How To Maximize Your Barcelona Visit

With El Clasico headed to Madrid in the second half of the LALIGA season and Messimania now centered in Miami, some fans may be looking beyond a trip to Barcelona until next season. However, Barcelona is well worth a visit – for tourism and soccer – at any time of year. Spain’s second biggest city is full of stunning tourist attractions, delicious food and soccer, but if you are looking to maximize your experience there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Walk To The Stadium

Barcelona is a big city, but it is very pedestrian friendly, and while you don’t have to walk from your front door all the way to the stadium, nothing beats soaking in the atmosphere that takes over the city on game day. Because the Camp Nou is currently being refurbished, FC Barcelona is playing at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc Lluís Companys up on Montjuïc, a nearly 600 foot hill that hugs the city’s southeastern coastline. Your walk to the stadium will lead you up the hill to the site where the 1992 Olympic games were held.

If you do take the metro – lines 2 and 3 – the best stop to get off at is Plaça Espanya. Once above ground, walk up the impressive Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina towards the Font Magic (Magic Fountain) and the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (Museum of National Art of Catalonia). At this point streams of fans clad in blue and red will be walking by you, so follow the crowd up the side of the mountain – use the escalators to speed your ascent – to the Olympic stadium. On the way up, don’t forget to look back once in a while and take in the views of the city as you rise higher and higher. On a clear day you should be able to see most of the city and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus atop Mount Tibidabo on the opposite side of the city.

The alternate path is to walk up the side of the hill directly behind the Poble Sec neighborhood. Poble Sec is easily accessible from the old city and has a lively bar scene. Depending on kickoff time, you may want to stop at Carrer de Blai on the way to or from the game, for some classic “pintxos” (bread with protein on top) and a drink. The street is great for a pre or post-match discussion, or a few drinks with friends after a nervy encounter.

If you want to make a day of Montjuïc before the match begins be sure to check out one of the many gardens and parks on the hill where you will find people chatting, eating and drinking. The Mirador de l’Alcalde and the Parc del Mirador de Poble Sec are great spots to get views of the city. On the highest point of the hill you will find a 17th-century castle with a military museum inside. And once you are ready to head back into the city remember that if you are tired of walking you can always take the Port Cable Car down to Port Vell and head back into the Gothic Quarter from there.

2. Go To The Barça Museum

The Spotify Camp Nou may be under construction until 2026, but the Barca hierarchy spent 10 million euros to build a temporary museum next door so that fans can continue to get an authentic FC Barcelona experience. For just 28 euros fans can enter the museum with an audio guide which explains all the high points of FC Barcelona’s sporting history. Remember, Barca is more than just the men’s team, the club has won plenty of trophies in handball, futsal, basketball and women’s soccer.

Along the way fans will see some of the club’s greatest jersey’s on display, the trophy collection and dedicated areas – with videos – discussing La Masia and Lionel Messi. There is also a space to stop and look at the remodeling of the Spotify Camp Nou.

For a little extra – 49 euros – fans will get the aforementioned experience plus a digital photo of their visit, entrance into the Barca Virtual Dream, where they can experience the Camp Nou through the magic of virtual reality and direct access to the Barca Store, where jersey’s can be purchased and customized.

3. Double up on Games

While you’re in Barcelona don’t forget that there are more teams to watch than just FC Barcelona. On any given weekend there could be four or five top quality professional games, not to mention youth academy matches. So soak in as much soccer as your heart desires.

If you’re visiting Barcelona to take in the tiki-taka Barca style, look no further than the Barca Femeni team. Barca’s women are the reigning Liga F and Women’s Champions League champions. Moreover, the bulk of the team was the core of Spain’s world conquering team. For as little as 20 euros and you get to see reigning Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, former Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and 2023 World Cup Young Player of the tournament Salma Paralluelo. Also, because the women’s team play at the club headquarters, you will be able to see La Masia and the training center where the stars practice on a daily basis.

If you are looking for something other than the Barca experience, look to the edge of the city and LALIGA Hypermotion battlers RCD Espanyol. Overshadowed by city rivals FC Barcelona, Espanyol is a club with great tradition. Los Pericos (The Parakeets) made the UEFA Cup final twice – 1988 and 2009 – and have won the Copa del Rey on four occasions. Currently fighting in the second division the club is an enjoyable underdog to root for. Espanyol’s state-of-the-art Stage Front Stadium is accessible in twenty minutes from the city center by metro, tram and light rail. Without breaking the bank, fans can have a great matchday experience at Barcelona’s underdog club.

If you’re looking for a more local experience, make your way up to the northwestern part of the city between the neighborhood of Gracia and Gaudi’s famous Parc Güell. There you will find the small neighborhood club, CE Europa. The club’s Nou Sardenya Municipal Stadium is surrounded by local apartment buildings and shops and provides a very authentic lower league experience. Famously, this is the place where in 2007-08 Pep Guardiola won the Tercera Division with his Barça B team, a side containing the likes of Pedro and Sergio Busquets.

Finally, while Barcelona is a beautiful city with lots of soccer and culture on offer, if you are staying for more than a few days then a day trip to Girona is in order. Just thirty minutes north by train, Girona is a charming city on the Onyar River, famous for having been the location for several seasons of Game of Thrones. Girona is uniquely Catalan and has beautiful winding streets, medieval walls that remain walkable, a stunning cathedral and a red-iron bridge made by Gustave Eiffel, the same man who designed Paris’s Eiffel Tower.

Girona also boasts several Michelin star restaurants and a soccer club that is in first place in LALIGA at the time of writing. The club is defying all expectations and is setting LALIGA alight, having scored more goals than any other club this season. If you love exciting soccer and a great meal afterwards, a trip to the Estadi Montilivi to watch plucky Girona CF is a must.

4. Try The Vermouth

Barcelona is a great place to expand your palate and try new foods and drinks. Pa amb tomàquet, canelones and pa amb xocolata oli i sal are all great foods to try anytime of year, but make sure you don’t leave Barcelona without sipping on some vermouth.

For non-Spaniards vermouth is a key ingredient in cocktails like a manhattan, but not something to be drunk on its own. However, Vermouth in Barcelona, Madrid and much of Spain is a drink that is sipped on, typically on a Sunday morning before lunch. Depending on the brand, the fortified wine has a different combination of herbs, spices, seeds and flowers that help give it flavor and color. Like most wines, vermouth can be red, white or rosé and can be sweet or dry. The best vermouth tends to be “Vermut de barril” or “Vermut de la casa,” both terms meaning homemade. So when you are in a bar in Barcelona ask for the vermouth, and enjoy it leisurely. And if you really love it there are plenty of bars in town and vineyards in the countryside offering tastings.

5. Enjoy the Neighborhoods

Even if you are on a quick weekend trip to Barcelona for a soccer game, try to take some time to see one of the more authentic neighborhoods in the city. While the Gothic Quarter and the Sagrada Familia rightfully attract tourists, a stroll through Gracia, Poble Sec or el Born is a nice escape from the mayhem.

Each of these neighborhoods has its own charm and feels like a village within a larger city. All three are walkable and easy to reach from the center of the city, and have great plazas and streets where you can sit and have a drink, some food and a chat with your friend about the upcoming game or the one just passed.

Also, if you’re going to Barcelona without a ticket to a game, but want to watch a match in an authentic Barça environment, head to the Les Corts neighborhood. This the area where the Spotify Camp Nou is located, and although it is under construction this is still the neighborhood where locals watch games. So stroll on into the local bar, watch the game and try to make some friends.