Associated with Gaudí, the beach and the party, Barcelona is also a green city, where it is good to walk in the shade of pines and palm trees to explore fewer known aspects of the Catalan capital.

Do not hesitate, for example, to climb one of its many hills to discover the city from above. 20 minutes by metro from Place de Catalogne, let yourself be carried away by the beauty of a monastery, put on your sneakers to run on the old water route and set off to explore a unique cactus garden in world.

Romantic, unusual, unique, here are 5 walks to rediscover one of the most touristic cities in Europe.

Tibidabo, Barcelona by the way of the schoolchildren

The church perched on the mountain of Tibidabo is a bit like the Eiffel Tower of the Catalans. An emblematic place that announces the arrival in the city of Gaudí.

To reach this mountain (512 m), you have to get closer to Collserola park, the green lung of Barcelona, and take the blue tram. Put into circulation in 1901, this tram runs along the magnificent avenue of Tibidabo, lined with modernist houses, to the funicular.

A few minutes later, the church of Sagrat Cor rises from the forest of pines and cork oaks. Its imposing facade is an illusion, because the inside looks like a small chapel mosaic-lined 19th century. Opposite the church is the Tibidabo amusement park, one of the first in Spain.

Do not hesitate to sink into the marked paths of Collserola mountain towards the Fabra observatory under the shade of umbrella pines. Inaugurated in 1904, this observatory is one of the oldest in Europe and undoubtedly one of the most interesting, because it is still in operation. Climatological, seismic and astronomical studies are carried out all year round (visits to the observatory on Sundays and public holidays).

Take the time to linger in this peaceful place before reaching the carretera de las Aguas a little further down. An artery more known to Barcelonans than tourists, where sportspeople and Sunday walkers meet. On this green belt crossed by the two sources that supply the city with water, Besos and Llobregat, the views are unique.

Do not hesitate to ask a walker for the right path to descend to the foot of the Tibidabo funicular. This is where you can reach the Bellesguard torre in just 15 minutes on foot (visit by appointment). This forgotten work by Gaudí is also one of the most surprising. Inspired by a medieval castle, Gaudí succeeds in the feat of combining art nouveau motifs with a fairly austere neo-Gothic style. Unusual and far from tourist circuits.

Poble Nou, the trendy digital district of Barcelona

Nicknamed “Manchester Manchester”, this district wedged between the Place Glories and the beach is now dotted with warehouses transformed into galleries and concept stores. In the years 1840-50, the first textile factories of Indians and ceramics settled here, outside the walls of Barcelona. At the corner of the streets, old brick chimneys emerge, proof of a once hectic economic activity.

In this imbroglio of wasteland, modernist buildings and modern towers, it is quite easy to find your way thanks to the grid of the streets. The walk begins on Place Glories, opposite the Museum of Design, in the part of Poble Nou called 22@, an urban space born in the 2000s dedicated to technology and innovation.

Inaugurated in 2014, the Disseny Hub is easily recognizable with its stapler look. More interesting for its architecture and its interior volumes than for its collections devoted to design, this self-sufficient building covered in zinc and glass faces the Glories tower built by Jean Nouvel. Described by the Barcelonians during its construction, this tower better known as “Agbar”, lights up a thousand lights at night.

The more we sink into this neighborhood towards the sea, the more surprising the walk. Near the Vila Casas contemporary art foundation installed in an old factory, stands the majestic Melia Sky tower designed by Dominique Perrault. As for the Média TIC, a sculptural cube adorned with translucent cushions intended to filter the heat, it has become in a few years the spearhead of this “zero energy” district.

Around it revolves new buildings hosting start-ups. Coworking spaces are mushrooming and new coffee shops are emerging. The Valkiria area, Carrer Pujades, is one of those places where it is pleasant to have a coffee.

Sarrià, passing by the Monastery of Pedralbes

Last village attached to Barcelona in 1921, Sarrià is a haven of peace where there is a ” tranquila “atmosphere as the Spanish say. At the exit of the railroad (the local RER), an old modernist palace, the Casa Orlandai, transformed into a house of culture. Around, small pedestrian streets surrounded by wooded squares converge to the shopping street calle Major. In the Duquessa streets of Orléans and Monterols, mansions surrounded by gardens follow one another.

