Barcelona may be best known as an outdoor city, but this UNESCO-listed destination also has plenty of indoor activities to keep visitors occupied. From world-class museums displaying artistic legends and rising stars, to lively neighborhoods that thrive on food culture.

1. Visit La Sagrada Familia

One of Barcelona’s most acclaimed sights, La Sagrada Familia (https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sagrada-familia-penultimate-towers-completed-intl-scli/index.html), remains under construction yet is one of its most stunning architectural wonders. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, this masterpiece stands as testament to both his creativity and philosophy regarding religion and spirituality.

Visitors to Barcelona must experience this impressive landmark – its architecture and symbolism make for fascinating viewing, so taking a guided tour with a guide is the ideal way to understand its intricate details and history. A good option would be booking a skip-the-line guided tour so as to skip ahead to discovering it immediately instead of waiting in line!

Get ready to be amazed when you enter this church! Its interior is vast, boasting five aisles and towering stained glass windows. Gaudi took great pride in creating a building with organic form by forgoing straight lines in favor of winding tree-like columns reminiscent of forest branches that provide shade from direct sunlight that creates an ever-evolving array of hues that alter with weather and time of day.

Visit the Sagrada Familia on a clear day for the best views, or during afternoon visits when many museums close, reducing crowds significantly. Also plan your arrival ahead of your tour times as latecomers won’t be permitted in; note that it’s open every day except Mondays and certain holidays with an attached museum on its ground floor that can also be explored.

2. Go to the Picasso Museum

If you’re an admirer of Picasso, his museum should not be missed. Boasting an extensive collection of his early works spanning his entire creative period, its existence can help unlock his early artistic development. Situated at Carrer de Montcada in El Born district with the nearest metro stop being Jaume I on yellow line (L4) nearby.

Walk or take public transit to reach the museum in no more than 20 minutes, then explore El Born, one of Barcelona’s most charming neighborhoods with Gothic and Moco architecture, narrow streets and shopping ranging from boutique stores to souvenir stands and even fine-dining restaurants and tapas bars. After touring the museum make sure to explore El Born for even more adventure – it offers Gothic and Moco styles (seen here) as well as many fine-dining and tapas bars!

No matter your opinion of soccer, no visit to Barcelona would be complete without seeing its stadium. As one of Europe’s largest stadiums and home of FC Barcelona, its architectural design is absolutely beautiful. Book private tours or attend matches here if interested; otherwise simply stop by as part of Barcelona culture.

Renting a car is an ideal way to explore more than just the city center in Barcelona, from exploring its outskirts or heading out into the mountains. As known as “el mar y la montaña,” (the sea and mountains), its location makes Barcelona ideal for visitors seeking beach time before hiking into the hills or skiing the mountains.

3. Take a Day Trip

Two days in Barcelona is sufficient time to explore its highlights, from wandering Las Ramblas and marveling at Gaudi’s designs in La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell to visiting Barcelona Cathedral, Casa Batllo and Arc de Triomf; you could also take some time off your feet as you meander through Gothic Quarter.

Start your day off right by visiting La Sagrada Familia early, before the crowds arrive. Skip-the-line tickets can be booked here, and if possible head up to the roof for incredible city views and up-close looks at its breathtaking cathedral chimneys!

Montserrat mountain range can make an excellent day trip destination, located only 1.5 hours by car from Barcelona. Additionally, you could drive out to Ocata and Masnou beaches or some of Catalonia’s wine regions – car rentals are readily available both within Barcelona itself as well as at Barcelona-El Prat Airport, but you can read this leiebilguiden Barcelona for more info. Compact cars make ideal urban driving conditions when visiting narrow streets of its center.

4. Visit Park Guell

Your visit to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without visiting Park Guell, the whimsical site designed by iconic architect Antoni Gaudi. From twisted columns that mimic tree trunks’ natural contours to icicle-like formations and natural caves, this UNESCO World Heritage Site provides a feast for the senses.

Park Guell was initially intended as a private estate for Eusebi Guell, an industrialist who hired Gaudi as his architect. But as construction continued, Gaudi became inspired by nature’s spiritual influence on him and began creating his vision instead. His creative ideas took the project in new directions.

Visitors to the park can witness this creative genius at work in the Monumental Zone. Covering approximately five percent of the overall site, this area contains some of its most notable wonders – two pavilions at its entrance resembling gingerbread houses from Hansel and Gretel stand atop twin flights of stairs and are decorated with trencadis mosaics for added effect.

5. Visit Montjuic

Barcelona’s most beloved attraction is undoubtedly Sagrada Familia, but there are other excellent sites worth seeing as well. The Montjuic area should definitely be on your itinerary: located atop a hill with breathtaking city views, Montjuic offers parks, museums, and even a castle! Explore this area on foot or rent a car; many companies provide quality cars at competitive rates with an easy online booking system for hassle-free sightseeing in this vibrant city!

Montjuic was built for two major events: the 1929 World Fair and 1992 Olympic Games, leaving their mark today. You can still witness their impact at Montjuic; you can visit its castle (Castell de Montjuic) to get breathtaking views over Barcelona while Poble Espanyol provides an immersive Spanish village-like setting in one corner of this special part of town; not forgetting Mies van der Rohe’s Palau Nacional building designed as well as its magical fountain as attractions of this neighborhood.