Barcelona - Am I the only one who wasn't blown away?
 

Barcelona was the final leg of my trip which included Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada.

First let me say that, although I can't rave about the city, I'm glad I went. La Sagrada Familia alone is worth the trip. However, in my mind, I was expecting a much more beautiful city.

Barcelona is often touted as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe along with Paris, Venice and Prague. But I find this grossly exaggerated. Compared to Paris, which is consistently beautiful, Barcelona feels like an ordinary city with a few nice buildings scattered here and there.

My disappointment started on the first day. I made the mistake of staying in El Raval. I knew beforehand that this was not the most desirable neighborhood. But I thought to myself: "This is Europe. How can bad can it really be?" Really bad. Nothing could have prepared me for all the grit and seediness. Drug dealers outnumber tourists. There's one on every corner. The streets are littered and smelly. One ATM was so covered in goo and filth I could hardly read the numbers. Guidebooks describe this area as bohemian and edgy. Now I know this is euphemism for "slum".

Equally seedy and not far away is La Rambla, a tacky street lined with tasteless souvenir shops and mediocre restaurants.

The Gaudi apartments are beautiful but not breathtakingly beautiful. I'm sure they are very interesting in terms of ergonomic design but they just don't have that wow factor of Renaissance or Gothic architecture. Palau Guell is depressingly somber. Casa Batllo is great, but has a surprisingly ugly rear façade. Park Guell is slightly underwhelming.(The Gaudi sculptures are nice, but they could use a better surrounding. Too much sand.)

Another thing that Barcelona is famous for is its nightlife.
Coming from the hustle and bustle of Madrid, Barcelona felt sleepy in comparison.
Also, this was the only place in Spain where I encountered rude waiters. The city as a whole didn't feel as welcoming and inviting as the rest of Spain.

I don't understand why Barcelona gets all the hype over Madrid. Park Retiro blows Park Guell out of the water. And I know that Madrid isn't particularly noted for its architecture, but for me the Metropolis and Cibeles Palace are far more beautiful than anything I saw in Barcelona. Madrid as a whole felt much classier, grander and cleaner than Barcelona.

Am I the only one who felt this way?

Probably not.
There are posters who don't think much of Paris, Venice, Madrid , Rome, Lisbon...
you name it.

À chacun son goût,

I find Gaudi's work (all of it) absolutely gorgeous and inspiring and Parc Guell one of the most unique and lovely parks anywhere. In summer, Las Ramblas is fun with muscians and mimes, etc.

So, I do not see Barcelona exactly like you, but after two short trips, I have no huge desire to return. Madrid has an elegance and style that I enjoy much more.

Sometimes on a first visit, I love a place, but it looses the glow after a while. I was in love with some islands in the Caribbean - but by the fourth visit, kind of meh.

Some just get better and better - Venice is that way for me.

Others take longer to discover. It took about five visits to Rome before It found a place in my heart. Now, it is one of my favorite cities. Perhaps Barcelona will be like that if given a chance.

Sometimes, it depends on when you visit a place and what else you have seen. As a young person, before traveling in Europe, I loved NYC. Now, I hate the thought of going there. If Barcelona had been the first city you saw in Europe, it might seem different to you.

Interesting what appeals to each of us. Some people do not enjoy Venice. A friend was recently telling me how much they enjoy extremely modern buildings and strict organization, that they much preferred that to "old" places like Rome. We are so totally opposite in what we appreciate.

Actually Madrid is more noted for it's nightlife.

Barcelona is hyped simply because of where it is situated-near the water and beaches and having some extraordinary architecture-which IS more avant guard than Madrid, which has more "classical" architecture. I also think that the hoards of tourists to Barcelona have taken their toll on the local populous.

However, I do think Madrid gets overlooked in favor of the more flashier sister city. But it also depends on one's own taste. I loved Madrid but have friends/relatives who couldn't wait to leave after two days and found it boring and "ugly".

The first time I went to Barcelona it took me a few days to get into it - it was also my last stop after a few days in all the cities you mention. It was crowded and way more expensive.. and not as striking as, say, Sevilla. But I came to really like the cosmopolitan nature of the city and now I love being in Barcelona.

Staying in a bad spot can really color one's entire experience.. I hope you'll go back for a couple of days sometime and stay in a better neighborhood. Visit the other indoor markets, the lesser known sights, that aren't totally overrun...

I felt the same way about Toledo on my first trip - it rained constantly, was packed with school kids on field trips, yada yada and I didn't fall in love. It happens.