In Sarrià, families greet each other and the elderly meet on the benches in the Santa Amelia garden. On public holidays, locals rush to the Foix pastry shop to buy delicious “Brazo de Gitano” and crispy panellets.

In the 19 th century, wealthy Catalans coming summer in Sarria to enjoy the cool mountains. Today, the inhabitants leave for the weekend in their second home by the sea and the neighborhood becomes empty. It is better to take this walk in the morning on a weekday, when the shops are open, and the terraces are full.

Continuing towards the French lycée, the alleys are transformed into avenues punctuated with brick buildings from the 1970s and neoclassical buildings in cut stone. Large gardens with swimming pools are jealously guarded by “porteros” concerned with the tranquillity of the residents.

The climb to Pedralbes monastery is sporty, but worth the detour. Along a lovely medieval square, the cloister is visible at the western end of the church. A few steps from Avenue d’Esplugues, this vast Gothic complex on three floors and centered on a garden is a bubble of freshness in the heart of the city.

Founded in 1326 by King James II of Aragon at the request of his wife Queen Elisenda de Montcada, the monastery is now a museum of religious art, part of which is occupied by clarisses. In the church, concerts and masses punctuate the quiet days of a timeless community.

Horta Guinardo, from Mount Carmel to the labyrinth

The bunkers del Carmel just beginning to be known even if they remain quite difficult transportation access in common. The 360 ° view is worth it! Remains of the Franco dictatorship, these bunkers were one of the main defense posts in the city, as shown by a small museum on site. We can still guess the location of the four cannons installed there during the Spanish War.

Today, this natural platform has become a meeting point very frequented by Catalan youth who come for a drink at sunset. At your feet, the city of Barcelona and its emblematic buildings: the Agbar tower, the Sagrada Família, the Diagonal avenue. The view is breath-taking.

Going down the main street lined with whitewashed houses, the district of Horta does not take long to emerge. In the steep streets, small houses of odds and ends follow one another giving way to old farms “can Fargas”, “can Soler”.

Once crossed by many sources, the district knew its golden age at the time of industrialization when the laundries were installed near the water. He has kept many green spaces including the famous Horta Labyrinth Park. After crossing the ring road nicknamed “la ronda de Dalt”, the park entrance is next to the old palace of the Desvalls family, a curious neoclassical building with Moorish details.

Designed in 1792 by the Italian engineer Domenico Bagutti for the Marquis of Llupia and Alfarras, the Horta Garden is the oldest in Barcelona and also the least known. Its cypress labyrinth is a marvel celebrated in particular by certain filmmakers including Tom Tykwer, the author of the film Le Parfum. Between the classical pavilions, the ponds, the caves and the waterfalls, the garden flows quiet days. Enchanting.

Poble sec and the Barcelona cactus garden

Better known in the 1940s as “little Paris” because of its many cabarets, bars and theaters, Poble Sec has remained a popular and bohemian district close to the Spanish Steps. One of the scenes of contemporary dance in Barcelona has taken up residence in the former pavilion of the 1929 mercat de les Flors world exhibition. A building almost as emblematic as the hall of the Apolo theater located on avenue Paral Lel and inaugurated in 1904.

In Poble Sec, don’t hesitate to push the door of the bars (except those in calle Blai, which are much too touristy). In some back-shops transformed into ephemeral scenes, amateur actors perform, such as at the Tinta Roja bar (carrer de la Creu del Mollers), where a French troupe performs regularly.

In July, the Poble Sec festival is in full swing. The streets light up with “correfocs” (fireworks), the sound of the sardana (local dance) and bastoners (spectacle of sticks) resonates in the squares. It’s time to discover these famous “castellers” (human castles) registered since 2010 in the intangible heritage by UNESCO.

Going up the Montjuic passage towards the watchtower park, a sign indicates the Costa i Llobera gardens next to the Miramar gardens. Free entry. Created in 1970 and named after a Mallorcan author, these gardens of more than 800 cacti and subtropical trees present the most exotic species on the planet, ranging from desert regions to high mountain areas. A trip to distant lands that offers an incredible view of the merchant port of Barcelona.

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