Christine Stephan took the time to sit down and write about what made her experience in Barcelona so incredible. This is her story.

Studying abroad is an enriching experience that students should take advantage of. However, choosing where to go can be a huge challenge that could either make or break your experience. Barcelona was the perfect choice for me for an endless amount of reasons.

Barcelona is a gorgeous city with such a rich and fascinating culture that most people don’t know about. A key thing to know, if you’re considering studying abroad in Barcelona, is that although it is technically in Spain, Barcelona is the capital city of the autonomous state of Catalonia. A major portion of the residents of Barcelona are pushing to become entirely independent from Spain and its monarchy. The national language of Barcelona is both Spanish and Catalan. Catalan is like a mixture between Spanish and French, and is complex.               

Don’t let this information scare you. Almost everyone in Barcelona can speak perfect Spanish and they, typically, know a decent amount of English. The people of Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, really appreciate if you at least make an attempt to speak Spanish or Catalan, and will help you if you ask for it. They are very kind, passionate, and intelligent people. I encourage you to meet as many locals as possible. They are really great friends once you get to know them and love to teach you about their culture and learn more about you and life in America. You also help them practice their English, which the locals are usually very eager to do. 

There is so much to do in Barcelona. I would spend most of my time just walking through the city and exploring, which is so underrated. The weather is warm and sunny, which makes going to the beach and sightseeing even more enjoyable. The beach is a great place to meet people and learn a lot about the locals while capturing the beauty of this city along the Mediterranean. Other major must see sites definitely include Parc Güell, La Rambla, Picasso Museum, Camp Nou, Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter. One of my favorite memories was attending an FC Barcelona game which I highly recommend, even if soccer isn’t your thing. There’s a lot of great shopping with local stores and American stores. The weekends are fun because Barcelona is in such a great location that 
everywhere in Europe is just a short flight or train ride away.                

My favorite part of the city is probably the food. They definitely run on the classic Mediterranean diet that consists heavily of seafood, olive oil and the freshest fruits and produce. Barcelona has one of the best markets in the world, La Boqueria, which will probably become one of your favorite spots. The ham and seafood are absolutely divine. Some of my favorite restaurants are La Luna, CDLC, Ikibana, Bo de B, Brunch and Cake. Beer and wine are very popular as well as gin and tonic, which tends to be a signature drink for lots of people there.                

Barcelona nightlife is unlike any other in Europe. They love going to bars and clubs with friends and when they go out, they go big. They usually don’t arrive to the club until about 2 a.m. and don’t leave until at least 5 a.m., or until the club closes. Barcelona has several clubs on the beach and throughout the entire city. Clubs aren’t the only option, if you prefer bars. Bars are actually very common amongst locals because they are much cheaper and more casual. Some of my favorite bars and clubs include Opium, The Room, Dow Jones, Pippermints, and CDLC.                

Barcelona can be expensive if you don’t pay attention. It is essential to know the difference between the euro and the dollar. Restaurants and stores around major tourist areas are usually much more expensive. This is another good reason to be friends with locals because local restaurants and stores are significantly cheaper than more Americanized places.   

The key to Barcelona is just going out and exploring and meeting people because every single day I learned or discovered something new, whether it was a restaurant, monument or just somewhere with a gorgeous scenery. Barcelona is so much fun, beautiful, enriching and worth-while. Going to Barcelona is the best decision I have ever made. I could not be more passionate about this city. You won’t regret choosing the one and only Barcelona.