Panoramic view of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter in the evening

Is Barcelona safe?

Find out how safe the city is for tourists and check out our tips to make your trip extra safe.
By Robert Heaney

Stay safe in the city with our Barcelona safety guide.

When planning a trip, it’s sensible to figure out ways of making your visit as safe as possible for yourself. Wherever you go, there are always going to be risks, and it’s always advisable to keep yourself in the know.

While reading up on Barcelona, you may find yourself presented with many conflicting opinions on the overall safety of visiting the Catalan capital. We’re going to explore the factors that go into the general safety rating of a destination, and help you ultimately answer the question of whether Barcelona is safe for tourists.

Crime

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First and foremost, the single most prudent thing provisional visitors to Barcelona will want to know is the overall presence of crime throughout the city. You can naturally expect a moderate level of crime in any city of this size and prominence. It should be noted, however, that any malicious action against tourists is exceedingly rare in Barcelona.

That being said, something to be very much aware of is petty crime. Barcelona has been dubbed time and again the pickpocket capital of Europe, often sharing its title with the likes of Rome and Prague. And while on the whole tourists should be very safe here, petty criminals are most likely to target unsuspecting visitors.

Any areas that tend to be packed with tourists, such as around the Sagrada Familia, metro stations and crowds around street performers, are perfect hunting grounds for pickpockets. La Rambla is particularly notorious for both pickpockets and scammers, as perhaps the most popular street in the city.

Pickpockets are innovative and opportunistic. Some may simply attempt to discreetly remove your possessions from your person, while others may bump into you or ask for directions to distract you while an accomplice takes this opportunity to scout out your valuables.

As such, you should be sure to keep all of your valuables in a place where they can’t easily be grabbed. Back pockets are an absolute no-no, as are the outer pockets on any bags you may be carrying. Better yet, try to avoid carrying any valuables that aren’t entirely necessary, and try not to engage with suspicious individuals.

Scams

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It’s an unfortunate truth when it comes to travel that wherever there are tourists, there will also be scammers looking to take advantage. Scammers know that visitors aren’t going to be as savvy and in-the-know as locals to the area, making them a prime target.

Scam artists are constantly reinventing their game to try to catch people out, and it’s therefore impossible to create an exhaustive list of all of the scams to watch out for. However, there are a number of tricks that are known to have been prevalent in Barcelona for some time. Among the most common are:

Impostor Tourists – Thieves dressed as tourists (think strikingly out-of-place clothing, perhaps a map or camera in hand) may approach asking for directions or money. Roles may be reversed, with the scammers acting as friendly locals looking to give directions. This is often a ruse to distract you while an accomplice discretely picks your pockets.

Floral Fraud – Individuals may ‘gift’ you an individual flower (or other such object) before demanding payment, only to attempt to take your money once your wallet is exposed or pressure you to pay an outrageous price.

Street Performers/Artists – Much like the case above, busy tourist areas are full of supposed ‘performers’ who will pressure you for money after jumping in your photos or handing you a bracelet or some other such trinket.

Street Vendors – Found in just about any tourist hotspot in Barcelona, these street merchants sell everything from bootleg designer products to tacky souvenirs. Most of these are not licensed vendors and none of their products are high-quality.

Their goods will often be displayed on a large piece of cloth which allows them to easily pack them away and make a break for it if the authorities come to pay a visit.

Safety Tips

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The above information is intended simply as caution of the small few risks you may face on a trip to Barcelona. On the whole, Barcelona is very safe for tourists, but you should still take precautions to ensure your utmost safety.

In general, it’s always smart to have your wits about you whenever you’re out in public. Listed below are some tips to help you keep both yourself and your possessions safe wherever you go.

  • Never carry your phone, wallet or other valuables in your back pockets
  • Never leave your possessions unattended
  • Avoid carrying all of your cash and cards in one place
  • Try to carry as few valuables as possible at any given time
  • Always be skeptical of strangers approaching you in public
  • Avoid allowing any stranger to come close enough to touch you
  • Report any instance of theft to your nearest police officer
  • Call 112 if you are in need of any police assistance or emergency services
  • Above all else, trust your intuition

Is Barcelona Safe?

Overall, Barcelona is an incredibly safe destination for tourists. The city sees huge waves of visitors year-round, and the majority never report having had any trouble. While pickpocketing, scams and petty theft are rife, they should be avoidable as long as you know what to watch out for.

As with anything, you should take all external opinions on the city with a pinch of salt. While a number of sources may claim that Barcelona is unsafe for tourists, these are likely people who were unfortunate enough to be caught out by some of the city’s many scams and tourist traps.

