Barcelona is absolutely one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Europe and Spain, and for good reason! The beaches, the architecture, the food, the culture! It can often be daunting and stressful to get around a major city, and as someone who's been to Barcelona many many many times and who's familiar with the language, the culture, and the overall vibe, I'm going to let you in on a few of my secrets to help you get the most of your visit.
Just remember that most of these aren't mandatory (and the ones that are, are mostly just about being respectful of the local culture) so feel free to consider them more guidelines than anything else!
Barcelona has its own language
While Spanish is the most widely spoken language by people in the city (it is, after all, an international city and a central commercial hub), Catalonia's official language is Catalan, which is reflected in the street signs and municipal services. The primary language used in the city and regional governments is Catalan. While Spanish is not allowed to be discriminated against according to the Spanish Constitution, acknowledgment and respect for the Catalan language are very important for people to be aware of when visiting the city. Due to propaganda during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco from the 1930s up through 1975, many people throughout Spain were told that other Spanish languages such as Galician, Basque, and Catalan were "dialects" of Castilian. This is not the case, and this misinformation continues to be passed around. A lot of people also seem to be under the impression that it is a "mix" of French and Spanish, and while Catalan is more closely related to French than it is to Spanish, it is not a "mix" of either. It is directly descended from Vulgar Latin, being a sister of the French language of Occitan. Please don't make the mistake of telling locals that their language is a mix of any languages or that because no one speaks the language outside of Spain (it is actually spoken in France and Italy, and is the only official language of Andorra) it's pointless to speak it. Check out my Catalan phrases and pronunciation guides for more information on some useful phrases in this beautiful language!
Barcelona has its own history
Barcelona is right now one of the most important cities in Spain, as it is the biotech capital of the country, and a vast amount of medical research is done in the city's hospitals. It's quite easy to not realize, however, that most of Barcelona's history occurred without any influence from what we now consider Spain or Madrid. The earliest known settlements in the area now called Barcelona are unknown, but there were Iberian people (a pre-Roman people group living in most of the Eastern Iberian Peninsula) who called the settlement Barkénon, which the Romans called Barcino when they settled around the ... BCE. From that point on, it was consistently populated, and controlled by Visigoths, Arabs (for a very short period of time), and then Franks. The dynasty of Counts of Barcelona that was put in place to rule the city by the Franks ended in the 1600s! This was after the title of Count of Barcelona became merged with the Crown of Aragon. The Crown of Aragon was separate from Castile, the other major kingdom in what we now know as Spain until 146... when Ferdinand II of Aragon married Isabella of Castile. The same couple who funded Columbus's voyage across the Atlantic (and expelled the Muslims and Jews from Spain). Aragon, and Barcelona, controlled most of the Mediterranean for hundreds of years, and for most of its history, the city was completely separate from what we call Spain. They spoke Catalan up until 1715 when the central government in Madrid enforced a Spanish-only judicial system and banned using Catalan in government, a policy which remained in place until the 1930s in some shape or form, only to have it banned again during the Franco dictatorship.
There's a reason why Catalans, and Barcelonans as a whole, take great pride in their city and homeland! When you see graffiti around Barcelona that announces "Catalonia is not Spain", this is why. You don't have to agree, but at the very least, please be respectful!
Locals don't shorten the name of the city to "Barça"
There's nothing saying that you can't call it "Barça" and locals generally know what you mean when you call it that, but it does make everyone know you're a tourist (I mean, a lot of people are totally cool with that and if that's you, I love that for you!). Locals refer to their city as "Barna" for short, and in writing it often appears as "BCN", like the airport code. "Barça" is only used to refer to the soccer/football club.
There's more to the city's architecture than GaudÃ
While Antoni Gaudà is definitely the city's favorite architect and by far the most famous (and with good reason!), he was one of three major architects actively designing and being commissioned works throughout the city. LluÃs Domènech i Muntaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch are the two other big names in Barcelona architecture, and their buildings, while a bit less famous than GaudÃ's, are just as impressive and beloved in the city. Everyone loves GaudÃ, but don't forget to appreciate the other works by Catalan architects as well, such as the Palau de la Música Catalana (in the Ribera district, designed by Domènech i Muntaner) and the Hospital de la Creu i Sant Pau (known as the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, located just up the Avinguda de Gaudà from the Sagrada FamÃlia, also by Domènech i Muntaner).
On a similar note, the Sagrada FamÃlia and Santa Maria del Mar are not cathedrals. While they are grand, beautiful churches, neither of them have a Bishop, which is crucial for the definition of a cathedral in Catholicism. They are both basilicas, a special designation given to them by the Roman Catholic church which recognizes them as having spiritual and cultural importance (as well as historical). A cathedral is often a basilica, but a basilica is not often a cathedral (there are far more basilicas than there are cathedrals). For non-Catholics I understand how this can be confusing or not important (I'm not Catholic myself so I do understand!), and while most Barcelonans are non-practicing Catholics, it is important in the world of Catholic nomenclature (the naming of objects). Ildefonso Falcones may have titled his book based on the construction of Santa Maria del Mar "Cathedral of the Sea" ("Catedral del mar" in Spanish), it is, unfortunately, not a cathedral. Barcelona already had one of those when the church was built.
