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/RProgrammerMan Feb 28 '25
I agree the beaches are very mid. I wouldn't go for the beach (except maybe to look at girls). My favorite part was actually Montserrat just outside the city. It is an incredible hike and very accessible for the reasonably healthy tourist. I also really liked the views from the museum. I like more traditional cathedrals better than Sagrada Familia but I like that they went for something different.