If you can look past its shortcomings, you’re likely to find Barcelona a wonderful place to visit. Rich with culture, cuisine and outstanding architecture, this is not a city to be missed simply for the sake of a few bad eggs. Be sure to do everything you can to keep yourself safe, but try not to allow these risks to sour your view of this vibrant metropolis.

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Art at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona (Image credit: Museu Picasso)
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Museu Picasso vs Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - (MNAC) Comparison

Barcelona has quite the pedigree when it comes to art. Not to put too fine a point on it, we’re talking about the self-same region that nurtured Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. Heck, this part of Spain is about as central to the development of European art as just about anywhere else on the continent. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the city’s fine art museums, among which the extraordinary Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and epic Museu Picasso are among the very best. We took a closer look at these two titans of the Barça art scene, including a little bit of history and the treasures you can expect to find within… Museu Picasso: The Lowdown Vital Statistics: Opened in 1963, Barcelona’s Museu Picasso was the world’s first museum dedicated entirely to the maestro’s work, and the only one to open in his lifetime. Even today, the museum’s collection of 4,000+ pieces, located in the very neighborhood where Picasso lived and studied as a teenager, makes it one of the three largest Picasso collections on the planet, alongside the Picasso Museum in Paris, and the mighty Prado in Madrid. The museum attracts over a million visitors annually. Picasso Museum in Brief: Picasso’s fledgling art career first took wing in the medieval streets of the medieval Gothic Quarter. Here’s where he lived with his family, studied at the School of Fine Arts, and found inspiration for his celebrated ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon’ at a Carrer d'Avinyó brothel. It’s appropriate then that this extensive collection of his work – and particularly his earlier, pre-Cubist work – should be exhibited here, close to the very neighborhood Picasso once called home. This is no ordinary museum either. Art of this quality deserves a setting just as impressive, and the series of five adjoining medieval palaces in Le Ribera, in which the collection is housed, more than delivers. The mind-boggling number of exhibits (some 4,251 at last count) is helpfully organized into sections that primarily cover Picasso’s early years, training period and celebrated Blue Period, taking in a fairly substantial hoard of sketches and paintings from those eras, as well as a much smaller collection of pieces from his Cubist period and beyond. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya: The Lowdown Vital Statistics: A stalwart of the Barcelona art scene since 1934, MNAC is *the* go-to for anyone with even a passing interest in Catalan art from the last 1,000 years. Set high on Montjuïc hill, this majestic collection is displayed within the historic Palau Nacional, a jaw-dropping confection that marries elements of St Peter's Basilica, Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, and other major masterpieces of European architecture. Something of a work of art in its own right then, this palatial Italian-style confection also just happens to command some of the best Barcelona panoramas in town. No wonder then that it draws in a similar number of tourists to the Picasso Museum – around a million – every year. MNAC in Brief: Go for the art and stay for the sweeping city views: visitors to the museum enjoy access to the roof terrace for unrivaled panoramas of the skyline, taking in everything from the Montjuïc Magic Fountain below to the familiar lines and angles of the Sagrada Família, and the Mediterranean beyond. It’s worth taking a peek inside too, of course. For here’s where you can marvel at Romanesque religious murals par excellence, lovingly transported here from crumbling medieval churches in the Pyrenees, as well as key pieces from the Gothic and Renaissance eras, and some of the modern masterworks that inspired Dalí, Picasso, Gaudí and Miró. In summary, MNAC boasts what is quite possibly (nay, almost certainly) the finest collection of Catalan art, ancient and modern, on this planet we call Earth. Museu Picasso: Highlights & What to Expect The Museu Picasso works hard to convey the artist’s relationship with Barcelona, from the formative years spent learning his craft in this very district to his continuing connection with the city in death. Guided tours of the local neighborhood flesh this out, revealing Picasso’s family homes, teenage hangouts and more. One such tour is included with a Barcelona pass from Go City, which also includes entry to the museum, as well as other Barcelona attractions including Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família. Find out more about the Barcelona pass and buy yours here. Cool fact: during renovations in 1960, the Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca were discovered concealed beneath plaster in Palau Aguilar, one of the five medieval palaces in which Museu Picasso is housed. Considered a masterpiece of 13th-century Catalan art, these magnificent murals now form the focal point of the Gothic galleries at MNAC. Back to the present day Museu Picasso now, where highlights include: ‘The First Communion’ and ‘Science and Charity’. Some of his earliest major works, these oil paintings date from 1896-1897, when Picasso was still a teenager. Must-see Blue Period works at the museum include ‘The Dead Woman’, a striking portrait of a recently deceased subject, rendered in the trademark sickly blues and greens Picasso favored between 1901 and 1904. In 1957, Picasso set about re-imagining Velazquez’s iconic 17th-century royal portrait ‘Las Meninas’, bringing his own inimitable style to the project across 58 (count ‘em) separate paintings. The resulting collection, displayed in its entirety here is, quite frankly, unmissable. MNAC: Highlights & What to Expect  For an overview of Catalan art across the centuries, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is second-to-none, taking in everything from medieval Romanesque and Gothic murals to Renaissance masterpieces and modern art. Highlights of this 300,000-strong collection are many, but here are a few you absolutely must not miss: Baroque and Renaissance Spanish art provides some of the museum’s undisputed highlights. We’re talking masterpieces from the likes of El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán and more. Don’t miss one of the collection’s signature pieces: the unsettling ‘Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew’ by José de Ribera’, in which the titular Bart’s desperate, pleading eyes seem to meet the gaze of the unsuspecting viewer (i.e. you). Murals including the Master of Taull’s majestic ‘Apse of St Taull’ and the epic Linear Gothic Catalan masterpiece that is the Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca, are among some of the finest examples of early medieval Romanesque art anywhere on the planet. The modern art collection covers around 150 years from the early 19th century onwards, with Romantic, realist and neoclassical pieces that preempt the work of Gaudí, Miró, Picasso et al. Check out sculptures by Campeny and the Vallmitjana brothers, and paintings by Flaugier and Fortuny, for the win. Top tip: admission to MNAC is free after 3PM on Saturdays and on the first Sunday of each month. You can book tickets for these as well as paid entry slots here. Save on Attractions, Tours and Activities in Barcelona Save money on Barcelona attractions, tours and activities with a pass from Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
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Shopping in Barcelona

