Hola!
Barcelona is known worldwide and one of the most visited cities in Europe. It is a vibrant and modern city with colorful art which will appeal to both children and adults. Art works from Gaudi can of course be seen all over the city, but the Museum of Picasso is also something children will enjoy to visit. Barcelona also has very nice little shops with the most modern clothes and accessories and a lot of stores from local creator brands.
Tapas bars and restaurants can be found on almost every street and it is very convenient to order tapas with children as they can taste different things in small portions. Even when seated on a terrace, children will often be captivated by street performers, capoeira dancers or musicians.
The Boqueria market just off the Ramblas has colorful stands with ice-cream, fruit and shakes that will make the entire family’s mouth water.
And of course, if they need to run and get rid of some extra energy, the beach is always close by!
We have been to Barcelona with our children twice and it has something for every age group. Each time we came back loving Barcelona a little bit more! 😊
Barcelona must-sees
Sagrada Familia. We went to visit the Sagrada Familia with our children when they were still quite small. Our eldest child took his time to listen to the audio guide, but the little one was a bit too small for that. They both liked the visit and were captivated by the pillars that were shaped like a tree. There was a big line outside to get into the Sagrada Familia but we didn’t queue as we had bought our tickets with the chosen time slot in advance on the internet. In front of the Sagrada Familia is a small park with a very nice playground. Our children played there until it was our time to get in, and I must say, this must have been the playground with the most beautiful view ever!
Picasso Museum
In the Born area of Barcelona on a nice little street is the Picasso Museum. We liked this museum a lot and it is very accessible with children because they can discuss the drawings with you. Some paintings look alike and our children liked to look at the differences.
Park Güell
Park Güell is of course one of Barcelona’s most famous must-sees and can get very busy on some days, but still, it is a park and therefore easy to visit with children as they will be able to run around a bit. They liked sitting on the mosaic bench and we all enjoyed the view over the city.
Barcelona especially with kids
The Barcelona Aquarium is quite big and since we don’t have one where we live, our children liked to go there. On another day we also went to the Zoo in the Parc de la Ciutadella, which was also nice.
On the Plaça Reial, which has beautiful architecture and street lights designed by Gaudi, street performers can often be found. We have sat there on both our visits to watch the impressive Capoeira dancers perform.
The first time we went to Barcelona, we took a private guided tour by foot with the company ‘Brood en Tomaat’. We took this company because the nice lady spoke my mother tongue language but all the tours are available in English. We decided on a private tour since our children were still very small and we wouldn’t want to hold anyone up and allow our children to ask a bunch of questions. The tour guide was very nice to our children and she adapted her stories to their interests. She took us to the Ramblas, and mainly to the old part of Barcelona which also still has some interesting old Roman ruins. We have learned a great deal about the city and its history! They now also have a special tour for children, and they also offer guided bicycle tours. Have a look at their website: https://www.broodentomaat.com/english/tours.
FC Barcelona
Do you have little soccer fans? The Camp Nou stadium can be visited all year round. We took our children to a FC Barcelona soccer game and the atmosphere at the stadium was great! It was a very special experience to them.
Food
We love eating out in Barcelona. The terraces often have heaters in spring which makes it easy to enjoy sitting outside even in the evening.
We also like to grab some nice food in the Boqueria market which is right on the Ramblas and walk down to the beach to eat it there while the kids play in the sand. In the Boqueria market you can buy all kinds of packs with sausages, local cheese, fruit and so on.
We have been lucky to visit Barcelona with friends originally from there, and they had us taste a Calçotada. Calçotada is eaten early spring, March or April, and traditionally eaten outside (like in the woods). The calçots (sort of spring onion, looks like leek) are heated up on a grill, pulled out of the outer layer and then dipped in a delicious sauce called Romesco. Of course, in Barcelona we didn’t eat it in the woods but in a restaurant and since it can sometimes get a bit messy, they will often offer you a bib. If you have the chance to go to Barcelona in spring and you see calçots on the menu, you should definitely try it!
Where to stay
We liked staying in the Born area of Barcelona because it has nice car free streets and so you can walk around in the evening without too much stress with little ones. The area also has loads of restaurants so really no need to go far in the evening for dinner.
The hotel we stayed in is on a nice street and has bigger rooms (for families) in another building close by. The advantage of the hotel is the location. You just walk outside and have breakfast on a terrace in front of a beautiful cathedral. It would be perfect either with smaller kids that can share the room with you, or with bigger kids that would have their own room. To check out the hotel, click here.
For a recommendation on apartments in the same Born area of Barcelona, click here.
Or here.
Would you like to cook a typical dish from this region of Spain to get in the mood for your trip? Then have a look at this recipe:
