The country of Spain possesses unique traditions, architecture, and culture that have greatly influenced the rest of the world. About two weeks ago, I visited Spain for the first time, and I was immediately in awe of the liveliness of the country. Everywhere I went, there was something different to do. Two cities I visited were Barcelona and Madrid, each having unique parts about them. When I first arrived in Barcelona, I thought it would be my favorite place in Spain– until I saw Madrid.
Throughout my time in Barcelona I went to the Picasso Museum. The museum has many of Picasso’s works as well as detailed accounts of what his life was like living in Spain. I highly recommend you take the Picasso City Tour to learn more about the different parts of the city that the artist had influence on and where he used to walk in his day-to-day life. Among the highlights of my trip was understanding more about the Blue and Rose periods, considering the background offered personal insights into his life amid each period.
The La Sagrada Familia and Montserrat have a rich history as well; the former was one of Barcelona’s most exquisite churches, while the latter was still under construction after more than 140 years of construction. If you are planning to book a tour guide for Montserrat and for the La Sagrada Familia, I highly recommend it. Each tour guide does an excellent job speaking about the sights and translating Spanish words into English. The sights were beautiful and had so much history behind them, making the city much more rich with culture and life.
The best part of Barcelona was the weather and the hotel rooms. I found that the hotels had much more space to walk around in Barcelona rather than Madrid, and that the weather was much more bearable rather than overly warm.
That being said, there were also things I disliked about Barcelona.
It was very difficult to get a taxi. My family and I had to wait almost 40 minutes for a taxi, making it harder to get around the city faster and see the sights we wanted to see. We had to fight for taxis in Barcelona, which, in a city so big, shouldn’t be as big of an issue as it is. I also wish that Barcelona had more souvenir shops. Everywhere I went, it was hard to find any gift stores, and if I did find anything, it wasn’t cheap or something I liked enough to bring home. I ended up getting all of my souvenirs from Madrid, as I felt that they had better prices and souvenirs that were worth the price.
Overall, Barcelona was beautiful and I enjoyed getting the chance to experience it and get a taste of the culture the city has to offer. Even though there were small things that pestered me, they were overpowered by the priceless experience of gorgeous sights.
However, when I first stepped out of the taxi in Madrid, I remember thinking, “I am definitely going to like this place better than Barcelona.” Initially, I did, but as time went by, my opinion changed.
The first impression that Madrid left on me was long lasting. As soon as I stepped out of the taxi, I was greeted by a bustling street filled with shops like H&M, Pull and Bear, and several memorable souvenir shops — a street known as the Gran Via strip. Not only that, but there were sights to see that were walking distance from my hotel. I knew that I was in the heart of Madrid, and it was one of the most beautiful places to be.
While staying in Madrid, I visited the Prado Museum, The Royal Palace, went shopping on the Gran Via strip, and took a day trip out to Toledo. I loved how the city was alive with kind people from all over the world. Each of the sights I saw were beautiful, as I especially loved Toledo and the Prado Museum.
Toledo is a city containing Christian, Jewish, and Muslim aspects. It was a beautiful city with lovely churches and architecture. The Prado Museum has exquisite art and I highly recommend going between 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday or 5 to 7 p.m. Sundays and on holidays if you want free access into the museum to save money. They allow people in without much wait, making it very convenient to get in and out of the museum easily.
The culture of Madrid, which was evident in both the architectural design of city buildings and the fashion sense of its citizens, was unquestionably my favorite aspect of the city. The region’s culture made it a very exciting place to be and made me look forward to becoming more knowledgeable about a different part of the world.
Despite my adoration, there were a few things that I disliked about Madrid.
It was extremely hot outside, not to mention the fact that it is very overcrowded which made it uncomfortable to walk around during the day. Moreover, though I loved the tour of Toledo, I felt that my tour guide (who was doing Spanish and English translations) was saying more in Spanish than she was in English. I take Spanish in school, so I was able to translate some of what she was saying, and I noticed that various things she said in Spanish she didn’t say in English, which can be frustrating for those who don’t know any Spanish at all. English is a hard language, and I still think the tour guide did an excellent job, but this can nonetheless be frustrating at times.
The worst part of Madrid was how small the hotel room was. Although the hotel itself was very nice, it was also extremely small, which is common with big cities like Madrid. It was hard to walk around or to even get up without bumping into something, which eventually became frustrating.
Although I have my complaints for both cities, I truly loved them both. The deep history and culture that each hold does outweigh negative aspects, therefore, I wouldn’t advise against choosing not to travel to a city based just on what I’ve said.
In the end, if I had to choose a favorite city, it would ultimately be Barcelona.
I felt that the sights and culture were a little bit better in Barcelona, as well as the weather. Even though the culture was great in Madrid, at times it seemed a little bit Americanized, specifically on the Gran Via shopping street. This made Madrid as a whole lose its originality. Nonetheless, the Gran Via shopping area was a wonderful place, and I did enjoy shopping there, although it seemed slightly Americanized.
In all, there are so many amazing things about Madrid, and I do recommend seeing both places before making your own decision. The culture of both cities is profound and deep, and the rich culture of Spain is what makes every city so unique and beautiful.
