Barcelona is the capital city of the region of Catalonia and Spain’s second-largest city. Located in the southeast of Spain not too far from the french border, this historic city has much to offer especially for a photographer like myself. After hearing such a buzz I had to experience this trip for myself (even though I had been before as a child). It’s a must-trip for anyone who loves to experience different cultures and take in great architecture not to mention the weather if you visit at the right time of year.
Places to stay…..
With flights, you can pick up a return flight from London for between £20-£45. My flight checked in at £18 which is outrageous for Barcelona. Accommodation is where you will feel your bank account take a hit. If you are not too fussed about standards you can find a local hostel for around €25-€40 a night. I stayed in a small cheap hotel. As it was only a bed to sleep in for a couple of nights, I was looking for one in the heart of Barcelona. I was able to locate one on a small side street just off La Rambla at €41 a night for a twin room. All together for the whole trip I spent £72 for my flights, accommodation and travel to and from the hotel. That’s not bad for cheap little city break
Travel
For the three days I was there I only used public transport on my way to and from the airport. The rest of the time was all on foot. Barcelona is not a massive city so getting around on foot is very easy to do. This way you can also take in every little thing Barcelona has to offer. Apps like CityMapper are your best friend when it comes to city breaks and will help you from ending up lost. That being said, I did find the Metro very simple and easy to use. You can use your debit/credit card using the contactless method to simply “tap in” at the gates.
Attractions
Barcelona has plenty of attractions for you to visit. A lot of them are located within walking distance from each other and you will find more hidden gems on foot, which is a bonus for Photographers.
- La Rambla. (Las Ramblas)
This famous area in the heart of Barcelona is a boulevard that goes through the Old City, dividing the Gothic area and El Raval.North of La Rambla and Plaça Catalunya, you will find Passeig de Gràcia, a unique street home to the Gaudí-designed buildings of La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. The southern end of La Rambla boulevard is where it links the wooden dock and promenade - Sagrada Familia
Barcelona’s famous Gothic church, was designed by Antoni Gaudi and started construction in 1882 & 141 years later is still incomplete. When he died the project was only around 20% complete. The building was halted in the 1930s due to the Spanish Civil war. It is currently due to be completed in 2026 which will be the 100th year of Gaudi’s death. - Gothic Quarter.
Right in the heart of Barcelona, you will find the Gothic Quarter. Relics around 2000 years old from the ancient Romans are still found here. Right in the centre of the Quarter is the Catedral de la Santa Cruz y Santa Eulalia which was built around 600 years ago. It’s now surrounded by narrow paths full of tourists and many small boutiques and restaurants. - Camp Nou
The home of F.C Barcelona, a must-see for all football fans across the world. With a stadium capacity of 99,354, this masterpiece is the largest football (soccer) stadium in Europe and the Fourth largest in the world in the world. - Rambla del Ma
If you are lucky enough to catch yourself here for sunset you will not be disappointed. The sun sets beautifully over the docks behind the boats, it’s peaceful and the perfect place to take a stroll in the evening or even in the morning if you’re up early enough for sunrise.
Summary
Barcelona is a very famous destination to travel to for a quick city break with it is hard not to disagree with the reasons why. If you are on a budget you can easily find many things to do with a vast majority of tourist attractions being free. Eating isn’t expensive either, the cost for a 2-course meal of two with a couple of drinks each at a restaurant on La Rambla came up to around €60. For the location, I found that very cost-effective.
Accommodation is probably the biggest thing that will hurt your bank account but then again that depends on your preferences. Travel is very simple and easy to get around the city. All the stations I went to had the signs in Spanish and also in English so if you can’t speak any Spanish or it’s very limited, you can still find your way around. Im not that confident with my Spanish but even attempting the locals seemed to understand what I was saying and was more than happy to help.
There are more pictures of my trip to Barcelona on my Website http://www.jourduhnvisuals.co.uk and my friend who joined me on this trip his instagram handle is @_theo_dyssey_ You will be able to see his wonderful work there.
If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment in the section below and I will be sure to get back to you.
Jourduhns Journey 
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