Barcelona: charming and not so famous spots

The Sagrada Familia, the Camp Nou, the Parc Güell, or the Ramblas are the places that those who come to Barcelona for the first time visit. If you already think you’ve seen it all and don’t know what else to see, we bring you some corners that may have been overlooked.

Sant Antoni Market

Surely everyone knows the Mercat de la Boqueria, the most famous market in Barcelona, located in the center of the Ramblas, is one of the first places where tourists land. Not far from it, there is another emblematic market in the city. This is the Mercat de Sant Antoni, located in the neighborhood of the same name. Although it is more unnoticed than the Boqueria, it is not to be envied. The best day to visit it is Sunday, when the Sunday market takes place, bringing together booksellers and collectors.

In 2007 the market reforms began, which were delayed due to the discovery of archaeological remains on the Roman Via Augusta. The market could not reopen until nine years after the start of the works.

Plaça de la Virreina

If there is one thing that characterizes the Gracia district, it is the atmosphere of its squares. One of these is the Plaça de la Virreina. Less known than its neighbor, Plaça del Diamant, famous for its air-raid shelter and the novel by Mercè Rodoreda; or Plaça del Sol, with its ever-filled terraces; Plaça de la Virreina has the same charm as these, but with a little more tranquility.

Many neighbors still refer to it as Sant Joan Square, because of the church that was built there in 1884. It is a very quiet square, facing Torrijos street, where the emblematic Verdi Park cinema is located.

Passeig del Born

One of the most charming neighborhoods in Barcelona is Born, which is part of the Ciutat Vella district. The neighborhood is full of people who walk without hurry, terraces, and stores. The walk condenses the character of the neighborhood, as it flows into small streets side by side, streets that we see through their turns and invite us to get lost in Ciutat Vella. It is besides very near the Museum Picasso or the Museum of the Cultures of the World, two points of interest more in the zone.

Plaça Felip Neri

Very hidden, touching the cathedral of Barcelona, is the Plaça Felip Neri. The name of the square refers to its baroque church. We find it going up Bisbe Street, the street that connects the Cathedral of Barcelona with Sant Jaume Square, and breaking right on Montjuïc del Bisbe Street, a very narrow alley that leads to Sant Felip Neri.

Probably what most characterizes the square, besides the difficulty in finding it, is the wall of the church of Sant Felip Neri. On its wall, you can still see the marks left by the shrapnel of a bomb dropped during the Civil War.

Palau Robert Garden

In the heart of Barcelona, at the intersection of Paseo de Gracia and Diagonal, is the Jardin del Palau Robert, a quiet corner amid the city’s traffic. Although it was built between 1898 and 1903 for Robert i Surís, Marquis of Robert, as a private residence, today it belongs to the Generalitat de Catalunya and has become an exhibition center. The exhibitions are not limited to the closed space of Palau, we also find parts of them in the same gardens.

Would you like to come and study in Barcelona and visit all these places? Find out about our Bachelor in Management, our Master in Management, or our MSc programs.