Avoid eating at major landmarks and attractions
It's absolutely tempting to sit down and have lunch or dinner right next to a major landmark like the Sagrada FamÃlia or right in the middle of the Rambles, bear in mind that prices are going to be much higher than they are a block or two away, and the quality of the food is not going to be as good. If you're in a rush and the Five Guys or Taco Bell right across the street from the Sagrada FamÃlia is calling your name, that's one thing (And perfectly okay! I won't food shame here.). But if you're on the Rambles and feel the need to have your dinner there because those paellas on the menu look tempting... keep walking. Bars on the Rambles are notorious for being overpriced and low quality. The paellas are not freshly made and are way too expensive for what you actually get. It's not worth it. Trust me.
Pro tip: menus with the worst English translations tend to have the best food for the price.
Speaking of food and meals...
Avoid eating meals outside of the local mealtimes
If you're not used to Spanish and Catalan eating habits it can seem incredibly daunting to rearrange your meal schedule, but trust me, in Barcelona, you'll find you get the best eating experiences when you eat like a Catalan or Spaniard. It works like this:
Breakfast is between 8-10, sometimes 11, and is often a larger coffee like a cappuccino or latte (café con leche or cafè amb llet) and a croissant or another type of pastry or bread (you can eat the local favorite pa amb tomà quet, sometimes spelled ¨pa tomaca or pamtomaca" outside Catalonia, any time of day!). You can stop for another coffee around noon or twelve thirty, and a beer or glass of wine is perfectly acceptable as well, along with a plate or two of tapas. Around 2-4 is the main meal. If it's Sunday, all the locals are going out with their families for a family-sized paella (it's best with a large group, but don't feel bad if it's just you!). Paella is absolutely a meal eaten in the middle of the day as it can get way too heavy for a nighttime meal. Stop for another coffee or drink such as wine or beer and more tapas between 4-7, and then your evening meal is around 8-10 pm. You'll usually get better service and prices when you eat around these times since a lot of restaurants seem to jack up prices during meals when tourists usually stop to eat (12 pm for lunch and 6 pm for dinner), and the staff tends to be more polite. Of course, most places are used to tourist mealtimes so you can absolutely eat whenever and whatever you want. I also prefer Spanish mealtimes for myself and keep them even at home in the US, and I also do speak fluent Spanish and Catalan quite well, so your mileage may still vary. I do recommend taking coffee and drink breaks though! Spanish coffee is delicious, and there are excellent house wines (growing up in Spain turned me into a wine snob, and Spain makes excellent wines!) and beers on tap for relatively low prices.
Stay away from souvenir shops right next to major landmarks and attractions and avoid gimmicky souvenirs
As tempting as it can be to go to the souvenir shop right next to the place you just visited (or as you're walking along the Rambles), it's generally a bad idea to pick up anything here (unless it's an official store operated by the museum or landmark itself). The prices are generally higher than at random stores on random streets, and a lot of times their selection of goods is... questionable. Shirts that say "Barcelona University" or "Barcelona - Founded 1899 (or 1714)" are ill-advised and inaccurate: Barcelona is much older than 1899 and 1714, and while these dates are iconic and important in the history of the city (FC Barcelona was founded in 1899 and 1714 marks the end of the date of the Siege of Barcelona and when the city lost all of its autonomy), they have nothing to do with the "founding" of the city. It's much much much older than that. The university is Universitat de Barcelona, and bookstores near the university complex on the Gran Via de les Corts will have official versions for purchase. Feel free to get some other Barcelona-related souvenirs though... just not right next to major landmarks. Also, picking up anything referencing bullfighting is a bad idea mostly because it's tacky and a very controversial topic in Spain. Catalonia tried to ban bullfighting in 2010 and succeeded until 2016 when the Spanish Supreme Court claimed that banning events with "cultural heritage" was unconstitutional and so bullfighting had to be reinstated (but no bullfights have been held in Barcelona itself since 2011). Bullfighting is an unpopular activity in most of Spain (25% of Spaniards claim to be interested in it, which is relatively high, but still not a majority) and Barcelona in particular.
Still planning your trip? Don't book for August!
This is generally not a big issue for most Americans, but just in case... try not to book your European travels for August, especially to Spain. For one, August is typically the hottest month of the year. Temperatures go well above 40℃, over 90℉. For another, most Europeans travel around this time, so most of the people you'll see wandering around are not going to be locals as they're all off visiting somewhere else. It's really hard to get a local experience and get an idea of the local culture when there are no locals! And again... it's obscenely hot. Oppressively so. If you're already booked for August... just be aware of the heat and the fact that many of the locals are on vacation themselves.
Don't be afraid to take public transportation
Barcelona is an extremely well-connected city, both inside and outside the city. You have underground train options, commuter train options, regional train options, long-distance rail options, light rail/tram options, bus options, taxis, rideshares, etc. It's also very walkable. A lot of people are afraid of taking public transit when traveling to other cities, especially those from North America since our public transit options can be iffy at best. I can't say I blame y'all. What I will say though is that the Barcelona Metro system (which incorporates just about all the transportation options in the city aside from regional and long-distance trains as well as taxis and rideshare) is very extensive and relatively easy to get around. If time is your enemy, it's the easiest and most economical option to get from A to B. You can find trip planning and routes on the TMB.cat website, and you can pick up maps of the subway/metro system in every metro station and at the airport itself when you arrive.
Do you have any other questions regarding things to be aware of in Barcelona? Let me know in the comments!