13 Sep Nerdy Barcelona: The Ultimate Guide for Geeky Travellers

Whenever feeling a bit under the weather, close your eyes and imagine a picture. It’s a clear summer morning, and you’re traveling. There’s a city spreading before you, with its endless possibilities and delightful trifles. For all of us searching for meaning, Barcelona stands at the end of the road, all wondrous and a bit silly. It offers everything a dreamer could wish for – irresistible food, story-like romances and whimsical art. Wherever there’s a geeky heart, the Catalan capital is impatient to make it cozy and warm. Here are our top suggestions for an exhilarating nerdy pilgrimage through the melting pot that Barcelona is.

Museums for Brunch

If the idea of a museum city makes you want to travel the world in the pursuit of such a heavenly place, you need to look no further – Barcelona is never in shortage of historical sites, ancient buildings and late night gallery exhibitions. The Catalan capital has a long and tumultuous history, and the best thing about it is that the every single minute of it has been archived in its museums, painted by its many artists and immortalized in its songs. Today, a visitor leaves this city with a stomach full of tapas and a mind full of stories. Here’s what not to miss.

Savouring the Art

Barcelona is an effortless fusion of tradition and modernity; even though ever-changing, avant-garde and hyper-modern, its art scene never forgets about its roots. As such, Barcelona art is nowhere more comprehensive than in the National Art Museum of Catalonia. The Gaudí house in Park Güell, on the other hand, as well as the Picasso Museum, Fundació Joan Miró and Fundació Antoni Tàpies will guide you through the lives and careers of the most renowned Catalan artists. If, however, you’re looking for something more specifically cutting-edge, you’ll find it in the Barcelona Museum of Modern Art and àngels barcelona.

Learning about the Past

When in the mood for traveling back in time, the Barcelona History Museum, the Historic Archives of the City of Barcelona, the Catalonia History Museum and the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia are certainly the finest choices. The CosmoCaixa Science Museum and The Museu Blau, however, are less focused on the man as a social being and more interested in his natural development, as well as in the endless beauty of the universe that we are surrounded with.

Tasting the whimsical

Although incredibly diligent in preserving its past and ingeniously creative when looking into the future, Barcelona knows how to pause for a second and have some fun. A whole museum has therefore been dedicated to the city’s finest, FC Barcelona, and opened for the public as part of the club’s arena, Camp Nou. For sweet tooths and gourmands, The Barcelona Chocolate Museum and the Barcelona Spanish Ham Museum offer unforgettable delicacies, right before inviting all the newcomers for an hour of child-like games in the Museum of Illusions, the Barcelona Wax Museum and the Barcelona Shoe Museum.

Literature for Lunch

Whether for silent moments of self-reflection or romantic fantasies, bookworms have long chosen Barcelona as their go-to destination. And no wonder, since the locals of this endearing and well-red city always have a tale or two to share and a book or two to recommend. For literary enthusiasts, there’s a library and a bookshop at each corner of the Catalan capital, patiently waiting for another pensive mind to smell, then soak up its pages. We present you the best of them.

Browsing in Silence

Biblioteca de Catalunya doesn’t come only with a fair collection of literary essentials, but with a charming backyard for reading as well. In the very cultural centre of the city, the Gràcia district, Biblioteca Jaume Fuster stands as the largest public library in Barcelona with a great bar for those much-needed caffeine infusions. And, if these somehow don’t satisfy your bookish needs, try Camp de l’Arpa-Caterina Albert, Sant Pau – Santa Creu Library, Biblioteca Josep Roig I Raventos, Biblioteca Vila de Gràcia or Biblioteca Sagrada Família.

Taking “To Go”

Barcelona’s bibliophiles are well endowed with independent bookshops, both those charmingly antique and those unpretentiously modern. Among those, Altaïr is considered a heaven for wanderlust-stricken readers, while Documenta stands as a city’s amalgam for intellectual debates and literary discussions. El Lokal is delightfully alternative, just as the Re-Read, but Librería Anticuaria Farré and La Cova are unparalleled for those travelling in pursuit of rare pieces to complete their literary collections. And for all kinds of booklovers, Laie seems like a prom queen of Barcelona bookshops.

A Reading Spree

Still, nothing beats a three in one combo of a library, a bookshop and a bar. Indulging its inhabitants’ needs for poetry and booze, the Catalan capital is filled with literary haunts like Cafè Salambó, Els Quatre Gats, Milano Cocktail Bar and L’Horiginal. And while all of them are never in short supply of both books and comforting beverages, Lletraferit remains the one true bar for lovers of literature. Whichever you pick, don’t forget to assess the crowd first, since some of these places actually prefer silent literary revelations instead of loud and tipsy scholarly debates.

Fantasy for Dinner

Once every single museum has been thoroughly examined and every book red from cover to cover, you can finally enjoy a bit of leisure time. And lucky for you, since deep down, Barcelona relishes its dorky party habits just as the rest of us nerds. By their nature, Catalans are passionately festive and their big appetites and singing throats certainly prove so. No idle moment is here spent in vain, since there’s always something to do, see and eat. Here are our top choices for celebrating your geekiness in a fun and utterly Barcelona fashion.

Comic Amusement

If the mid-season Game of Thrones drought has left you feeling a bit dead on the inside or you’re simply restless to revisit your favourite fantasy land, we urge you to rush to the Norma Comic. For what we’ve heard, this comic book heaven is the largest meeting place of sci-fi aficionados, closely followed by the Vértice Comics, Continuarà Comics and Tot Comic. Although you’ll most definitely find everything you’ve been looking for here, it’s likely that your fandom craze will make you even hungrier than before; for no other reason but this, explore Libreria Universal, Antifaz Comics, Fatbottom and Arkham Comics as well.

Moving Pictures

In case you enjoy seasoning your day with a big bucket of popcorns and the latest wonder of indie cinema, it’s quite fortunate that you have chosen Barcelona for your nerdy pilgrimage. The city counts more than 15 remarkable movie joints and satisfies the preferences of each individual cinephile. For cosy seats and great sound, check the Renoir Floridablanca; the same can be found at Yelmo Cines Icaria 3D and Verdi Park with the addition of VO luxury. Filmoteca de Catalunya offers a great collection of archived films, which you can also see at Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, a museum that hosts student movie events. For a fantasy trip beneath the stars, visit Sala Montjuïc, one of the best open-air cinemas in Europe.

In his nostalgic reveries, Pablo Picasso remembered Barcelona as his one true home. And indeed – we all travel there as tourists, but leave the city with a newfound sense of belonging. For sophisticated geeks in search of inspiration, experience and fun, the Catalan capital is a gem waiting to be discovered.