Sights, sunshine... whilst there’s no shortage of reasons to visit the cosmopolitan capital of Catalonia, shopping in Barcelona is pretty high on the list. As well as being home to some of the best markets in Europe, the city boasts one of the biggest open-air shopping routes. The Barcelona Shopping Line covers five whole kilometers of retail paradise, winding from Port Vell to uptown Diagonal, along La Rambla, through the historic centre and into the Eixample district. So whether you’re a determined shopaholic, a savvy souvenir hunter or simply browsing in between gazing at Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces, you might want to save some room in your suitcase. From bijou boutiques to big name brands, discount designer-wear to the locals’ favourite deli, let us help you pack your bags...with bargains! Best markets in Barcelona Barcelona’s markets are famous the world over with food, fruit and vegetables, art, books and bric-a-brac piled high for your delight. Why not join the Ancient Markets Walking Tour to drop in on a few of them, whilst exploring the ancient streets of the Barrio Gótico (Gothic Quarter)? Mercat de la Boqueria Barcelona’s famous market, La Boqueria, is a must-do destination for visitors. Enter through its distinctive Art Deco arch from La Rambla and your senses go into overdrive. Crowds of locals and tourists jostle amid rainbow fruit and vegetable displays, brightly coloured smoothies, open-mouthed fish, zingy spices and mountains of meat, cheese, chocolate and much more. Once you’ve selected your savoury souvenirs - or picked up perfect picnic ingredients - perhaps you’ll pause at one of the food trucks for a churro dipped in hot chocolate or a chilled glass of Cava? Mercat de Sant Antoni Over in the Eixample District, outside stalls sell clothes and homewares whilst, housed in an impressive steel structure that spans an entire block, you’ll find more tempting displays of fresh fruit, veg, meat and seafood. On Sundays the market transforms into a magnet for memorabilia collectors - second-hand books, stamps, coins, comics and magazines are all on offer, alongside vintage clothing, handmade homewares and hand-crafted jewellery. Mercat dels Encants Meanwhile, at Barcelona’s famous flea market, remember that one person’s trash is another’s treasure! Amid the random rubbish keep your eyes peeled for gems amongst the second hand clothes, books and especially furniture. This chaotic temple of sustainability is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Get there early for the best bargains at the 8am auctions, then pop back at midday when unsold items are reduced! Mercadillo de la Plaça de Sant Josep If you’re in the market (see what we did there) for some art to remind you of the beauty of Barcelona, this small but perfectly formed market is made up of Catalan artists, their easels nestled in the shadow of the church. From watercolours to oils, their work covers every style and medium - and sometimes they are joined by musicians or fortune-tellers to add to the boho vibe. Go see. Best shopping streets in Barcelona Of course, if sifting through stalls is not your scene there are many, many stupendous stores! But where to start? Here’s a retail rundown of some of Barcelona’s best shopping areas for high street names, designer boutiques and more besides. Plaza de Catalunya is not only the city’s main square and meeting point but a buzzy retail hub. Just off the square, Calle Pelai is packed with fashion stores, whilst a giant neon thermometer hanging over Portal del Angel shows you it’s a shopping hot-spot for European fashion chains including Zara, Pull & Bear, Benetton, H&M and Berska. Look out for quirky independent stores too - and delicious snacks including turrón (a kind of nougat) and artisan ice-cream. Paseo de Gràcia (Passeig de Gràcia in Catalan) is one of Barcelona’s most elegant promenades, home to both designer stores and high street names, as well as distinctive Art Nouveau buildings including Antoni Gaudi’s visionary Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. Running parallel, the equally lively