find everything, starting with lots of bars, including Bar Átame, Punto BCN, Night Barcelona, and Boys Bar BCN. There are some fun clothing stores, as well, like Addicted and Nit. And if you're looking for something a bit wilder, venture into one of the cruising spots like the amusingly named Boyberry, which has DVDs for sale up front and rooms in the back where who-knows-what happens.
3. Park Guell
In the hills north of the central city, you'll find Park Guell, which was built from 1900-1914 as an urban neighborhood development. The developer hired brilliant modernist architect Antoni Gaudí to design it. The idea went bust, but not before Gaudí had completed several homes, a beautiful multi-level open terrace, a fascinating columned room, and a wonderfully adorned grand staircase that everyone stops on to take selfies.
4. The hop-on/hop-off bus
You can say it's overly touristy, but we loved the Barcelona BusTurístic, one of the hop-on/hop-off bus. It made getting to know the sprawling city environs easy, with three intersecting loops-one to the north, one to the south, and one focused on the coastline. We used it as a transportation aid, getting from one area to the next, but we also rode large portions of the loops, as a simple tourist overview. Plug the provided headphones in at your seat, pick your language, and you'll hear highlights of what you're passing, as well as background on important sights, museums and buildings.
5. La Ramblas
Before I left, a friend messaged me to make sure to "get lost off La Ramblas" and I was intrigued. La Ramblas is one of the city's most famous streets-it's actually a pedestrian mall, blocked off from traffic except at the edges. It's lined with beautiful trees, exquisitely adorned buildings, restaurants and shops, street performers, dessert shops, coffee bars, and more.
The street is packed with both tourists and locals any time of the day or night, and just wandering its length and back is well worthwhile. We stumbled off it our first night into the glorious Plaza Reial, which is so unbelievably picturesque, you'd swear it was a movie set. The Plaza is lined with restaurants and eating al fresco here is a memorable experience.
Also, make time to check out the lovely farmers market just off La Ramblas, Mercat de la Boqueria-it may be Barcelona's nicest!
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