Whether you were born in Barcelona or have lived there recently, we all share a certainty: our city is not exactly cheap. Maybe it’s because we approach leisure from the point of view of consumption, snacks and drinks.
But the democratization of culture goes through accessibility, and thanks to this premise and the amount of art in our city, here are 50 free plans in Barcelona as museums, gardens and churches.
The truth is that having a drink and a tapa can be a blow to the pocket, and that is why it is worth remembering that, although it seems difficult, in Barcelona there are plenty of plans that can be enjoyed without spending a penny and that will allow us to know other sides of the city.
Someone’s trash can be someone else’s treasure… at the second-hand markets.
No, we are not referring to the Boqueria or Sant Antoni (which also). We are talking about some flea markets like the Flea Market or On The Garage, markets of different products (second hand, design or whatever you decide that weekend) that the simple fact of visiting them is fun and stimulating.
Visit Park Güell
Yes, it is possible to marvel at the Güell for free. There is one area of the park that you can visit whatever the time. But another area, no. All areas of Gaudí’s building are open to the public if you enter before 8 o’clock and in the evening -the time of access varies depending on the time of year, from October 29 to December 31 you can visit from 18:30 to 23:59-.
Free museums once a week
Barcelona’ s museums are free during the Nit dels Museus, on Sunday afternoons, during the Open Door days of La Mercè or Santa Eulàlia….. There are no excuses. Find your expo, find your day, and go to the galleries.
Film passages
This would be a self-made visit. Barcelona is full of passages that you may not have noticed, but that form some of the most beautiful and interesting corners of the city. Look for them and take a route through the historic passages of Barcelona (some of them just like the ones in famous movies) without paying a euro.
Enjoy the best Catalan theater with the Reverse Box Office system.
This system has been around for quite some time, and may remind us a bit of free tours, but this time, Catalan theater version of the best quality. The public attends the theater without paying the entrance fee and it is at the end of the play when each of the spectators has to go to the box office and pay what he/she wants or, if he/she decides so, not to pay anything. This system is known internationally as “Pay What You Want” (PWYW).
And if the weather is good, open-air cinema
Although it is true that this only happens in summer and during certain days, it is a great option to spend an atypical night at the beach. Cinema between sand and salt water, cinema in the mountains, cinema in the squares? Barcelona fills up in summer with outdoor cinema, the best culture, in the best place and clearly at the best price.
Viewpoints
It is well known that Collserola and Montjuïc offer spectacular viewpoints. But there are more, many more. In the sea, or in the middle of the city, Barcelona can be seen from a bird’s eye view from many different angles and always without paying a penny for it.
Festivities of Gràcia
This plan is also seasonal. And unavoidable.If you are in Barcelona during the third week of August you have to take a walk through each and every one of the streets of the neighborhood of Gràcia. Yes or yes. Getting there is free, walking around and seeing the sets is free, and so are the concerts, of course. You only have to pay for the mojitos you decide to drink along the way.
And if not, for any of the other neighborhood parties in the city, each one more fun and genuine. Bicycles are for the summer, as the book said, and summer is for the big parties, as we say.
Be afraid in abandoned places
We are not responsible for the legality or illegality of this plan. The only thing we assure you is that it’s free, and that a little adrenaline never hurts anyone. The most important thing is to be careful, not to touch anything, and to respect the facilities as we have found them. Having said that, will you dare to investigate all these buildings? Here is a list in case you don’t know where to start.
Chocolate with churros in a discotheque
No, we’re not talking about these churros. One Sunday a month, in the afternoon, Sala Apolo organizes one of the most fun parties you can enjoy in Barcelona. The entrance, moreover, is free (with a surprise in the middle of the afternoon).
Exchanging stickers on a Sunday at the Sant Antoni Market
Something as old as exchanging stickers is still done every Sunday morning in the surroundings of the Mercat de Sant Antoni. A meeting with the aroma of another era that allows us to do something as little digital as taking paper stamps and exchanging them (without money), for others. If we do not even want to buy the cards we like we can simply go to look, because it is also worth it.
Have a picnic in the sun
Barcelona has many parks. A picnic in one of them like the Ciutadella is a great option if the day has dawned sunny and there is a nice breeze in the city.
The market of Les Encants
Perhaps the most charming market in Barcelona.Its old location, so authentic, is beginning to be forgotten, but the new one does justice to the market, and the truth is that the experience of peeking through the main entrance to the pit where a thousand and one things are sold without apparent order or reason is still one of the beautiful spectacles that can be seen in Barcelona.
Temple of Augustus
To come across the Roman columns of the Temple of Augustus by mistake or voluntarily while walking through the alleys of the Gothic Quarter is an indescribable sensation. No one would say that in such a space there are columns of that size and, above all, no one would say that in front of it there are pillars with nearly two thousand years of life.
The fountains of Montjuïc
Probably to see it you have to avoid the Japanese, Americans and French. Although it is a tourist attraction, you have to enjoy the spectacle of water and lights that takes place every day in the fountain of Montjuïc.
