★ Toothpick Tally
Sometimes baffling to first-timers are pintxos. In many bars and restaurants, you will find small bites lined up along the bar, each pierced with a toothpick, and you're expected to simply help yourself. When you are done eating, the server counts the toothpicks left on your plate to determine your bill. A few locations known for this are La Tasqueta de Blai, Euskal Etxea Taberna, Anardi Pintxos y brasas, and Sagardi Euskal Taberna (Argenteria location). Not every place follows this system, with many being restaurant and pintxos combos, so it is always worth confirming with staff before you start to help yourself.

★ Curves and Cathedrals
Antoni Gaudí is considered a leading figure of Catalan design, and Barcelona would not be the same without him. The city's most recognizable landmark is Gaudí's Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, known as Sagrada Familia, which remains under construction despite its groundbreaking more than 140 years ago. Unlike many cathedrals, the interior of this one is devoid of color. As the sun streams through its stained glass windows, the walls are painted with light. In 2026, the main portion of the church should be completed, 100 years after Gaudí's death. Designers will be inspired by his use of organic forms and his unconventional use of space.

★ Sip Happens
Paradiso was named World's Best Bar in 2022, and Sips was named “Best Bar in Europe” in 2025. If you want the “viral” spot where every TikToker goes (and we get it, the views are perfection), it's Sercotel Rosellón. If you order one drink in Barcelona, make it vermut. Traditionally served as an aperitif before lunch or in the early afternoon, locals gather fer el vermut, a social ritual that loosely translates to “let's get a drink,” and translated literally means, “to do the vermouth.”

★ Garden Gone Wild
About 30 minutes away from the city is Park Güell. Commissioned by Gaudí's patron Eusebi Güell, the project was originally envisioned as a high-end residential enclave inspired by the English garden city movement. The idea did not exactly catch on. Only two houses were ever built, one of which Gaudí lived in himself. Many of Gaudí's more famous works are here, such as the Salamander/Dragon (El Drac), Hypostyle Hall, and the famous Serpentine Bench.

★ Art and Oddities
Barcelona boasts more than 80 museums and cultural institutions, but if you only have time to see one, we recommend The Hospital de Sant Pau. The hospital that last operated in 2009 now functions as a museum and cultural center, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that feels as much about architecture as it does about history. If you think you've seen a hospital, you haven't. This building will take your breath away.

RANDOM FUN FACT:

Barcelona imported sand to transform its industrial coastline into beaches for the 1992 Olympic Games. For its efforts, in 1999 the city was awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.