May 2026
My sister Janell and I spent 8 days in Barcelona Spain at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel that’s located next to the Convention Center and the marina, and across the street from the Diagonal Mar mall. Views from the hotel’s executive lounge are of the Mediterranean Sea.
We spent a day riding the sightseeing hop on/off bus tour that had 2 routes. The green line went past a couple of attractions but spent most of the time along the beachside. The orange line had more of the city’s attractions, such as the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, the Passeig de Gràcia (home to high-end shopping), and Park Güell (park with panoramic views of the city).
After riding on a tour bus, our mode of transportation for the remainder of our stay was by the Metro train station. There was a Metro station a few blocks from our hotel. On our first trip on the Metro we visited the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, which is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world (still under construction today). Because this is the most sought after attraction in the city, we weren’t able to get tickets to tour the inside (next available time slot was a month out). However, just seeing the outside was pleasing enough.
On another day we spent time in the Gothic Quarter, the medieval heart of the city known for its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. It’s also home to the historic Barcelona Cathedral that is over 700 years old (construction started May 1298). This cathedral is beautiful inside and out. There were also several other gothic-type buildings in the area worth seeing.
One of the other must see attractions in the city is the Sant Pau Art Nouveau; also known as a city inside of the city. This site house 12 pavilions that formerly operated as a hospital for more than 80 years. After all hospital activities were transferred to a newly built hospital, the buildings were restored and later declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. We were able to tour the grounds and inside some of the buildings (work continues on the buildings). To see this site in person is simply breathtaking; pictures do not do it justice.
Barcelona, with its sandy beaches, regularly ranks among the most-visited cities in Europe.
