Barcelona for Students: What to see and do?

One of the most popular locations for study abroad students or young people of this age is the city of Barcelona, Spain. Not only is it a great combination of history and of modern society, but it is also a place where you can end up stretching your dollar quite a bit.

There’s a lot to see and do and there are a lot of student discounts, so you shouldn’t feel the need to skip a trip there if you are worried about paying for it.

What you should see in Barcelona

Park Guell

It would be a shame to visit Barcelona without a trip to Park Guell featuring architecture by the city’s most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. Before Modernism was even considered by other artists and builders, Gaudi developed a style unique to the region of the Catalan. If you have taken a Modern art history class, you probably have studied his work.

Unfortunately, there is no student discount for this attraction, but booking it online can often save you some money and can help you when you need to book a few months in advance. Traveling with friends can get you access to a group rate, which is less expensive and can accommodate 10 to 70 people. The general admission price is €7, but it’s worth it to see unique works of architecture unlike any in the world.

Picasso Museum

Gaudi isn’t the only famous artist who called Barcelona home. 

Picasso was another famous artist-in-residence who spent time in the Catalan region and who produced some of his finest works there. The city of Barcelona has put together a great museum on the edge of the Gothic quarter to celebrate his life and his work.

Another great fact: it has a student discount! You can see the majority of the museum for about €7.50, which is a great price for the amount of art and history based on Picasso’s life that you get to see. There is also a tour available, but audio guides are cheap if you need to have some more background information other than the signs that are provided.

Gothic Quarter

One area of the city that is definitely worth an afternoon is the Gothic Quarter. Barcelona is a fairly modern city—most of it has been rebuilt and redesigned after numerous wars and a World’s Fair in order to attract tourism.

However, if you want a glimpse of what the old city used to look like, a quick stroll around the Gothic Quarter can be the best way to immerse yourself into the past.

Churches are mostly free to get into, but you will start to notice that most of them have the same kind of architecture (Medieval/early Renaissance), so seeing one is just like seeing many of the other. If you are still interested, think about peeking into Santa Maria del Mar — it’s free to enter and is a great example of architecture from this time period.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral

Still a work in progress, it’s a living, breathing tribute to Modernism. Though it’s essential to visit and to take a look at the exterior, it is not to go inside. Regular admission is €14.80 Euro, though students can get a discount for €12.80.

Taking some time to snap a picture of the fascinating façade should be more than enough, and you can save some money for some delicious food.

Free attractions in Barcelona

One of the reasons why Barcelona is such a popular place for young people is that there is a lot to do without having to worry about paying a ton of money. It’s also a great location to visit during different times in the year.

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic is worth a quick metro trip and can be the perfect place to bring friends or a significant other. Best part? It’s free to watch the light and water show built for the Great Universal Exhibition of 1929.

The show starts at different times on different days so you might want to think about looking up the schedule earlier in the day to make sure you will get there on time.

Of course, the beach can be one of the best attractions. If you are considering going topless abroad, this is the place to do so. June is a great time to lay out a towel or rent a seat or two (usually cheaply depending on where you are on the beach). Tourists haven’t arrived yet, and it’s still warm enough to get some tanning done.

Also, the harbor can be a great place to relax and enjoy the water without paying any money. Think about stopping by one of the many bars on Las Ramblas and having a drink before taking a seat on one of the docks.

Shopping, cinemas, and leisure

In the center of Barcelona, in the Plaza Cataluña and La Rambla area, you will find many high street shops and international boutiques, as well as Spain’s main department store, El Corte Inglés. But there are numerous other shopping districts and centers in the city too, some of which also offer multiplex cinemas and other leisure pursuits. Here are just a few:

• Las Arenas shopping center in Montjuïc is an impressive circular steel and concrete structure designed by the British architect Richard Rogers, offering a huge range of shops and restaurants.
• Avinguda Diagonal is known for international fashion, including names like Calvin Klein, Armani, and Gucci.
• Diagonal Mar offers a huge and very central commercial center with almost 300 stores, as well as a multiplex cinema, mini golf, aquarium, and a food court complete with restaurants, fast food places and bars.
• El Bulevard Rosa is an indoor market arcade in the Barrio Gótico, with almost 100 different clothing, shoe, accessory, bric-a-brac and gift shops.

Sports in Barcelona

Barcelona is a perfect city to visit for sports fans. With a nice climate, all year round you can practice nearly all sports available. For the 92 Olympic Games, the infrastructure was built to host all type of sports facilities all over the city which has since then been completely modernized.

In the Olympic port area and throughout the coast it is possible to practice all types of water sports. If you like running the coastline is also a perfect location.

Although you can practice nearly any sports in Barcelona the city and the whole region of Catalonia is properly most famous for being the home of the soccer club Barcelona FC. Even if you don't like soccer it can be highly recommended to take the guided stadium tour or if possible to experience a live match as the atmosphere is incredible.

We can also highly recommend the Barcelona FC camp where you can train with the famous Barcelona FCB Escola youth coaches at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Camper where also the Barcelona first team trains daily. This is a summer program available for children between 12-17 years old and is a great option for kids to get the real Barcelona FC experience.

Food on a student budget in Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the best places to get a great meal. Even better? It won’t cost you much. Even the most expensive restaurants on the strip of Las Ramblas are reasonable for students.

You might want to consider ordering several different kinds of tapas in order to get the full effect of Barcelonan cuisine. With so many options, you might think that it would be expensive to try them all. However, most can be ordered for €5 or €6. Have an accompanying beer and you are set for the evening. The portions are also usually large, so just by ordering one or two you are set.

Another great dish that doesn’t cost much is paella, which you can order with meat or with seafood (highly recommended since Barcelona’s harbor provides some great kinds of fish). You can order a large helping for €11 or €12 and that is often enough to feed two or three people — incredibly cheap prices for the quality of food that you get. Don’t forget the sangria — also cheap at €8 or €9 for a pitcher.

Street food is another option if you are walking around and you are starting to feel hungry, but there are definitely fewer options than most European cities. A churro is worth visiting a stand, and ice cream can be nice on a hot day.