For the Easter long weekend, we spent 4 days in Barcelona as a family. Ticoeur and Titpuce are now teenagers, so the programme was different from the last time when they were young children. I’m going to tell you about our visits and walks day by day, to inspire you, and I’ll also tell you what our teenagers liked most in Barcelona! I can already tell you that we still love this city just as much!
Children’s ages: Titpuce 14 and Ticoeur 16 Time of year: Early April. We had dream weather!
Barcelona as a family: 4 days and 3 nights
You’ll notice that we zigzagged around the city a lot. Our journeys in Barcelona were not optimised because we had booked certain visits at specific times that didn’t follow on from one another. In fact, to make the most of all Barcelona’s bargains and free museums, you have to juggle the days and times. Read my article: Visiting Barcelona without breaking the bank.
As usual, I’ve added little ❤ symbols for our favourites!
Day 1: the Gothic Quarter, Sant Pau and Montjuïc
We arrived in Barcelona just before midday. We dropped our bags at our accommodation, in the Les Corts district, and started with tapas on a terrace in a very pretty square in the neighbourhood (see good addresses below).
After lunch, we got straight into things by taking the metro to the Gothic Quarter. The Gothic Quarter is the historic heart of Barcelona. Starting from La Rambla (the main central artery), we passed the famous Boqueria market, then headed towards the lovely Plaça Reial ❤ with its arcades and palm trees. I’m attached to this square, where we took lots of photos of the children when they were little. We recreated the series now that they’re bigger! Then we wandered through the little streets around the Cathedral. As it was Good Friday, there was a mass taking place right outside! It was unusual to have the service in the square rather than inside!
To enjoy the barrio gótico, you just have to wander randomly through the little streets. You come across Roman remains along the way. Not far from the cathedral, don’t miss Plaça Santa Maria del Pi, Plaça del Rei, Plaça de Sant Lu and Plaça de Sant Felip Neri with its fountain. The streets of the Gothic Quarter are picturesque and full of charm.
The Pont del Bisbe ❤, in neo-Gothic style, is particularly elegant. It was built by Joan Rubió, a disciple of Gaudí:
Still in Barcelona’s historic centre, we visited the Palau de la Música Catalana, a superb Modernist building by the architect Domènech i Montaner. Ticoeur and Titpuce really liked it. For us parents, it was already our second visit to this magnificent concert hall, listed by UNESCO. The auditorium is impressive. We sat there and enjoyed the sound of the organ, which some tour guides switch on. Then you mustn’t miss the balcony with its flowery, colourful columns.
Another way to visit the Palau de la Música ❤ is to attend a concert in the evening or afternoon. Sadly, there was nothing that tempted us during our stay, but keep the idea in mind. That way, you can kill two birds with one stone and visit the palace while attending a performance.
As we had the combined ticket for the Palau de la Música and Hospital Sant Pau ❤, we took the metro towards this former hospital, also a Modernist work by Domènech i Montaner. It was the first time we had visited it. The children liked it less than the Palau de la Música, but we parents found it very interesting: you see the design of the wards, the ingenuity of the tunnels, the beautiful architecture of the buildings, the beauty of the inner garden and the originality of the fully glazed operating theatre! This site is also listed by UNESCO.
From the hospital, you can already see the Sagrada Família. When we came out, we chose to continue uphill, climbing to the Bunkers del Carmel ❤, which offer a panoramic view over Barcelona. It takes about 30 minutes on foot from the hospital, and it’s uphill! Very beautiful views, and what an atmosphere at the top! Lots of young locals and tourists! Very nice, except that we felt a little old compared with the “L’Auberge Espagnole” spirit!
Then we took the metro again, heading for the hill of Montjuïc (metro: Plaça d’Espanya). There, we watched the fountain show (free), which takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in the warmer months. I give all the details in my article on Visiting Barcelona without breaking the bank.
Just a stone’s throw from Montjuïc is the Poble Sec neighbourhood, which is full of little tapas bars (see good addresses). So we stopped there for dinner at Spanish time before taking the metro back home.
Day 2: In Gaudí’s footsteps, the Sagrada Família, a walk in Gràcia and Montjuïc
After buying a flauta (mini baguette) with Iberian ham from the bakery, we took the metro from Les Corts to the Eixample district (metro: Catalunya). We walked up the famous Passeig de Gràcia, where many emblematic Modernist buildings are located. In particular, we passed Casa Amatller (by Puig i Cadafalch) and Casa Batlló ❤ (by Gaudí) before turning right towards the Sagrada Família, where we had booked our tickets for 11am (warning: tickets need to be bought about a month in advance!).
We visit the Sagrada Família ❤ every time we come to Barcelona, and we fall under its spell each time! This church is incredible! Gaudí’s madness in all its splendour! It has now even become the tallest church in the world! Our teenagers were very impressed too, especially by the interior, which is dizzying and transports you into an imaginary world. We spent two hours on this visit (with an audio guide to download).