(To be about to) burn your eyebrows in a Correfoc
Its name could be translated almost literally: “fire runner”. The correfocs is a Catalan tradition with an air of medieval paganism, which consists of devils going out into the street to walk flames, fires and firecrackers while we mortals run and dance in front of them.
Practically every major summer (and winter) festival has its own particular correfoc, and there is nothing more Barcelonian than tying a scarf around your head to protect your hair from the flames and jumping up and down to dance in front of the devils.
Playing the hippie in the Plaça del Sol
Going for a beer – well, getting invited, so it’s really free – in the Plaça del Sol, on a Friday, sitting on the floor of the square or on the steps that surround it, among young Barcelonians welcoming the weekend, a must in the city.
BAM, the festival that shoots during La Mercè
During the festival of La Mercé it is unnegotiable to go to one of the free concerts organized by Barcelona Acció Musical, the music festival within the festival of La Mercè most relevant and with the best programming.
Go for free tapas in Barcelona (even if it is difficult).
Okay, this is not free at all, but there is something, and we can always try again to get invited. That’s why,in this article we made a list of the bars in Barcelona where, with a drink, you get a tapa included.
BCN Swing, dance with swag the old dance
This musical association organizes quite often (see their calendar here) free open sessions and swing dancing. Swing may no longer be as fashionable in Barcelona as it was a few years ago, but watching the progress of experienced couples is still a pleasure.
CCCB
The Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona organizes, quite often, cycles to which attendance is free. There are talks or screenings like the Serielizados Fest that are a luxury. You just have to keep an eye out for them.
Picasso Museum
On Thursday evenings (between 18 and 21.30) the entrance to the Picasso Museum is free. So you don’t say that culture is expensive. Of course, go with time, the queues are measured with a telescope.
Free entrance to the CaixaFórum for being a customer.
It’s free, but exclusive. Or it’s not free, because you’ve already paid for it with your participation in the bank, but the fact is that, if you didn’t know, Caixa customers have free access to the Caixafórum or Cosmocaixa. They usually have very interesting exhibitions.
Get to know the most secret Barcelona with this list of places that do not appear in the guide books.
Discover corners that do not appear in the tourist guides, such as those we told you in this article, both outdoors, as in the subsoil of the city, and at the top. Don’t miss it, and don’t tell too much about it either…
Churches, cathedrals and other sanctuaries
Visit the cathedral of Barcelona (and scare the geese). Or Santa Maria del Mar or the Church of Pi. Barcelona’s churches are far from a secret, but they are, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful spaces you can visit without spending money (or even praying a little to ask for it).
Reinventing tourism
Take a walk around Plaça de Sant Felip Neri being aware of its history, respecting the children of Sant Felip Neri school who have in that square their playground and going at times when there are fewer people to avoid being part of the crowds.
A secret: the most beautiful time to visit the square is early in the morning or early in the morning, when the square is silent, the light barely enters and you can only hear the chirping of the pigeons resounding within its walls.
Visiting Barcelona’s unknown underground
Under the streets of Barcelona hides a city that we do not know. One, in fact, bigger than the city itself . 1,700 km. of tunnels that make up the sewage network of Barcelona, a giant and complex system, full of history, which includes from guns to forbidden tunnels, and that can be visited for free by booking with the City Council.
The best gardens in the world and the best in Barcelona
Visiting the gardens of Mossèn Costa i Llobera , considered one of the ten best gardens in the world, is clearly an option .
But, in addition, Barcelona hides a lot of spectacular parks that deserve several days of visit. Some of them ? Parc de la Ciutadella, Laribal, Maragall …. Take your time because you have several days to visit.
Remember the vestiges of the war in the subsoil of the city.
Enjoy a guided tour of the air raid shelter 307, 400 meters of living history of the Civil War dug under the ground.
And if not, the shelter of Plaça del Diamant, in Gracia. Both are excellent places to learn about the suffering experienced by the people of Barcelona not so long ago.
Take advantage of the best beaches in Europe
Obviously bathing in the Mediterranean (even if it is among balloons, prophylactics, tampons and other plastic utensils). And enjoy the beach, its sunrise, its sunset, its characters…. In short, remember that having a city facing the sea is a privilege.
Learn (or try) to dance the sardana, the most Catalan dance.
Go to a disco and fail dancing twerk? Nah, better to see a sardana and start dancing it in the Plaza Sant Jaume or in the Cathedral. We recommend watching a video to practice the steps before.
Art galleries
Although the hipster and creative neighborhood is now Poblenou, the street that has historically concentrated more art galleries is Enric Granados.
The Marlgborough, the N2… Granados continues to be the mecca of art in Barcelona, and, in addition, one has plenty of options for snacking.
Masonic library
Visit one of the only Masonic libraries in the world,the Arús public library, a real treasure in the center of the city where you can feel like a member of a secret society.
Free Tours
Take a Free Tour. Two notes. It is necessary to free yourself from prejudices: the fact that it is aimed at tourists does not mean that you cannot learn about your city. On the other hand, the fact that it is free does not mean that you do not have to pay. It is well-born to be grateful. And you sure don’t want anyone to think you’re a badass.
