Yes the continuing reports of rampant street crime against tourists (do a Google search) is a crime IMO - local authorities have been lax with this for years - a few undercover cops posing as naive jewel-laden tourists could help a lot.

To be on guard all the time is awful (though Barcelona is not the only city in this regard but one of the worst if not the worst.)

I must have traveled to the wrong Barcelona last year. This Barcelona was beautiful, the people nice and contained numerous interesting sights to visit. I'll have to check my map to see where I was.

((H))

I too have loved my several trips to Barcelona so concur with maitaitom. Would take it over Madrid any day.

Team Madrid here all the way. Cleaner, livelier, friendlier, and much more elegant.

Barcelona = Disneyland with a pickpocketing Mickey.

"To be on guard all the time is awful "

Guarded ALL the time?
If so, better to stay in one's gated community instead of subjecting yourself to such " torture".

I visited Barcelona ( and Madrid ) about ten times each ...like them equally.
...never a hint of trouble in either city.

>> After all, twenty million people can't be wrong. <<

This is what the lemmings think.

'This is what the lemmings think.'

I think that's pretty harsh. I don't disagree with you that we often see threads from people for all manner of locations that reflect nothing but guide book must-see lists with very little personal input at all and that frustrates me too. But that doesn't mean some of those sites aren't worth seeing. And many of the people who do the big sites also manage to get off the beaten track and actively look for less feted things to see and do too.

So my issue with this thread was not about tick lists - it was about the need for a reality check - that nowhere is 100% picture postcard perfect. It's unrealistic not to expect to cities to have homeless people, uncollected rubbish, drug dealing, red light districts or whatever else at least in part. I also think it's a bit distasteful to not be concerned for the welfare of people who have to sleep rough and only express disgust at the fact it spoiled your Disneyfied pre-conception of a city. I have no issue with posters who found they didn't like the architecture or food, or some other specific element that let them down. That's not the same as wanting a sanitised tourism experience. Unrealistic expectations/preconceptions are my issue.

I still think it might be a troll post tbh.

I've been to Barcelona multiple times. Besides drinking Sangria outside at the cafes or tasting some of the local wares in the markets, I really didn't get all that much into it, despite having our own tour guide showing us the sights.

Loacker-- my thoughts exactly-- MADRID every day; Barcelona? Keep it.

On one of my business trip to Barcelona, I was accompanied by about 4 first-time visitors. I still remembered the comment I heard from one of them--"....this city reminds me of New York City.-" (...was not meant as a compliment). Only one of them even went back...to Tarragona; told me he could not get out of Barcelona Airport fast enough.

Yes, it has beautiful sights (anybody here said it does not....? don't recall reading that). It is just not worth the hassle. My opinion. Thanks.

Will be in Madrid next month, but we have been in both cities numerous times.

I prefer Barcelona but each has it own charms and failings.

As a friend says, "Madrid is Spanish city, Barcelona is an international city."

The museums in Madrid are far superior to those in Barcelona and Madrid is an excellent hub for visiting a number of nearby towns.

Barcelona is much more interesting from historical and cultural view beyond museums. And of course the architecture is unparalleled. And that has nothing to do with Avinguda del Paral·lel.

Well.. I didn't love Barcelona.. but I am fair and will give it another chance . Our first visit was only a few days.. so that's not really fair to make a major pronouncement . Our second visit was just a pass through.. so that doesn't count.

My hubby enjoyed Barcelona more than I did.. and wants to return.. so I agree.. it deserves another chance. However I cant see giving more then a few days again... and then on to the good stuff.. ! lol

We LOVED the other Spanish towns we visited.. all small , and on the water so perhaps that's part of it. We loved Palma de Mallorca, Cala D'Or and Tossa De Mar.. would go back to any of them in a heart beat.

Perhaps the most overrated thing in Barcelona is Park Guell. It looks like a kids theme park.
Palau Guell also Left me indifferent. Too somber and depressing.

