20 things that will surprise first-time visitors to Barcelona

Although Barcelona is a hugely popular destination – to the point where checks and balances have been put in place in recent years to combat over-tourism – the city is still more than capable of surprising visitors, especially those experiencing it for the first time.

There are a lot of tourists … but the city is constantly working on it

Crowds at Barceloneta Beach.Credit: Getty Images

Before the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona drew less than 2 million tourists a year. Nowadays it gets around 12 million – an extraordinary number for a city of just over 1.5 million residents. This has prompted some official counter-actions, mostly from former mayor Ada Colau, such as limiting the number of hotel beds allowed in the city, banning new hotels in the historic centre, and opposing an extension of the airport. Guided tours are capped at 30 people and must provide headphones to keep noise levels down, and there is a tax for cruise passengers as well as an overnight tourist tax. These funds go towards local development projects and help decrease tourism’s carbon footprint in the city.

They’re not working so hard on the pickpocketing problem

Although Barcelona is generally a very safe city, almost every resident (and many a tourist) has a story about being pickpocketed or having phones or other items stolen from outdoor tables. This particular crime is especially rife around crowded tourist areas like La Rambla, the Sagrada Familia and busy central metro stations – believe the hype and stay vigilant. Keep your phone away when not using it, never leave it out on a table, and try not to withdraw cash alone at night, especially in the Raval area.

Public transport is fabulous

With 200 kilometres of bike lanes, e-bike rental is a great option.Credit: Getty Images

Barcelona is a wonderful city to walk around, but it’s also very large. Fortunately, public transport – metro, trams, buses, and a city and suburban rail service (FGC) – is easy to navigate, well-maintained and sustainable. If you’re planning on using the metro and buses, you can buy an unlimited ride ticket (the T-Usual pass) that lasts up to 30 days from most station ticket machines, using your passport number and credit card. Although the public bike-hire service is aimed at residents, you can rent bikes independently and still make use of more than 200 kilometres of bike lanes.

The main local language is Catalan, which is not Spanish

Barcelona, being the capital of Catalonia, has two official languages – Spanish and Catalan. The quickest way to offend a local is to assume that they are the same language or, even worse, that Catalan is a dialect of Spanish (it is not). While many locals will happily speak English or Spanish to tourists, it’s worth learning a couple of simple phrases: “Merci” means “thank you”, “Bon dia” means “Good morning”, and “Adeu” means “Goodbye”, for example.

There’s more than one Rambla

Modernista architecture of Rambla del Poblenou.Credit: Getty Images

Yes, La Rambla is the most famous street in Barcelona – but it’s not the only boulevard purpose-built for strolling. Others include the Rambla del Raval, which takes pedestrians through the multicultural Raval neighbourhood and is home to the famous Botero cat sculpture (it’s also close to MACBA contemporary art museum); and Rambla de Catalunya, parallel to Passeig de Gracia but much calmer, which makes for an upscale stroll past designer boutiques, private mansions and elegant cafes. And the Rambla del Poblenou runs from Avenida Diagonal through the Poblenou neighbourhood right down to the beach.

It’s not Barça, it’s Barna

It seems intuitive to use Barça (pronounced Bar-sa) as shorthand for Barcelona, but it’s actually used by locals to refer to FC Barcelona, the city’s football team. Many locals use “Barna” as an abbreviation for Barcelona instead. And speaking of the football club, it’s proudly owned by its 144,000 members (“socios”), making it one of the world’s most successful fan-owned clubs.

Barcelona had no beaches until 1992 – now they’re under threat

Barcelona’s beaches were artificially created for the 1992 Olympic Games.Credit: Getty Images

The city’s 4½ kilometres of beachfront were created for the 1992 Olympic Games by demolishing industrial buildings and importing sand from Egypt. The beaches are now one of Barcelona’s drawcards, but rising sea levels and winter storms have gradually been eroding the coastline, with 30,000 cubic metres of sand disappearing each year. Solutions are being urgently sought.

There are even more beaches outside the city (and they’re often better)

Evade the crowds … Garraf Beach, or Platja del Garraf.Credit: Getty Images

Barceloneta is Barcelona’s most famous beach and the easiest to access from the city – but it can also get quite crowded. Luckily, there are many beaches outside the city easily accessible by train. Some of the best include Montgat Nord, which has local character and clean beaches; Garraf, with its scenic bay and a restaurant designed by Gaudi (Bodegas Guell); and the charming town of Sitges, which has a string of fine-sand beaches, including the first gay nudist beach in the world, dating back to 1930.

Locals eat late … for a very interesting reason

The tradition of late-night dining has surprising origins dating back to WWII.Credit: Getty Images

Barcelona is famous for dining as late as 9pm or 10pm. But the reason is intriguing, leading back to World War II. Essentially, Spain’s time zone is incorrect – CET instead of GMT – because General Franco changed it to be more in sync with his Nazi allies. No one bothered to change it back, so meals, work times and even TV programming still tend to be an hour ahead of neighbouring countries such as Portugal. Nowadays, the ritual is fully absorbed into the culture, compensated by the tradition of bigger lunches (and a siesta) and smaller tapas portions for dinner.

