About 5.6 km, roughly a 14-minute drive or a 15-minute ride via metro line 3 with one change. Book your Sagrada Família ticket a few days ahead — same-day slots sell out most of the year.
Discover Authentic Barcelona: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Barcelona, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as the Laberint d'Horta, Refugi 307 and Sips, alongside our Mercure hotels.
Top 5 Things to Do in Barcelona
Bar Tomás de Sarrià
Locals argue about a lot of things in Barcelona, but not about this: Bar Tomás on Carrer Major de Sarrià makes the patatas bravas everyone in the city compares theirs to. Go before 1pm on a weekday or you'll be standing at the bar with a caña in hand, waiting for a table.
Mercat de Sarrià
Opened in 1911, this iron-and-brick market on Plaça del Consell de la Vila still runs on the same logic it always has: fresh produce stalls in the morning, a few bar counters where you can eat what the fishmonger next door just sold, and almost no tourists. It's a 12-minute walk from the hotel.
Carrer Major de Sarrià
This is the spine of the old village Sarrià used to be before Barcelona grew around it. Bakeries, a shoe repair shop that's been there for decades, and small squares where old men play dominoes — walk it slowly on a Saturday morning.
Park Güell
Gaudí's mosaic park is about a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel, or take the metro from Muntaner and change once. Book the timed entry online before you go — the ticket booths at the gate routinely sell out by mid-morning in high season.
El Tibidabo
The mountain the hotel's own rooftop gym looks out over. Take the Tramvia Blau and then the funicular up to the amusement park and the Temple del Sagrat Cor for a view over the whole city and out to the Mediterranean — best done late afternoon before the light gets flat.
Explore Barcelona's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Barcelona
We've mapped local spots across Barcelona, from the bar named the world's best in 2023 to a Civil War shelter beneath Montjuïc. Where will you start?
Food & drink
Ultramarinos Marín
At Carrer de Balmes 187, a lively grill around a bustling counter, curing its own charcuterie and pickles. The grilled chicken took 30 days to perfect – order it. Book online.
Eixample · Restaurant · Perfect for a lively meal
Sips Drinkery House
Named the world's best bar in The World's 50 Best Bars 2023, Sips has no bar counter at all – just advanced mixology and pastry techniques built on local ingredients. Book ahead.
Eixample · Cocktail bar · Made for cocktails
La Boqueria
A landmark since 1836, with more than 300 traders of local and international food. Go early, go hungry.
La Rambla · Market · Great for food lovers
Mercat de Santa Caterina
A market crowned by a colourful, wavy roof. Stay for lunch at the counters.
El Born · Market · Perfect for lunch
Mercat Galvany
An elegant early-20th-century market in uptown Sant Gervasi, where the neighbourhood shops.
Sant Gervasi · Market · Ideal for local life
Gardens, history & art
Laberint d'Horta
At the foot of Collserola, Domenico Bagutti's romantic garden with a hedge maze, rich biodiversity and a few film credits. Can you find the centre? Check opening times first.
Horta · Historic garden · Made for a peaceful escape
Refugi 307
One of more than 1,400 air-raid shelters dug during the Civil War, Refugi 307 at the foot of Montjuïc opens for 45-minute guided tours by the Barcelona History Museum. Booking required.
Poble-sec · Historic site · Perfect for history
Palau Reial de Pedralbes
A 17th-century farmhouse remodelled into a palace and gifted to the royal family in 1918. Its gardens, with touches of Gaudí, are open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Les Corts · Palace and gardens · Great for a stroll
CaixaForum
In a former textile factory, exhibitions from Dalí to Cartier-Bresson. Head up to the small rooftop terrace for a view over Montjuïc.
Montjuïc · Cultural centre · Perfect for art
Tibidabo
The city's summit, reached by a funicular in service since 1900: an amusement park, a church and Barcelona at your feet.
Tibidabo · Viewpoint · Made for families
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona's opera house, a 19th-century jewel, with guided tours.
La Rambla · Opera house · Ideal for a show
Observatori Fabra
A century-old observatory on Collserola that hosts dinners under the stars. Look up.
Collserola · Observatory · Perfect for a special evening
Markets & flea markets
Palo Alto Market
A design and food market in a former industrial site in Poblenou.
Poblenou · Market · Great for a weekend
All Those
A quarterly food market of around 60 chefs, farmers and producers. Taste the season.
Food market · Made for foodies
Van Van Market
A monthly gathering of Barcelona's best food trucks at the old Estrella Damm factory.
Food trucks · Perfect for groups
Lost & Found Market
A flea market since 2007 where anyone can sell books, clothes and records.
Flea market · Ideal for vintage
Flea Market
Barcelona's emblematic flea market, born in the Raval in 2000.
Flea market · Great for bargains
Els Encants
One of Europe's oldest markets, dating back to the 1300s: antiques and crafts under a mirrored roof. Dig for treasure.
Glòries · Flea market · Made for treasure hunting
Sant Antoni Sunday book market
A Sunday book and collectors' market, held since 1937.
Sant Antoni · Book market · Perfect for book lovers
BIOMA – Hort Icària
An urban garden of seasonal crops and biodiversity-friendly green space.
Poblenou · Urban garden · Ideal for a quiet break
FAQ
Yes — it's a quieter, more residential part of the city, but the Muntaner, Sant Gervasi and Fontana metro stations near the hotel put Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter and Barceloneta beach 15 to 20 minutes away by train, without the noise of staying right in the centre.
The market runs Monday to Saturday mornings, roughly 8am to 2pm, with some stalls reopening in the afternoon Tuesday through Friday. Go before 11am for the best selection of produce and the shortest lines at the bar counters.
Sips Drinkery House was named the world's best bar in 2023.
Yes. Refugi 307 at the foot of Montjuïc offers 45-minute guided tours by reservation.
The Laberint d'Horta, a romantic garden at the foot of Collserola.
Where to Sleep in Barcelona
See Mercure hotels in Barcelona, all within reach of these picks.