Sassafras
I also find visiting a city more than once often changes my impression of the place.
It took a couple of visits to Madrid and discovering areas other than the usual tourist
destinations to appreciate what it has to offer.( I'll be in Madrid this fall for the sixth time).
We loved Barcelona right away..been eight times.

I'm with you. We've done a lot of European traveling, and Barcelona is one of my least favorites.

We really enjoyed Barcelona when we visited for the first time a couple of years ago. It may have helped that it was the first stop of our trip and we were so excited to be back in Europe.

I visited B a few times many years ago and have never felt the need or desire to return. Much prefer Madrid.

The problem with most visitors to any foreign city is that they do not interact with the locals, and gain no real knowlege of the city, other then it's tourist attractions.

I found a great deal to treasure in Barcelona, but I was also surprised by a seeming disconnect between what I saw and experienced and what many people seem to say about it. Fortunately, I didn’t travel there because of any overall image of the city – I went to see some very specific things, and I was glad I did, finally, see them!

I’m very glad that my experiences were not like the OP’s -- those would, I think, easily give anyone pause! My hotel was not perfect, but it was clean, felt safe, and met my needs quite well in most ways. I expected Las Ramblas to feel uncomfortable, and so was very pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed walking through them. Although I didn’t find all of Gaudi’s buildings to my taste, I adored many, and thought all of them utterly fascinating. I wasn’t seeking nightlife, but enjoyed that which I did experience. And I did not encounter a rude waiter anywhere in the city -- one or two were a tad less responsive than I would have preferred, but most were gracious and accomodating and very helpful. I did have a few moments that weren't ideal (e.g., an unexpected, if understandably, noisy celebration when I was trying to sleep), but that could happen anywhere. In general, my experiences in Barcelona generally met or exceeded my expectations and some moments were absolutely delightful.

So I found beauty there, but I did not think it a beautiful city – and yes, those are very different things, from my perspective.

As danon said, À chacun son goût.

"Barcelona is often touted as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe along with Paris, Venice and Prague."

Really?

By whom?

Barcelona-boosters churn out all sorts of gibberish. But even the most deranged avoid coming out with nonsense quite as surreal as the poster claims.

Barcelona's a bog-standard, boring, endlessly sprawling Mediterranean port with a mildly - and tiny - picturesque Old Quarter and a few examples of one, quirky, 20th century architect. Cleaner than Naples (but so's my sewer), less Mafia-run than Palermo (but with far, far more street crime, since at least in Palermo, crime's organised to avoid pissing the tourists off), more picturesque in the picturesque bits than Marseilles (but boy: do all those endless straight boulevards go on forever) and more to see than Genoa - but in the league of places with stuff worth visiting, roughly on a par with Liverpool, but hotter and with better food.

Note that none of the Barcelona fans on this thread say anything remotely resembling the poster's allegations.

If real cities are a novelty for you, Barcelona's probably quite fun. But delude yourself anyone, ever, has - while sober - claimed "Barcelona is... one of the most beautiful cities in Europe along with Paris, Venice and Prague" and you're guaranteeing disappointment.

Like Bedar I went to Barcelona many years ago. It was an all expenses paid trip from DH's employer.
I'm glad I went, and it was by no means as over-run with tourists as it is now, but I have no desire to return.
But there again I have no desire to visit Paris even once so I am probably not the best person to ask.

Parts of Barcelona can be awfully touristy, the Gothic quarter, Las Ramblas, and parts of Raval is still quite seedy. But then you're done with the bad things, a pity you stopped there;-)

Barcelona is full of excellent and very different districts with a much more local feel, and when you keep coming back to these places, the city grows on you each time.

I use to stay in medieval and vibrant El Born, a cradle of Catalan Identity and culture. Great tapas bars and restaurants and the best nightlife among the narrow streets and in and around beautiful Pesseig del Born: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...s/el-born.html

The 14th Century Santa Maria del Mar Church in the heart of El Born is one of the finest Gothic buildings around anywhere. http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/423/.html

I love the laid-back Barceloneta-district just inland from the beach with the same name. Excellent seafood in many hole-in-the-wall places and cool bars. http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...taurants-spain

And Montjuic is an adventure in itself, with the castle, the views, the musuems, the theaters, the Olympic sports arenas and the greens. http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...-montjuic.html
The fabulous "theater city": http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...el-teatre.html

And at the foot of Montjuic you'll find the great atmosphere Poble Sec district, few tourists and brillaint tapas bars and cafes all around. Two of my favourite restaurants in town are also close by, Xemei and La Perla: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...to-bodega.html

And the modern Eixample district is of course both elegant in itself, brilliant restaurants and more upscale nightlife: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...barcelona.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Catalonia.html

I had such a poor experience of Barcelona my first vist that I made it a point to go back, to give it another chance. Disliked it the second time too.

