Plaça de Rafael Benet

If you’re looking for the Barcelona of the postcards—the sweaty, frantic energy of the Gothic Quarter or the overpriced, neon-lit traps of La Rambla—you’ve come to the wrong place. Plaça de Rafael Benet isn't trying to sell you anything. It’s a small, rectangular slice of residential reality tucked away in the upper reaches of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, a neighborhood that still feels more like a wealthy village than a part of a global metropolis. This is where the city catches its breath.

Getting here requires a bit of a climb, or at least a ride on the FGC to the Sarrià stop and a purposeful walk away from the boutique-lined Carrer Major. As you head toward the mountains, the air gets a little cooler, the noise of the scooters fades into a dull hum, and the smell of expensive laundry detergent and pine needles takes over. You arrive at a space that most guidebooks would ignore because there’s nothing 'spectacular' about it. And that is exactly why it’s worth your time.

The square is named after Rafael Benet i Vancells, a man who spent his life looking at things—a painter, a critic, a chronicler of Catalan art. It’s fitting, then, that this place is best enjoyed by doing exactly that: sitting on a bench and watching the world go by. You won't find a gift shop here. You won't find a guy dressed as a giant lizard offering to take a photo with you for five euros. What you will find are elderly residents in well-pressed coats discussing the news, and perhaps a few local kids burning off energy on the modest playground equipment.

The architecture surrounding the square is a mix of mid-century apartment blocks and the occasional glimpse of the more traditional, low-slung houses that define old Sarrià. It’s a study in domesticity. The ground is paved with that familiar Barcelona stone, and the trees provide a canopy that turns the midday sun into a dappled, manageable warmth. It’s the kind of place where you can actually hear the birds, a rarity in a city that usually sounds like a construction site mated with a nightclub.

Is it 'worth it'? That depends on what you’re after. If your idea of a good time is ticking off UNESCO sites and fighting for a spot to take a selfie, stay downtown. But if you want to understand the soul of this city—the part that belongs to the people who actually live here, pay taxes here, and die here—then yes, it’s essential. It’s a reminder that the best parts of travel aren't always the monuments; sometimes, it’s just a quiet bench in a neighborhood that doesn't care if you’re there or not.

Just around the corner is the Sarrià Cemetery, one of the most beautiful and melancholic spots in the city. If you’re already this far up, go there next. It’s silent, it’s stone-cold beautiful, and it puts everything else in perspective. Afterward, walk back down toward the center of Sarrià and find a bakery. Order a xuixo or a slice of coca, sit in the square, and realize that for a few minutes, you’ve managed to escape the machine. That’s the real Barcelona high.