Eixample

If Barcelona had a grid, it would be Eixample—and it does. Ildefons Cerdà's 19th-century master plan turned chaos into geometry, creating wide boulevards where Gaudí's buildings bend and ripple like hallucinations in stone. Sagrada Familia lives here, permanently scaffolded, permanently worth it. Casa Batlló and La Pedrera charge €25+ to get in, and tourists pay happily. Passeig de Gràcia is where money walks—Gucci, Prada, and overpriced terrace coffees. But look past the gloss: Eixample has 419 restaurants tucked into those chamfered corners, from old-school vermouth bars to some of Barcelona's most inventive kitchens. The 265 hotels range from grand dames to boutique newcomers. You'll find 163 things to do beyond the big names—modernist pharmacies, hidden courtyards, and buildings where Gaudí wasn't the only genius. Rent an apartment, learn the grid, eat late.