Hotel Vela and Barceloneta Beach

My perfect day in Barcelona starts early. I want to make the most of it, so I get up before daybreak, at around five am. Bleary-eyed, and still half asleep, I wander into the kitchen and refill the moka pot that sits on the hob.

As I wait for the coffee to bubble up into the top part of the pot, I hurriedly pull on my board shorts and a long-sleeved rash vest before dragging my inflatable SUP down from on top of the wardrobe.

I half fill a mug with steaming coffee, then top it up with cold milk so that it’s cool enough to drink. It doesn’t taste great, but I haven’t time to wait for the bar on the corner to open, and I need my early morning caffeine fix.

I guzzle down the brown elixir and quickly pack the pump, 3-part paddle and a bottle of water into the oversized rucksack with the paddleboard. Flip flops on, and I’m out the door, hurrying downstairs to the street on my way to the metro. Read the rest of this article…

My perfect day would be a spring day, between late May and early June. But we are in February, and Barcelona is also beautiful in winter.

Your only objective for a day of leisure in Barcelona is to abandon yourself to the pleasures that the city has to offer.

First, as a good foodie, I need to think about where to get the best breakfast. A relaxed place where I can read the newspaper and eat the best croissant in town. Hofmann La Seca (Carrer dels Flassaders, 40) in the Born district is definitely my choice. In addition to a latte I order a croissant filled with raspberry or maybe mascarpone, it is difficult to choose, I will order both. Reading newspapers or a good book while time goes by without being noticed is a basic principle of pleasure.

Nuria’s favourite breakfast at Hofmann La Seca, Carrer dels Flassaders, 40

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Romans in Barcelona? Really? Yes, Barcelona can be traced back to an ancient Roman settlement from 218 B.C. called Barcino! You might not be aware of this – after all, Barcelona is much better known for its Gothic district or Gaudí and modernism.

But Barcelona has some exciting museums on ancient Roman times to offer too! So, let’s take a tour of the Barcelona museums landscape.

We’ll also cover some more must-see Barcelona museums from other eras, including contemporary art, which can be found all over Barcelona as well – because Barcelona is international, up to date, and always goes with the times!

Barcelona’s Underworld?

In Barcelona’s City History Museum, you can experience the city’s past in an unusual way. All seems fairly normal when you enter the palace, but then the adventure begins: You enter an elevator and go from today’s Barcelona down into Roman Barcino – to the underworld, so to speak…

Visitors can explore each dig site by walking along footbridges. Among them are an old wash-house, a wine cellar, and a fishery – the history is so close you can almost feel it.

Want to be close to Columbus as well? Then get ready: the museum exit passes through the old royal palace. Here you can make a quick detour to the “Sala Tinell”, the hall where, according to legend, Columbus presented the first of his bounties from the New World to Queen Isabella I in 1493.

A Roman jug at Museu d’Història de Barcelona
© Céline Mülich, 2013-2016 | Courtesy of Museu d’Història de Barcelona

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My perfect day would be a Friday in September. The city still maintains its business rhythm and schedule (the banks are open, you still can experience rush hour on the metro, with the intervals between the trains short and frequent). However, you already notice that the aura is more relaxed today and there is a foretaste of weekends in air.

Barcelona’s Golden Autumn (El verano de Sant Marti)

I really adore Barcelona’s Golden Autumn. The locals call it “El verano de Sant Marti”. The weather now is not that killingly hot, but it’s still warm and sunny. The bright colors of nature inevitably instigate me to go outside for a long walk around the city with my photo camera. The noise of crispy platan leaves under my feet immediately raises my spirits. Read the rest of this article…

Satan’s Coffee Corner, now in Barri Gòtic

I found my way to Barcelona about 8 years ago, with not much of a definite plan or a clear idea of how long I was planning on staying. I was in my early twenties at the time and the only thing I had a complete certainty for was photography. I found my way to IDEP where I ended up getting my bachelor degree and staying in this wonderful city for as long as I have.

I have developed a rather strange relationship with the Barcelona over the years, I love it and hate it and then love it again! But it has now become my home away from home.

A few years back I moved to Raval, where I now spend most of my days and it’s hands down one of my favourite areas of the city. In my daily routine I try to spread the local love and support my friends and small local businesses. I would start my day with coffee – it’s the one thing that never fails to get me out of bed. Read the rest of this article…