Afterwards, we had lunch, then wandered through a neighbourhood I really like: the Gràcia district ❤. This neighbourhood is lively, with lots of little shops on Travessera de Gràcia and very pretty squares. I get the impression that few tourists go there. In any case, it has a very local and pleasant atmosphere. Among the charming squares in the district, don’t miss Plaça de la Virreina, Plaça del Sol, Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia and Plaça del Diamant.
Still in the Gràcia district, you mustn’t miss the magnificent Casa Vicens by Gaudí! We only admired it from the outside (to limit the number of paid visits), but it can be visited.
Then we took the metro again towards Montjuïc, where we had booked free places to visit the MNAC, the National Art Museum of Catalonia (it’s free every Saturday from 3pm – once again, see my article on Barcelona’s money-saving tips). Looking back, we should have watched the fountain show on Saturday evening so we didn’t have to go to Montjuïc twice! I’ll let you optimise! In any case, the museum is worth it for its painting collection in the “Modern Art” section, for the building itself and for the view from the rooftops! We went back to Les Corts and had dinner in the pretty square in the neighbourhood (Plaça de la Concordia).
Day 3: museums in the old town, a walk along the beaches, El Born
In the morning, we had two free visits booked in the historic quarter. First of all, the Picasso Museum, which is located in a beautiful medieval building in the El Born district. The collection is interesting, even if I prefer the Picasso Museum in Paris and Málaga. I especially liked the paintings from his Blue Period, although it’s quite a small section. Nevertheless, the visit is worth it, especially if, like us, you managed to get the free tickets for the first Sunday of the month (once again, everything is explained in my article on Barcelona’s money-saving tips). The children liked coming across a few works by Miró (we had visited the Miró Museum last time, so this time we chose Picasso!).
The Picasso Museum made us want to go past Café 4 Gats, where the painter designed the menu and used to go often with his artist friends. Sadly, the café was closed so early in the morning. We’ll have a drink there another time!
Then we headed to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar ❤, which isn’t far away, and whose interior is magnificent! On Sunday mornings, you can go in for free. We had already visited it before. It’s a 14th-century basilica, impressive for its height and harmonious architecture.
We followed that with a walk around the magnificent ❤ cloister of La Seu Cathedral. Coming out not far away, there is the mural The Kiss.
Then, still in the centre, in El Raval (just east of La Rambla), we visited Palau Güell ❤, a building by Gaudí (we got the free tickets for the first Sunday of the month). The audio-guided visit is very interesting. We love Art Nouveau and the Modernist movement, so we parents enjoyed it. The lounge is impressive. The children preferred the cheerful colours of the Palau de la Música. It’s true that Palau Güell has a more austere style, but it is a marvel and there are lots of original details in the rich interior decoration. Worth seeing!
For lunch, we settled down on Plaça del Traginers ❤, my favourite square in the El Born district ❤! (See addresses below.) We wandered aimlessly through the streets of El Born (such as Calle de Corders) to soak up the atmosphere of old Barcelona.
Then we followed it with a long walk along the seafront. We walked from Barceloneta beach to the Poblenou district. We don’t really understand the enthusiasm for Poblenou, apart from the fact that we found very good ice cream there for the children. La Rambla de Poblenou doesn’t have the charm of the historic quarter, and the street art disappointed us. We would rather recommend not walking quite so far along the seafront promenade, and turning back when you feel like it! 
On the way back, we crossed Parc de la Ciutadella, where again we have memories of Ticoeur and Titpuce when they were little. We walked as far as the Arc de Triomf. Then we returned to the Gothic Quarter and the El Born district, which we love so much.
Day 4: the Modernisme Route, El Born, El Raval
On the last day, we took the metro to the Eixample district (like on Saturday!) to finish our walk past the Modernisme buildings. On Plaça Catalunya, we picked up the Ruta del Modernisme map from the tourist office. Clearly, there are too many buildings to see! We passed, among others, La Pedrera (Casa Milà) by Gaudí, saw Gaudí’s other buildings again, and so many others! It was really just a stroll!
We decided to walk back down into the centre. We had a look around the El Raval district, around the Museum of Contemporary Art, but ended up heading back to El Born and the Gothic Quarter to finish our stay in Barcelona in our favourite neighbourhoods, enjoying our last tapas accompanied, for the parents, by a little glass of vermouth, like the locals!
At 3pm, we took the metro towards the airport.
***
Barcelona with teenagers:
What did Ticoeur and Titpuce like?
We asked the children, and here were their answers:
- The Sagrada Família: my Titpuce even took 47 photos just of the stained-glass windows!
- The Palau de la Música: a short visit and visually impressive! It’s a good format for children 🙂
- The tapas bars, especially the pintxos bar (see addresses below).
