If you are considering moving and living in Barcelona or you just plan to travel for an amazing holiday, here are some facts about why Barcelona is a great city for travellers and especially for living here.
Sea, Sun, Sand… and Mountains
Probably you expected this already. If not, well, good news, Barcelona is sunny all year long. It has an average of 2,524 yearly hours of full sun. If you think that Summers are great in Barcelona, you should see the “cold” seasons! Whenever I talk with friends or family from Austria or Romania, they are quite jealous of how much sunshine this city offers.
So, if you are a sun baby, Barcelona is your place to be!
Hikes on a mountain, in a forest, or sunbathing on a beach?! THEY ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN BARCELONA. Whatever your needs are, whatever you are in to, Barcelona is the perfect habitat for all kinds of activities. I highly recommand hiking on Montserrat.
Barcelona has approximately 5 km of coastline and is split into multiple beaches. They start from the W Hotel (the tall sailing looking building) with St. Sebastian beach and end just before Besos river with “Platja del Forum” beach. One of the most popular beaches is Barceloneta – easy access and close to the city.
“Verduras y Fruiterias” everywhere
Fresh veggies and fruit shops are available at every corner in Barcelona. They are affordable and accessible to everyone. You might wonder what is so great about this?! Well, the veggies and fruits in Spain taste sooo much better than in the Northern European countries. I have never bought a bad avocado in Spain, never! Plus they are cheap.
The vibes, the chill vibes…
Spanish people are great. They are known for their expressiveness and happiness (might be the sun). They are always in a good mood and friendly, ready to have a quick chat, they make you feel welcomed.
What is cool here, is that sometimes the vendors are calling you “Guapa” or “Guapo” for the guys, which could highlight your day. It is great to see strangers that are genuinely nice and kind to you. The locals are so welcoming that they share recipes with you at the markets, or they are recommending you what good places to visit.
Nowadays, you rarely have the chance to see this kind of humane behaviour. It is definitely appreciated by me and I am sure by others in Barcelona as well.
Architecture and Gaudi
You will be amazed by the beauty of the buildings. The interesting part is that there are different architecture styles in different neighbourhoods.
In Eixample neighbourhood, for example, the streets are bigger than some other neighbourhoods, and they are designed in a well-known grid pattern. The constructions are in an octagonal position; providing in the middle a small courtyard for the inhabitants. The balconies have interesting and dissimilar patterns and the buildings are decorated with floral drawings or other motifs. The Catalan modernism architecture is a wonder to the eye. If you like the artworks of Gaudi than you are going to appreciate this neighbourhood.
Another strong architecture prominent in Barcelona is the gothic architecture that you can see in El Gotico neighbourhood. The narrow streets and dark buildings are a walk in the past. You can see the beauty in every building you pass.
Barcelona has so many different architectures that when you go from one neighbourhood to another is like you are travelling to another part of the world.
Expat Life
We are thousands here, and what is nice about it is that everybody helps each other. Compared to other European cities that I lived in, the ex-pats here are more open to socializing, interacting, having fun. There are different Facebook groups or meetup gatherings where you can always make new friends and meet other people. Whenever you have a problem or you just want to hang out with somebody, they are there for you. So you are welcome to join the groups, just look on Facebook for groups like: Barcelona Expats.
Fiestas
In Barcelona, they love to party. A lot!
I haven’t seen a city with so many organized festivals. The best fiestas are the neighbourhoods ones. Each neighbourhood is hosting different activities during the day and night. During these fiestas, Catalan traditions and neighbourhood life is celebrated. These festivals are called “Festes Majors”.
The best neighbourhood fiesta that I´ve been to so far, is the Gracia one – streets are uniquely decorated with arts and crafts and different genres of music are hosted. You can read more about all the “Fiestas Majores” from here.
Arts and culture
Music, painting, architecture, sculptures, you name it, you will find art in every corner of Barcelona. The buildings themselves are pieces of art.
Just by walking on the streets near the Cathedral, in El Born or Gotico neighbourhood, you will most likely find a musician entertaining the crowds. Barcelona is great for learning about new cultures, art and life itself.
This is the city of people who love art, people who are artists, people who are rebels and enjoy life.