One of the reasons I wanted to go to Barcelona in the first place was because I am quite interested in architecture, and looking at pictures of Gaudi's work, I thought it looked so dreadful that, given how much so many people like it, that surely the pictures were not doing it justice. Having now seen the real buildings, in the dimensions, I consider Gaudi perhaps the single most overrated architect in history.

However, I greatly enjoyed the work of Domenich I Montaner and many other aspects of Catalonian culture and aesthetic (mainly found in other parts of Catalonia, however).

Finally, of all the places I have visited in Spain, I found the food in Barcelona some of the most disappointing, especially given how much people gush about it.

The only area of Barcelona that I enjoyed was the Poble Neu, but I gather it is changing from when I visited (more than 8 years ago), so maybe the things I liked about it (few tourists, unpretentious) are what has changed.

Thank you for your responses. It was interesting to read about your experience.

People travel for different reasons. Personally, I like picturesque cities and walks. Which is why I have no desire to visit places like Frankfurt or Roterdam, for example.

I had a very romanticized of Bareclona in my mind, which failed to materialize. As Kja best put it,"I found beauty in Barcelona, but I didn't find it a beautiful city". The scruffiness and sleazy vibe detract from the city's charm. Some parts of Barcelona could easily belong in Mumbai.

Cordoba felt the same to me. The Mezquita is amazing, but this must be the ugliest city in Spain. But then again Cordoba is only famous for the Mezquita. So I knew what to expect.

Sevilla and Granada on the other hand were mindblowingly beautiful. Seeing Al Hambra lit at night, from the Mirador De San Nicolas was the highlight of my trip. And Sevilla is one of my favorite cities in Europe. (though the smell of horse poop still haunts me till now)

I guess I'm more of a fan of Spain than Catalonia.

Of course, it is all a matter of taste and you can debate forever which city is better than another. But many first-time travellers need some guidance, so I do not hesitate to express my personal opinion here.

And Loacker, you are certainly not alone. Some time ago, a poster asked whether he should go to Madrid or Barcelona because he had only time for one city.

Without hesitation, I wrote "of course, Madrid. First, it has far more attractions, second, it is the more beautiful city, and third, it is the capital and Barcelona just a provincial city".

This statement caused a veritable s...storm. Dozens of posters shouted me down, writing that they much more favoured Barcelona. I know both cities very well, and still, I am siding with Madrid.

Yes, Barcelona has seedy areas which are unknown in most European cities (really astonishing). And the Ramblas ARE tacky. And there are many ugly neighbourhoods, including Barceloneta which is praised a couple of posts above.

The main reason why Barcelona is so favoured by American tourists is Antonio Gaudi.

Here in Europe, Gaudi is not considered a great architect. In fact, Gaudi's buildings are considered as kitsch. Probably this is exactly the reason why they are so much admired by people who love Disneyland and are disappointed when they visit real European castles.

What else is to see in Barcelona? - Yes, the Miro Foundation is good. There is the maritime museum. The city's main attraction is probably Camp Nou. At least, it draws by far the most visitors.

A Madrid fan as well, not a question of one or the other, and here's a little intro to "ugly" Cordoba. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyfGdpF55Uk

"Cordoba is only famous for the Mezquita" is of course absurd, once the most advanced city in the western world, the Madinat al-Zahra, the second largest old town in Europe, wonderful Roman Cordoba etc. etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B3rdoba,_Andalusia

And I come back again and again to Barceloneta not for beauty but for the atmosphere, laid-back bars and unpretensious and great value restaurants (and of course to pay a visit to the Carmen Amaya monument).

The problem with most visitors to any foreign city is that they do not interact with the locals, and gain no real knowlege of the city, other then it's tourist attractions.>>

mmm - finding a local in Barcelona was a bit of a problem, given the tsunami of tourists under whose weight it is slowly drowning. unlike the OP we stayed in a nice district up by Montjuic, but that brought its own problems as we walked a lot and made full use of the metro [which also requires a lot of walking due to the interminable correspondences IME]

We did learn a few things - we are not particular fans of Gaudi - and we too preferred Granada, Seville etc. we had some reasonable food and perhaps if we'd had kimhe as our guide we'd have enjoyed it even more!

Overall I'm glad we went but I'm not sure I'd bother to go back.

