As we all know, Barcelona is a beautiful city and has something for everyone. With over 1.6 million inhabitants, Barcelona is one of the biggest cities in Europe. The capital of Catalonia is filled with different neighbourhoods, which all offer their different and unique characteristics. This city has something for everyone and for every kind of trip. Coming for a romantic trip to Barcelona? Or coming with all your besties for a hen party in Barcelona? This city has it all for you. Whether you are looking for a stay in a hip neighbourhood as El Born, a more elegant neighbourhood as Eixample or an upcoming and cool neighbourhood as Poblenou, or something else, let’s just dive right into where you should stay during your time in Barcelona.
Barceloneta
Barceloneta definitely has two different sides, which both have their own charms. In the dark and narrow streets of the old fishermen’s quarter, you can still have the feeling of a small village. You can hear the old ladies yell to each other from their balconies and see the old men sitting next to their doorsteps with each other. As you can imagine this gives quite a romantic atmosphere, so this is a pretty perfect area to stay during a romantic trip in Barcelona. However, not far from this village-like-feeling part of Barceloneta, you find the cosmopolitan and tourism-driven part with bars and cafés blasting loud music day and night. As you can imagine here, this part of Barceloneta is definitely amazing to stay during your hen party in Barcelona. The beach is obviously the biggest attraction in Barceloneta, but there is more! The aquarium, which is the biggest one in Europe, is great for families. Another cool thing to do in Barceloneta is take the Cable Car to the mountain Montjuïc. The Cable Car stands in Barceloneta and cannot be missed.
El Born
In the 13th and 14th century when Barcelona started growing due to the trade of the fishermen, El Born was the first extension of the city. The narrow web of streets scattered around the old church of Santa Maria del Mar are also a part of El Born. Hidden down backstreets, some of the coolest spots of the city are located. Here you can find trendy coffee shops, hipster barbers and hip concept stores. All of the above are interspersed with small art galleries and boutique shops. In the middle of all this you can find Passeig del Born, another lively spot. Passeig del Born is lined with different sorts of bars, ideal for a nice cocktail, beer or vermouth.
However, Born is not just about its nightlife. In Carrer de Montcada you can find one of the three Picasso Museums, a museum totally devoted to the work of Pablo Picasso. So, El Born is actually just a great place to stay during any trip to Barcelona, whether you are celebrating your hen party in Barcelona or having a romantic trip to Barcelona.
Eixample
One of the biggest and maybe even the most known district of Barcelona is Eixample. This neighbourhood is located in the city centre and offers a lot. Its elegant, upmarket and very luxurious. Here you can find all the designer stores, luxurious hotels and fine-dining restaurants.
This elegant neighbourhood is also the home of some of Gaudi’s most famous works, Casa Batlló, Casa Mila and La Sagrada Familia. Passeig de Gracia is the heart of Eixample and this is also the shopping street for all the luxurious and expensive lovers. You can find all international designer stores you can wish for here.
When it comes to upmarket restaurants, Eixample is also definitely where you should be looking. One of my personal favourites, which I would absolutely recommend is Can Framis Café Bistrot, near the Arc the Triomph. Their great asparagus and black truffle risotto are definitely worth the try. So, as you probably start to realise, Eixample is surely one of the neighbourhoods you should go to. Coming for a luxurious romantic getaway to Barcelona? This is your neighbourhood!
Gotic Quarter
The Gotic Quarter, which covers everything from Via Laietana to La Rambla, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Barcelona, partly surrounded by the old city walls and filled with ancient Roman remnants and medieval buildings; it’s also home to Barcelona Cathedral. Gotic is certainly a neighbourhood of contrasts. You are very likely to find an old building next to a modern house or store, this mix of old and new makes people from all over the world want to stay in Gotic.
The narrow and winding streets of Gotic almost makes it some sort of labyrinth, which could make that it will take you a little while before you get to know the way here. However, getting lost in all of Gotic’s beautiful small streets is way more fun than going to your destination right away. One of the most important places in Gotic is the Barcelona Cathedral, right in the middle of this district. The cathedral has a gorgeous courtyard with plants, and you’d never guess it, gooses.
The most famous boulevard of Barcelona which we’ve probably all have heard of before, is Las Ramblas, but one tip, watch all of your belongings when you are walking here! Pickpockets also love Las Ramblas. Besides this, Las Ramblas is absolutely worth a stroll. When on Las Ramblas, don’t forget to stop by La Boqueria. This indoor market has all the Spanish delicatessens you can ever wish for and is 100% a place you should have been during your stay in Barcelona.
Gracia
Elegant Gracia is known for its 19th-century boulevards, pedestrian lanes lined with indie boutiques, galleries, and arthouse cinemas. Cool Catalan bistros and wine bars surround the landmark clock tower at Plaça de la Vila de Gracia. Antoni Gaudi’s artistic architecture marks the area, from neo-Moorish mansion Casa Vicens to the fantastical, mosaic-covered estate at Parc Güell, on a hillside above the city.The area is perfect for those who want something a little bit different, those who perhaps have been to Barcelona before and want a different touristic experience. Although really, because central Barcelona is so easily accessible from Gracia it is suitable for everyone. One of the best features of Gracia is that there are not so many tourists, so you feel like you've discovered something a bit new and diverse. Shopping is also good in Gracia, where new, arty boutiques stand next to traditional Spanish stores. So after this, it is easy to say Gracia would be a great neighbourhood for any trip to Barcelona, but especially for the ones who want to sit a different part of Barcelona.
Poblenou
The neighbourhood Poblenou is actually a former factory district, before the industrial revolution Poblenou used to be wasteland and swamp area. The textile industry caused an enormous influx of new inhabitants, the factory workers. The living conditions were shockingly bad which resulted in all sorts of protest and a revolution. People became homeless and drug problems started to arise with loads of young people. Eventually, the Olympic Games turned out to be the big turnaround for all of these problems. Empty factories were demolished or converted to accommodate cultural and sports centres and lofts for artists. A modern metro line provided a fast connection to the centre and the Rambla del Poblenou received a facelift. This gave Poblenou the boost it deserved. Nowadays, Poblenou has slowly been growing into one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the city, popular with hipsters and start-ups. While the lower part of the neighbourhood, close to the sea, has remained quite traditional, it’s the upper region near the colourful Torre Glòries that has changed the most. Here, old warehouses have been transformed into creative offices and co-working spaces, modern galleries, craft beer breweries and concept stores. If you love Instagrammable space, quality coffee, brunch places and vintage markets, you’ll love Poblenou. So, for your hen party in Barcelona, or a friends’ trip to Barcelona, the hip places in Poblenou, in combination with the beach, will be the perfect place for you!
Poble sec
Between Avenue de Parallel and the mountain Montjuïc, the safe and residential neighbourhood named Poble Sec is located. Our biggest recommendation here is Carrer de Blai. On Carrer de Blai you can find bar after bar offering pintxos. This is how it works; you enter one of the bars, order the pintxos of your preference and afterwards you pay for the little sticks that come with your pintxos. Pintxos are small one bites, typically served on bread. Definitely worth a try as well! This food experience is absolutely one you should try when in you’re visiting Barcelona!
We really hoped that we were able to give you some insight into all of the neighbourhoods of Barcelona, and that you are now sure where to stay during you hen party in Barcelona or your romantic trip to Barcelona! We also hope to see you when you come to visit <3