Rambla de Catalunya is also packed with high end stores - not only clothes but beauty products, electronics and unique furniture. Both streets run into Avenida Diagonal, the place to be for international luxury brands including Calvin Klein, Armani, Versace and Gucci. To the south of La Rambla, the Raval district is popular with those seeking alternative shops. Vintage lovers should head to Calle Riera Baixia and look out for ethnic, Goth and handmade clothes on Calle Tallers. Nearby Sant Antoni sees less tourists but boasts some of the best book shops in Barcelona. For the best boho vibe however, head to the oldest parts of the city. The narrow winding streets of El Born and the Barrio Gòtic are packed with not only upmarket stores but independent shops selling antiques, books, handmade clothes, hats, cutlery and gifts galore. Best for designer bargains Barcelona is full of big name brands but to bag some at a fraction of the usual price you’ll need to hop on the bus to La Roca Village, part of the same outlet group as London’s famous Bicester Village. This fantastic designer mall, just 30 minutes from the centre, is designed to look like a Spanish town centre, with Gaudi-style mosaics and colourful plants but savvy shoppers come for the discounts not the decor, enjoying savings of up 60% off usual retail prices. Grab your credit card and run amok in almost one thousand boutique stores featuring Spanish fashion and luxury brands like Desigual, Loewe and Balenciaga - and international names including Prada, Burberry, Gucci and Jimmy Choo. Best shops for souvenirs FC Botiga Since FC Barcelona is one of the world’s biggest football teams, fans won’t want to miss their chance to pick up memorabilia featuring the famous red and blue colours. Take the tour at Camp Nou, Europe’s largest football stadium, then visit the FC Botiga Megastore to pick up and personalize some team kit. You’ll find three whole floors crammed with Barcelona football shirts, scarves, hats, balls, boots and signed team photos. There are several more official FC Barcelona stores around the city, including in Barri Gòtic and Eixample. See what you can score. La Capell Part of the Collegi de Arquitectes in the Gothic Quarter and originally opened as a bookstore dedicated to architecture and art, this is now a fabulous three-storey gift store of uniquely designed souvenirs from Barcelona. The mural outside was designed by Picasso and the gadgets, toys, jewellery, stationery, furniture, homeware and gourmet gifts inside are equally original. Best for chocolate lovers From handcrafted bon bons to hot chocolate to churros and even a chocolate museum, Barcelona is heaven for chocolate lovers. Pasteleria Escriba is one of the most famous chocolate shops in Barcelona. Its flagship store in the Antigua Casa Figueras has been open on La Rambla since 1906 and its edible murals, chocolate sculptures and spectacular displays are as intricate and popular as the building’s unique facade. Xocoa For a more contemporary take on chocolate follow your nose to over 15 Xocoa boutiques around the city. At Petritxol Xocoa, the original store in the old city, you’ll find a cafe, bakery and endless irresistible creations presented in super chic packaging. Look out for chocolate beauty products, exotically flavoured chocolate bars including orange, rosemary, Jamaican pepper and green tea and, even better, chocolate beer! Best department store If you still don’t know where to find what you’re looking for, make tracks for El Cortes Inglés; after all it’s hard to miss the huge brutalist concrete building looming over the Plaça de Catalunya. It’s much prettier inside though, with 9 endless floors of...well everything you can think of... from fashion to furniture, kitchenware to a cosmetics floor to die for. You’ll either find just what you need or, should you be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of availability, maybe just take the lift to the top floor, enjoy the view of the square and plan where you’ll go next - with Go City.
Jo Cooke
sagrada
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Sagrada Familia