Kimhe I think you're confusing "interesting" with "beautiful".

Cordoba is very important and interesting but it's more of a one-tick town in my opinion.
It's not the type of town to linger in and enjoy the vistas.

Ruins or landmarks don't make the city. For example, the Taj Mahal is marvellous, yet I wouldn't want to spend any second in Agra.
The Acropolis is wonderful, yet Athens is a concrete monstrosity.

On the other hand, you've got places like Paris and Prague, which are a pleasure to walk around, without having to step in a museum.

"The city's main attraction is probably Camp Nou. At least, it draws by far the most visitors."
Huh????
A football fan , no doubt!

I think most people would define Cordoba as a beautiful city, and it's definitely not anywhere near to be the "ugliest city's in Spain" by any reasonable standards. And of course also very interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBqrdMioqY8

-I guess I'm more of a fan of Spain than Catalonia.-

Where else did you go in Catalonia?

Hi, Loacker. I can understand how you felt about Barcelona although DH and I enjoyed our stay there. I think where you "live" can make a huge difference. We were away from the center and had to use metro for each day's Gaudi, Ramblas and El Poble venues. All were interesting to us though.

Madrid "grabbed" me so much more by its general beauty. The art museums astounding in Madrid also.

I wonder if your trip had begun in Barcelona if you would have been more enthusiastic about it. Who knows. At least you were lucky enough to make the trip, eh?

I agree with kimhe...some place just have the right " vibe" and one keeps coming back.

In spite of their beauty, Stockholm, St. Petersburg , Florence, Oxford , Prague..
are places I have no interest in revisiting.
On the other hand, I have been to ( not so beautiful ) Berlin five times.

not to bee picky, but you contradict yourself:

"Ruins or landmarks don't make the city."
-------------------------
"Seeing Al Hambra lit at night, from the Mirador De San Nicolas was the highlight of my trip"

... Granada is " mindblowingly beautiful" or is it that one landmark that makes it so attractive?

be

Glad to see I'm not the only one, sometimes it feels that way. I chose to visit Barcelona because of the Mediterranean setting as well as the art nouveau architecture. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I came away underwhelmed. I was pretty taken with the Casa Mila though, the other buildings of note not so much. All personal taste of course. Food and service were generally so-so, but that can be the luck of the draw. My most memorable experience might be when I tried absinthe for the first time, Barcelona temporarily looked a lot better!


Overall I found Madrid more welcoming, and safer. My guard wasn't constantly up like in Barcelona. Also liked the architecture more in general. There's an earthiness, and subtlety,to Madrid I find appealing, less pretense maybe. The food was simple but delicious, service more accommodating. I just got a good feeling about the city, one of those elusive things. There is something about the light too, tough to explain. Again, personal preference/experience.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

We certainly did note find Codoba ugly!

Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed Granada, itself. Not just the Al Hambra. I spent 3 nights here. Thought it was a city with elegant squares, great tapas bars, and a perfectly preserved Moorish quarter. Even the areas outside the center are nice.

'Barcelona is often touted as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe along with Paris, Venice and Prague.'


Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, and too general a statement to be taken seriously. There are myriad reasons why people choose to visit, or not visit, a city. Speaking for myself, Venice attracts me with its lovely architecture and unique setting, but as someone with severe mold/mildew allergies it's none too appealing after all. Although for those who don't have my issues, I can see why they might find it beautiful.

We were in Barcelona last year for 5 days. We enjoyed our trip and I'm really glad we went but I don't think we would go back.

We also went to Seville and Cordoba and really enjoyed the experience. Our apartment owner in Cordoba made some recommendations off the beaten path and we saw some beautiful areas of Cordoba. Would definitely go back to either.

We're heading to Madrid for the first time in about a month so I'm find the comments here about Madrid very encouraging, as I did't want a repeat of our last year's trip. Looking forward to a new experience and we'll see if Madrid's vibe captures us.

"Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, and too general a statement to be taken seriously. There are myriad reasons why people choose to visit, or not visit, a city"

most tourists visit a city for several days and follow the predictable tourist path.
In big cities there are so many different areas ( from seedy to lovely) seldom seen in a short stay.
hotel location, weather, tiredness, unfamiliar food, grumpy service, expectations, and more .
influence one's impressions .
There is no definite good, bad or ugly.

We enjoyed Barcelona a lot. Some of the architecture was quite beautiful, especially on our walk down Carrer de València.

I guess I must have missed the drug dealers, and we actually thought the city to be very clean. I also saw a post where someone said locals had signs that said, "Tourists go home!" Didn't see those either. As a matter of fact, contrary to many of you on this thread, I found the people of Barcelona to be very friendly (as they were throughout Spain).

