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Five unique places to wander in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city with so many different faces that it’s like being in many cities in a single one. If you want to check out Best rooftop hotels in Barcelona, there are countless. Or if you want to buy something authentic and unusual as a memory of your time in Barcelona, avoid the typical souvenir shops and try and find something in some of these places instead.

Shopping is a huge part of Barcelona’s attraction. There are so many shops, shopping areas, shopping centres and services on offer that sometimes, with so much choice, it’s hard to find somewhere that will sell something authentic that will not be the typical shot glass with the Sagrada Familia on it. It’s always nice to find some kind of unusual souvenir to take back home, so if you’re in Barcelona, you might find something of your liking in the following places, whether it’s to take back home or to enjoy while in the city.

Check out the Cellars

In Barcelona, there are many cellers around the city. A celler is a wine shop that has a special scent once you enter it, of wine and wood of the barrels that keep it. Usually, these old shops are family run and have a long tradition behind them. The people who work in cellers are experts in the matter and will be able to give you good advice on which bottle of wine is for you amongst the thousands that they’ve got, local, regional, national and international. A good celler to go to is La Vinya del Senyor, located in a unique place, right outside the beautiful church of Santa Maria del Mar, in the Born district. Here you can sit on the terrace and enjoy a glass of wine and then go inside and buy the bottle. Also, a great place to buy wines is Celler de Gelida, in the Sants district, on Vallespir 65.

The district of Gràcia

If you’re looking to buy some crafts, the district of Gràcia is full of little shops that sell handmade accessories that won’t charge you the ridiculous prices of the city centre. This is a bohemian part of town and most of the sellers that you’ll find are local, and their small shops will offer you not only a wide range of things to buy but also great service and attention from the seller. Also, while you’re sitting on one of the squares in Gràcia having a drink and a snack, many craftsmen and women come selling their handmade items, a really cheap way of buying something unique and beautiful.

Can Paixano (aka La Xampanyeria)

For food, just like the wines, there are places where you can eat and then buy more of what you’ve just eaten. For typical Catalan and Spanish food, visit Can Paixano, also known as La Xampanyeria, where you can eat and drink the best meats and cheeses in Spain and then buy them in the shop at the end of the bar. It’s also worth buying a bottle of their cava here, since that’s what they’re most famous for but the food here is to die for. Find it at Carrer Reina Cristina 7, at the bottom of Via Laietana.

Old town (Raval, Gòtic and Born)

If you would like to buy some clothes that you can’t find anywhere else in the world, the old town, the districts of Raval, Gòtic and Born, have great vintage and retro clothes shops, new and second hand, where you can find all sorts of things at cheap prices. Since vintage is back in fashion, what best to buy in such a cool and fashionable city like Barcelona? The old town is full of these shops and part of the charm is finding them yourself.

Els Encants

Barcelona has its very own in Els Encants, a market that’s open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9am just off Plaça de les Glòries. Here you can buy absolutely everything you can imagine and, if you’re lucky, you might find a great local bargain to take back home with you that will remind you of your stay in Barcelona forever.