Getting lost in the labyrinth of Horta
Get lost, literally, in the Labyrinth of Horta and, when we find the exit, take a walk through the romantic gardens that surround it and the Palace of the Marquis of Alfarràs, one of the jewels of the city that will now be remodeled.
Or the Tamarita Garden
Considered one of the most romantic gardens of the city, getting lost in it comes to romanticize the lack of orientation. Whether in the labyrinth of Horta, or in the stately gardens of Tamarita, all you have to do is bring your refreshments from home, and you’ve got a free plan.
Mountain trails through Collserola
Sometimes we forget that Collserola, however close to the city it may be, is a mountain range in every sense of the word, crossed by lots of mountain trails that cry out for you to grab your backpack, water bottle and sandwich and go for a hike and enjoy nature and discover some of the secrets it hides.
A library that rents plant seeds, a wine library, donkeys… choose your own adventure.
Enjoy the best theater at the Grec
One of the most important theater festivals in Spain takes place in Barcelona during the month of August. And although most of the shows are paid, there are a few that are free, scattered throughout different venues in the city. The performing arts are more at hand than ever in summer, enjoy them!
Organize a visit to the Pedralbes Monastery
In Pedralbes, where the city of Barcelona merges with Collserola , hides a jewel of a building that many are unaware of because they forget that in the city there is beautiful medieval architecture far beyond the Gothic Quarter.
It is the Monestir de Pedralbes, a temple built 700 years ago by the queen of the crown of Aragon at that time, Elisenda Montcada, which the Poor Clare nuns have inhabited for almost a thousand years. Since 1983 it is a public space open to visitors, and since this summer, free access at sunset. Well, don’t miss it: on Sundays from 3 p.m. the entrance is free.
One of its attractions, beyond the building, is the medieval garden that the monks have been taking care of for some years now, trying to cultivate the same varieties of vegetables and medicinal plants that were grown in this same garden when it was created more than five centuries ago.
Neighborhood Festivities
The definition of popular leisure: accessible, easy, open… We have mentioned the Fiestas de Gràcia, but you shouldn’t miss the ones in Sants, Poblenou, Raval or Barcelona’s neighbors.
The route of the cans
Take a route to see all the cans hanging on the walls all over Barcelona. One of many ephemeral works of art that are hidden around the city.
The viewpoint of the CCCB
And if in Tibidabo we go up to the sky to look at the ground, in the CCCB we do exactly the opposite and look at the sky to see reflected the center, the lowest part of the city. A real secret viewpoint that not everyone knows.
Visit the gardens of Pedralbes Palace
The Pedralbes Palace is a building located in the middle of a large garden area, in the District of Les Corts, in Barcelona and now headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean. During 1919-1931 it was the residence of the Spanish Royal Family during their visits to the city. Currently the Palace houses the Museum of Ceramics and the Museum of Decorative Arts.
Recovering the historical memory of the Modelo, the downtown prison
A visit to the old Modelo prison is also a good option. Especially if you do it with the intention of seeing the gypsy chapel that is here. The guided tours that show us what life was like in this strange urban prison are like a movie.
Walk around Montjïc, the mountain where you always discover something new.
Take a route through the Montjuïc cemetery… if you dare. And find tombs of famous guerrillas, incredible views over the city or a curious museum of hearses.
Visit the ‘concept stores’ of Barcelona
We know it’s a bad example of a free plan in Barcelona, but if we include it is for a reason. These stores are real museums, with handmade pieces, or with prints and works worthy of any museum.
Strolling around and discovering what these shops have to offer can be an (almost) free plan. If you then decide to buy a whim, we are not responsible.
The Sagrada Familia, free?
Yes, free. And without your name being George and it being Saint George or without winning tickets in a raffle. This is a little less known: on Sundays, the nine o’clock mass is free until full capacity, so get up early and enjoy, thank God, the most famous church in the city.
All the faces of modernism
As a modern city and modernist capital that Barcelona is, it’s not a bad idea to go on the first Sunday of every month between 9:30 and 14:30 to the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Santa Pau .
Or take a trip back in time at the Fira Modernista de Barcelona, where locals dress up as Gaudí’s contemporaries.
Or walk the route of the modernist plaques… In short, there is no shortage of ideas to make you feel Gaudinian.
Museums of urban art in the open air, one of the best free plans in Barcelona.
Take a route through Poblenou to see graffiti. Or go for a fixed shot and go through some of the routes of Barcelona graffiti that we have already explained.
Classical music on the beach
In June the Gran Teatre del Liceu moves to the Platja de Bogatell to offer free classical music concerts open to everyone. The audience will be seated on the sand of the beach around a stage, so we recommend that you bring a folding chair and a large and comfortable towel to enjoy the concerts to the fullest and not end up with back pain.
Simplify your life
Simply stroll around and enjoy the whole city: its cobblestones, roadways and facades. And to make it even easier for you, here are some walks that will take you to get to know other Barcelonas.