Gaudí is one of the world's most famous architects. Such was his influence at the beginning of the 20th-century, you'll find his work all over his native Barcelona. His greatest achievement is undoubtedly La Sagrada Familia, a huge monument to Gaudí's faith. So, let's take a deep dive into La Sagrada Familia, and discover why it absolutely has to be on your itinerary! What is La Sagrada Familia? To put it simply, La Sagrada Familia is a temple that was designed by world-famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. It was considered his Magnum Opus, but he was unable to finish it before his death more than 100 years ago. To this day, the monument has yet to be finished, and work continues to this day. Who was Antoni Gaudí? Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Catalan architect born in 1852. His unique style, characterized by the marriage of neo-Gothic art, Oriental art techniques, and a fascination with nature and the human body, led the Catalan Modernism movement. A Barcelona local, his creations are found predominantly in the city. Rather than working from sketches, Gaudí preferred creating detailed 3D models of his would-be buildings before construction. This often meant more time spent in pre-production than many other architects of his time, but is likely part of the reason his works remain so unique to this day. History of La Sagrada Família The idea for La Sagrada Familia was conceived in 1872, after bookseller and prominent religious organizer Josep Maria Bocabella returned from the Vatican. After seeing the Basilica Della Santa Casa, or Basilica of the Holy House), he wanted to create a similar church in Barcelona. Josep approached famed Catalan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, who planned to create an authentic Gothic revival church. Work began in 1882, but Villar only oversaw the creation of the apse crypt before resigning from his position in 1883. That's when our man Gaudí stepped in. After radically redesigning the building, work continued, and he was appointed architect director one year later. But Gaudí knew his design would take many years to come to fruition. Thankfully, Josep didn't mind this; the work, and the time it would take to finish it, would speak for itself. However, nearly forty years later, only 20% of the work was complete. And worse yet, Gaudí soon passed away, leaving his understudy Domènec Sugrañes i Gras to carry on in his stead. In fact, both Gaudí and Maria Bocabella are the only two people to be laid to rest in the crypt. Then, tragedy struck. The Spanish Civil War led to parts of the building being destroyed and the plans being badly burnt. Therefore, once the war was over, it took over 15 years to reconstruct his original plans from early concepts and undamaged sections. In the years since, many architects have taken control of the project. And now, nearly 150 years after the project was conceived, it's almost complete. La Sagrada Familia design and influences Every inch of the church is symbolic of important elements of Christianity. Originally, eighteen spires were planned, symbolizing Jesus, his twelve disciples, the Virgin Mary, and the four Evangelists (Luke, Mathew, John, and Mark). However, to date, only nine have been completed. A religious man himself, Gaudí insisted that the largest spire, dedicated to Jesus, be shorter than Montjuïc Hill, so as not to surpass divine creation. The three grand façades are similarly dedicated to important moments in the faith; the Nativity represents the birth of Jesus and life itself, the Passion of his sacrifice, and the Glory of his everlasting reign. Each has its fair share of iconic imagery, ranging from life-affirming to torment. The interior of the church is a feast for the eyes, with geometric shapes intersecting throughout the pillars and the ceiling. No single surface is flat, as abstract shapes undulate with curves, twists, and jagged edges. Gaudí's style influenced the Cubism movement, and you can see as much in the church's design. Visiting La Sagrada Familia La Sagrada Familia is easily one of Barcelona's most prominent tourist spots, with thousands of people visiting the breathtaking building every year. And the best way to see it is by taking a guided tour. Your experienced guide will give you insight into every exciting part of its design, from inside to out. They'll unravel every hidden element of symbolism not covered above, and leave you with a newfound appreciation for Gaudí's work. However, as one of the city's most visited places, you have to book ahead if you want to get a spot. And expect to be among crowds, which has taken on a whole new meaning after recent events! If you'd rather skip all that and see the church from a different perspective, why not take a Virtual 360 tour of the building without even setting a foot inside? Thanks to the power of virtual reality technology, you can explore every surface up close, all while standing outdoors, away from the hustle and bustle of the church's innards! What would Gaudí think about that? We're sure he'd be impressed. Other Gaudí Highlights Of course, La Sagrada Familia is just one of Gaudí's many creations in Barcelona! You could stroll around Park Güell and see his many unique creations, including the salamander mosaic El Drac, and ascend the rib-like staircase to the Porter's Lodge. Why not visit Casa Batlló? It's a homestead turned tourist attraction that's often considered the epitome of Gaudí's finished works. Or, take a trip to the ghoulish-looking La Pedrera, with its limestone-chiseled walls mimicking bleached bone. Alternatively, go back to where it all began at Casa Vicens, Gaudí's first-ever architectural work. Perhaps this all seems a bit pedestrian? If you want to see Gaudí's creations through a different lens, head to the Gaudí Experience 4D and take a breathtaking digital ride through his life, times, and influences. If getting to all of these on your vacation seems a struggle, board a hop-on hop-off bus tour and get to them all in a single day! And that's everything you need to know about La Sagrada Familia!
Dom Bewley

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