"There are two Barcelonas," said Alberto, a friend, as we cycled on the streets of Barcelona, "one on the east side of the Diagonal and one on its west." We were biking on the Avinguda Diagonal, which is Barcelona's broadest and arguably the most important street. Avinguda Diagonal cuts the city into two halves, diagonally, hence the name. The construction of the street started in 1859, till it came into its current form in the 1970s. I was intrigued by Alberto's comment on two Barcelonas, so I asked him to elaborate.
"The least poverty-affected areas where the wealthier bunch of people dwell are concentrated in the northwest of Barcelona, the upper half of the Diagonal. A person living in the northwest has, on an average, eight more years of life expectancy than someone living on the other side of the Diagonal."
Surprised, I looked around. To my untrained eye, I saw signs of only one big metropolitan—crowds of people moving in tandem with a sense of urgency. Poverty was nowhere to be seen, but then I was cruising on the finest streets of the city. "Stop," a voice from a random stranger forced me to brake. Lost in thoughts, I had mistakenly cycled onto the pedestrian path missing the traffic light that had turned amber a few seconds back.
Daniele, our biking tour guide, came to my rescue. "They are still defining biking routes in the city, and there is always confusion," she said.
I had arrived in Barcelona a few days ago. A walker by choice, I had planned to explore the city on foot. It's a big city, I was told, and cycling would be the better way to move around it. So, I hopped on a bike tour with Daniele, who guided Alberto, me, and a bunch of friends around the city.
Barcelona, the Catalan capital, is rich in historic sites and classic tourist activities. There's no better place to start than studying the architecture of Gaudi, captured in buildings, parks and cathedrals that punctuate the city. Daniele first took us to Passeig de Gràcia, where we stopped at Casa Milà. "Gaudi was always inspired by nature," Daniele said, "and here you can see the curves on the building inspired by the sea."
The balconies carried an unconventional rough-hewn appearance marked in wrought iron, apparently inspired by the rough waves of the sea. We biked along to perhaps the most famous of Gaudi's masterpieces -cathedral Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia is always under construction, or so it seemed to me. Though I had been to this cathedral before, it was worth a visit again to see the latest progress.
"It will finally finish in another dozen or so years," said Daniele with a touch of wistfulness. We biked across the Arc de Triomf, constructed in 1888 when Barcelona hosted the Universal Exhibition and built it as a gateway to the fair. The monument was inspired by its counterpart in Paris and has become one of the city's iconic landmarks.
Next on our stop was the Olympic Village, built for the athletes who participated in the 1992 Olympic Games. To build it, a significant stretch of the seafront was recovered and converted into an artificial beach and a five km-long promenade.
As we continued along the promenade, I noticed how active the city dwellers were. In front of them, my cycling seemed less of a sport, and I chastised myself for taking it so easy. However, we were reaching the end of the tour, and I searched for a beachside restaurant to eat at.
As we parked our bikes and walked in the cool evening breeze, I was reminded again of what Alberto had told me at the tour's beginning. Barcelona is not one city but two, dissected by the Diagonal and each burdened by its realities. I had remained stuck to the more affluent part of the city, carefully avoiding its poorer half. Could I then claim that I have genuinely visited Barcelona?
I resolved to come back again, this time to study the other half of the city.
There are no direct flights to Barcelona from India, but multiple airlines offer flights with one stop-over.
The best time to visit Barcelona is during the shoulder seasons, from May to June and September to October, for pleasant weather and fewer crowds. These months offer a balance between comfortable temperatures, fewer tourists, and various festivals and events.
Try timing your travels with the Barcelona Grand Prix race weekend, when the city lights up with motorsports enthusiasts.
During the Formula 1 excitement in Barcelona, the city offers a host of activities for racing fans. Travellers can explore the iconic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the grounds for the Spanish Grand Prix 2025, and even try their luck in copping tickets for the Pit Lane Walk. Consider the Grandstand A for prime views of the best overtaking spot. During this time, driver appearances and fan activities are common in the city, details of which can be found across social media platforms.
If you're looking for things to do in Barcelona beyond the race track during the race weekend, visit Basílica de la Sagrada Família (Gaudi's masterpiece church), Park Güell (a whimsical park by Gaudi), Las Ramblas (a street lined by shops), Picasso Museum, and Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, to name a few.
Indians require a Schengen visa to visit Barcelona in Spain. The tourist visa for Spain caters for people wishing to stay in the country for a period maximum three months and may be applied if the person does not have a guarantor in Spain and buys a tour in a travel agency, or make a booking of tickets and hotel.
Barcelona has a host of accommodation options, ranging from luxury to mid-scale. If you're looking for hostels, this guide will help.
This story was first published on December 27, 2022; and it has since been updated.