If you're short on time, give these two a pass.

Beside Sagrada Familia, the two top and often overlooked attractions in Barcelona imho, are Palau de la Musica Catalana and Hospital San Pau. Both have nothing to do with Gaudi.

I have really enjoyed Barcelona all of the times I've been there. I'm not sure how many times that was. Less than 10, more than 5.

Peg.
You are a normal person:-)

Barcelona to me is my least favorite place in Spain. (I've been to most of it)

I don't hate it, but don't love it either. I did find it extremely crowded (of course expected in August) and how many Macdonalds, H&Ms, Zaras, chains stores can a place have? It does make it more international, less Spanish to me.

In defense of clean, last visit hasn't rained in 6 months, so dust and a "fog" gave that impression. (I've seen it less dusty in years past)

I'm completely fluent in Spanish (other than style you wouldn't know I'm American) yet Catalans would rather speak English than Castilian (nothing to do with wanting to practice English, they don't really want to speak Castilian unless they have to)

Of course this is just my opinion, I get that majority of tourists totally love it. I don't even mean disrespect, just I love other parts of Spain so much more. (I spent 3 months every summer until my late 20s)

However, I'm obsessed with Costa Brava, and Barcelona for me is a means to get there, so I'll take it!

Macdonalds, H&Ms, Zaras, chains stores can a place have? It does make it more international, less Spanish to me.

We were in Paris a few weeks after the first McDonald's opened on the Champs and one would have thought that a halfway house for child molesters had opened. Now they are ubiquitous. Do I go there? No, I do not even go them in the States, but it is curious how popular the have become.
________________

Barcelona is not an international city because of the chains stores. (How many does Madrid have?) It is an international city because of the layers of history, its unique joie de vivre, its singular architecture, a language based in Provençale, one of the centers of modern Spanish cuisine, and a place of culture.

BTW, Zara is a Spanish company.

There are valid political reasons why some people would rather speak English than Castilian. But what they really wish to speak Catalan, for which you can hardly fault them since it is their native language.

It would be a really boring world if everybody loved or hated the same cities.
One person's "warning" is the next person's reason to go there in the first place.

I would agree that Barcelona is more a major European, mediterranean, international city than a purely Spanish town - but I don't see it as a malus.
I still find the economic situation for many people in Spain more worrying than their language preferences.

Spain is a very big country, and when you look at the entire Iberian peninsula you have an even wider variety to choose from. I guess everyone can find his/her perfect spot.

The language preference is a vocal manifestation of one's culture and economic situation. There has long been a Catalan separatist movement and that has strengthened since the Great Recession as Catalunya is rich and supports many other poorer provinces.

And the Catalans like to lord their linguistic ability over others Spaniards, as they not only speak Catalan, but an excellent variety of Castilian.

They are many reasons for travel and one of them is to go beyond the tourist sights and the debris in the streets.

I'm beyond the tourist sights, spent collectly many "years" (when you add them up) all over Spain

Without getting into politics, (I've always known about the Catalanes) I even have family members that are Catalan, and speak only Catalan.

But--

It's not independent yet

If I ask questions in Spanish, I expect answers in Spanish, after all it's still Spain

And here a couple of examples of different treatment (which makes me not like Barcelona sometimes, but I do still like it):

Sales at clothes store. 30% off. I spoke Spanish. Catalan speaker asked for bigger reductions and got 50% off right in front of me (same items) I asked in Spanish having heard previous, and no budging. Told me in Spanish best she could do.

At restaurants, if I spoke English treated like a queen. My cousin spoke Spanish and was not only ignored, but dismissed to talk to me!

When I spoke Spanish, they dismissed me.

I know it was probably due to tips, Americans tip like crazy, catalanes are the worse tippers, followed by Spaniards.

So I'm well aware of dialects and customs, and movements.

And they way I saw my Spanish speaking cousin left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course different treatment for my Catalan family.

So there's part of my Barcelona opinion!