Yes, Las Ramblas has tacky stores and has millions of people on it, but it was a fun stroll, and I never felt like a pick pocket loomed at every step. We also had a hotel with a good location across from the cathedral.

We also liked the work of Domènech i Montaner more than Gaudí (Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau both were stupendous, with the latter being a complete surprise). That's not to say I did not find the Gaudí stuff to be of interest, however.

As far as food in Barcelona, we, too, were all a little underwhelmed. We didn't have bad meals, but nothing was truly memorable either.

Barcelona was not our favorite city in Spain (Granada and Toledo were our favorites, although we really enjoyed Madrid and Sevilla, too). Although we were not big Cordoba fans, the Mezquita has to be seen to be believed.

Would I return to Barcelona? If given the opportunity, I definitely would.

Not everyone needs to love the same places as someone else...that's what makes travel so interesting.

((H))

I was only blown away by La Boqueria. I can only take so much Gaudi.

I spent 6 days in Barcelona back in 2011 and absolutely loved it. I felt I hardly scratched the surface, there was (and is) so much to see. I stayed in lovely Gracia and thought the city to be very interesting, loved the feel of the different neighbourhoods. Ravel was a bit seedy, indeed, but nothing too bad. Loved Poble Sec as well, found it intrguing and will give it more time on my next visit, which I hope will be next year.

I have been to most of Spain. Although I'm happy to have seen the Mezquita Córdoba is the one city I wouldn't go back to.

My first visit to Barcelona was in 1972. My friend and I stayed in the cheapest hotel we could find near the station. We only spent two days there, met up with other friends, and moved on, but I did not have a wonderful impression of the city.

My second visit was in 2006. Both Barcelona and I had changed for the better, and I loved it. I don't usually decide whether I like cities based on their physical beauty but on their cultural vibrancy, and by this measure my visit to Barcelona was excellent. This visit was with friends, and I liked it enough that I went back with my husband. Had a great time, wonderful food, fascinating historical sites, great views that were reached by interesting modes of transportation (cable cars, old trolleys, funiculars). Saw enjoyable concerts and dance performances. Wandered the streets of Barcelona from Roman times under the modern city. Really liked the maritime museum in the restored medieval shipyards.

For what it's worth, I also had a great time in Madrid, and would go back in a heartbeat, while some other posters here are very lukewarm about that city.

Many things can affect one's appreciation of a destination, and I am sure that staying in a sketchy location would color one's experience. The original poster mentioned that his or her expectations had been raised and were perhaps unrealistic, and it can be a problem to have a fantasy about a place when the reality does not match the image in one's mind.

<My most memorable experience might be when I tried absinthe for the first time, Barcelona temporarily looked a lot better!>

That might admittedly also explain some of my Barcelona enthusiasm ;-), some fabulous absinthe bars here (and other bars, Barcelona is GT and Vermut heaven).
Absenta in my favourite street in Barceloneta: http://www.absentabar.es/
Bar Marsella in Raval from 1820: http://www.yelp.com/biz/marsella-barcelona-2
Absinthe route in Barcelona: http://www.timeout.com/barcelona/bar...absinthe-route
About Vermut bars in Barcelona (and they make fabulous and creative vermouth based drinks in the many bars in El Born). http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/bea68...44feab7de.html
http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/20...e-in-barcelona

And of course famous Boadas cocktail bar: http://boadascocktails.com/en/

Sad to see that many people have had mediocre food experiences in Barcelona. Many touristy and low quality places, but do a little research and you have at your feet a food mecca that stands very little back from San Sebastian and the rest of the Basque Country.

Apart from the now 23 Michelin stars (#1 city in Spain) there are plenty of plain fantastic places in all categories to be found around town, from the most traditional to the most cutting edge. http://www.barcelonaexperience.com/b...arcelona-blog/

kimhe,

'That might admittedly also explain some of my Barcelona enthusiasm ;-), some fabulous absinthe bars here...'


Glad we don't have absinthe here in the States, serious addiction potential.

Exhausted after a day of serious sightseeing on Montjuic, my boyfriend and I happened upon Casa Almirall on the walk back to our hotel. I'm sure you're familiar with it. Don't know what it's like now (this is several years back), but the bartender couldn't have been more helpful in showing us the technique. Delicious and possibly the best buzz I ever had. Salud!

http://casaalmirall.com/

http://www.tour-barcelona.com/sites/...?itok=arqTs84b