Barcelona with teenagers vs. with young children
For us parents, visiting Barcelona with teenagers was different in terms of organisation from back when they were little:
- We walked a lot more this time! About 20 km a day! Ticoeur and Titpuce are now big walkers, so that allows for long strolls to discover the city. We had taken the metro more often when they were little, and walked shorter distances.
- Interest in art: it’s nice now to be able to talk together about the works of art we saw, especially as they know some of these artists. In the family, it’s mainly Titpuce who likes art, and she had even created two works inspired by Picasso in art class.
- No more naps: the last time, Titpuce was only 5, so we arranged breaks back at the flat. We had stayed 5 days in Barcelona, but the programme was lighter (which is good too, just different).
- More meals out: when they were little, we had favoured meals at the flat so we could eat early and not tire the children. We often bought takeaway tapas. Now, Ticoeur and Titpuce liked Barcelona’s café and restaurant terraces just as much as we did!
Read again my article on our 5 days in Barcelona with young children.
***
Our favourite addresses in Barcelona:
In the historic centre:
- Vermuteria Santa Catarina: a little bar specialising in vermouth, with cheap, very good homemade tapas. Very pleasant welcome and a typical setting.
- Babel: a little tapas bar on the square I love so much in El Born (Plaça del Traginers). Very friendly welcome, simple, inexpensive and good tapas. House vermouth.
- Meson del Café: an old café in the centre of Barcelona, very tiny, with a very friendly welcome
- The café at the Palau de la Música: a good place to relax on the pleasant shaded terrace of this beautiful palace. While there, you can admire the Art Deco style of the bar inside.
- La Colmena: a very good old-fashioned bakery opposite Jaume I metro.
In Poble Sec:
Poble Sec is right next to Montjuïc, so it’s handy for eating before/after a visit to the MNAC or before/after the fountain show.
- La Tasqueta de Blai: a pintxos bar (these are mini tapas placed on a slice of bread and held with little picks – originally Basque). The children love this fun concept: the pintxos are self-service and you pay at the end by counting the picks. This bar was frequented by locals, and we got a table quickly despite the crowd.
- Taps: good, inexpensive tapas, but be warned: there is a queue at peak times because it is really very close to the Montjuïc fountains.
In Les Corts:
I’m giving these addresses in case you’re also staying in this district, but otherwise don’t go out of your way because there is really nothing to see, and there are plenty of good addresses in Barcelona. But just in case, the pretty square in the district is Plaça de la Concordia. There are several tapas bars. We tried:
- Rabbar: a lovely terrace for this unpretentious little bar, very lively.
- Osteria Sant Lluís: huge favourite for this seafood tapas bar! The Catalan oysters are excellent and inexpensive! Ticoeur and Titpuce had other shellfish, calamari and little fried fish. Papa Voyage and I love oysters, so we had a feast, at an unbeatable price, with a little glass of cava to go with it all!
In Poblenou:
If by chance you go to Poblenou, the children recommend Mama Heladeria for its ice creams with very original flavours!
***
Where to stay in Barcelona?
In the lovely districts of Eixample and Gràcia:
Eixample is the chic district, located north of the historic centre. Many of Gaudí’s houses are there, and the Sagrada Família is not far away. From there, you can walk to the Gothic Quarter or take the metro in all directions.
In Eixample, I spotted the Zoorooms Boutique Guesthouse, which has small family rooms that are a bit cheaper than elsewhere, with tasteful décor and a very good location. For larger families, there is also this large flat for 5 or 6 people, spacious and well located. It’s a good option if you are travelling as an extended family with grandparents, because it allows you to share the accommodation budget.
The Gràcia district borders Eixample. I really like its local and pleasant atmosphere. So it is also a very good choice if you find something there.
In the Poble Sec district:
We had dinner two evenings in this popular district and found that it was a nice place to find very local tapas bars. What’s more, it isn’t far from Montjuïc and the Poble Sec metro station makes it easy to get back to the centre.
In the centre?
Yes, why not stay in the Gothic Quarter or in El Born, but these districts are very popular and there are lots of tourists. Since Barcelona is already very expensive, I think finding accommodation in the centre must be quite a challenge! In the past, it was affordable and we stayed near Jaume I metro station, which is very convenient.
In the Les Corts district:
That’s where we found our HomeExchange. The district itself is of no real interest and I wouldn’t have thought of staying there. There is nothing to see apart from Camp Nou football stadium (which doesn’t interest us). The blocks of flats can give a bad impression, but in the end it’s quiet and practical. From Les Corts metro station, it was easy to reach central Barcelona or Montjuïc in 20 minutes. I can give you the reference for our HomeExchange if you contact me by email. The flat was bright and comfortable!
***
And you? Are you planning to visit Barcelona with your teenagers or children soon?