Eating outside on a terrace can cost extra and tipping isn’t so customary

In line with many other European cities, restaurants are often charged more by local councils to operate outdoor terraces, and these charges are passed onto diners. So you may spot a la terraza (on the terrace) on the bill along with an extra charge of around 15 per cent, though it can vary and tends to be lower or even non-existent outside the centre. Note that a cover charge (cubierto) for cutlery, napkins or bread is illegal and you can ask for it to be removed; the same goes for pre-included service charges.

Shops are often closed on Sundays, but museums are sometimes free

Visit museums like Montjuic Castle for free on Sundays after 3pm.Credit: Getty Images

For much of the year, many high-street shops, shopping centres and malls are closed on Sundays, including the shops on Passeig de Gracia. Only smaller supermarkets and corner shops – and the occasional larger store with special permission – remain open. Balancing this out somewhat, many of Barcelona’s museums offer free admission on the first Sunday of each month, and some are free every Sunday – a good day to go since many are closed on Mondays.

Locals go bananas for giant spring onions in winter

Winter perfection … calcots with romesco sauce.Credit: Getty Images

Calçots, a large spring onion-type vegetable in season from January until March, are a really huge deal in Catalonia. Locals even say that someone’s popularity can be measured by the number of times they are invited to a calcotada to eat them. Barcelona and its surroundings are full of farmhouses and restaurants offering menus where groups come together to drink, wear bibs and make a delicious mess together. Bodega Joan and Can Punyetes are two places to sample this unique tradition.

Barcelona and its neighbouring regions are a paradise for oenophiles

Wine has been produced in Catalonia for over 2000 years and the region boasts 60,000 hectares of vineyards – plus over 30,000 hectares just for cava – making it the second-largest wine region in Spain. There are 12 designations of origin (Denominacio d’Origen; D.O. for short), of which Barcelona’s immediate regions have five types, and there are many wineries to visit in and around the city. See barcelonaturisme.com

Seven of its UNESCO-protected sites are by Antoni Gaudi (who was killed by a tram)

Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia remains one of the city’s most significant sites.Credit: Getty Images

They include Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, Casa Batllo, Park Guell, Palau Guell, and the Guell Crypt. The other two – Palau de la Musica Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau – were designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner. Gaudi died in tragic circumstances when he was run over by a tram on Gran Via in 1926. Mistaken for a beggar due to his unkempt appearance, he was taken to the Old Hospital de la Santa Creu in Raval, where he received medical attention. The next day a chaplain recognised the architect but it was too late; he died two days later.

Park Guell is a failed housing project

Park Guell came about by accident.Credit: Getty Images

Park Guell was originally intended as a housing project inspired by the Garden City Movement in the UK. The original idea was to build 60 villas on land acquired by the entrepreneur Eusebi Guell, but the plan was scrapped after only two model houses – designed by two of Gaudi’s contemporaries, Francesc Berenguer and Juli Batllevell – were built. The project’s exclusive nature and lack of adequate transport to the site made it undesirable for prospective buyers and it was abandoned in 1914.

Barcelona has its own Valentine’s Day … in April

On April 23, Barcelona celebrates Sant Jordi, the patron saint of Catalonia. The day has been celebrated since 1436 and is essentially the local version of Valentine’s Day, when men give women (wives, girlfriends, sisters, mothers) roses, and women give men books – a tradition that inspired UNESCO’s World Book Day. The Generalitat in Placa de Sant Jaume opens to the public and flower markets and book stalls pop up all over the city.

Barcelona is the only city to receive the Royal Gold Medal for architecture

Beyond Gaudi: the futuristic decks of Disseny Hub Barcelona, next to Agbar Tower.Credit: Getty Images

The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of a substantial contribution to international architecture. The honour has almost exclusively been awarded to individuals or groups since 1848, but in 1999, Barcelona became the only city to be awarded the prestigious medal in recognition of its radical urban transformation leading up to the 1992 Olympics.

Barcelona almost becoming the home of the Eiffel Tower? Fake news …

Barcelona’s copycat Arc de Triomf.Credit: Getty Images

There’s a popular tale that French engineer Gustave Eiffel wanted to build his famous tower in Barcelona, but the local authorities turned him down and it ended up being built in Paris. In actual fact, Barcelona did reject three different tower proposals at the time, which might have rivalled that of Paris – but none of them came from Eiffel. The city does, however, have a copy of the Arc de Triomphe, built by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair.

Bullfighting ended in Barcelona in 2012

Plaza Monumental de Barcelona was a bullring until bullfighting was forbidden in 2012.Credit: Getty Images

The Catalonia Parliament passed a law banning bullfighting on the grounds of animal cruelty in 2012. The city’s two main bullfighting arenas still exist though, in the shape of the Moorish-style Las Arenas built in 1900, which is now a shopping mall, and the Plaza Monumental, built in 1914 as the world’s only art nouveau bullfighting arena. Now used as a concert arena, it’s also home to a bullfighting museum.

There’s much to explore outside the city

The historic Jewish quarter in Girona.Credit: Getty Images

If you stay long enough, there are some excellent day trips to be had from Barcelona. As well as the beach trips already mentioned above, some of the best excursions include the Jewish quarter, Gothic cathedral and medieval centre of Girona (made more famous in recent times as a filming location for Game of Thrones); the wine and cava region of Penedes; the Dali museum at Figueres; the Roman ruins of Tarragona; and Montserrat with its mountain hiking and scenic Benedictine abbey. The best news? They can all be visited within a day by train.