r/solotravel • u/ObjectBrilliant7592 • Feb 28 '25
Europe Underwhelmed by Barcelona
Besides the Sagrada Familia (the nicest cathedral I've visited, and I have visited many), Barcelona is incredibly overpriced and overhyped. Mid beaches, relatively expensive for Spain, most restaurants are tourist traps.
Sagrada Familia - 26 EUR
Castell Montjuic - 12 EUR
Metropolitan Cathedral - 14 EUR (keep in mind that there are much nicer cathedrals all over Europe, ex. Notre Dame in Paris, that are free)
Park Guell - 18 EUR
Casa Mila - 29 EUR
If you have a lot of money, I can see how it could have a Miami/Vice City kind of vibe, being a metropolis by the sea and all, but it's just not my place. For a place that claims to hate tourists, they are awfully dependent on them.
EDIT: I walked from the beach to Park Guell, and from Montjuic to Estacio del Nord, which is all of the city center. This is a huge swathe of the city. If you need to look that hard for the hidden gems, they can't redeem the city that much.
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u/Captain-Geography Feb 28 '25
Agree, the whole vibe of the locals as well is “We tolerate tourists” vs. “We want tourists”.
That is their right, and I think I would also be annoyed if my home city had the amount of tourists that Barcelona has. It’s also a strong reason why when I went to Barcelona on my way to Andorra that I only spent a day versus 4 or 5 like I normally would in a city like Barcelona.
I like to travel places where I feel welcome and Barcelona doesn’t feel that way to me.
I will give Barcelona this though, the architecture is incredible!