In Spain, the Madrid vs Barcelona debate is serious business. Which is a better place to live and to visit? Both cities have their pros and cons. Barcelona has its famous Modernisme architecture and miles upon miles of beaches. On the other hand, Madrid is the pretty-yet-gritty capital city: world-class museums, restaurants galore and so much nightlife that occasionally going to work on less than an hour of sleep is a point of pride for locals.
I live in both Barcelona and Madrid, so I have a horse in both races. For most of my adult life, that place has been Madrid. But when my girlfriend suddenly got a job in Barcelona, we decided to pick up and move. Sort of. Actually, I kept my apartment in Madrid.
I live in two cities, and I love them both. Barcelona has a noticeably quirky aesthetic seen in its Catalan modernism architecture , and of course its own language and regional independence movement. Instead, go to Parque del Buen Retiro to relax and cool off in the shade or have a nice walk by the Manzanares River. Try to make friends with someone who lives near a swimming pool. But Madrid has a strange hold on many people. Madrid and Barcelona are no exception. From the typical taverns to newer gastropubs and international cuisine from around the world, there are thousands of restaurants and bars in each city.
Try these local classics at spots like Casa Jacinto for cocido and Casa Toni for callos. As the major hub for Iberia airlines as well as the AVE high-speed train network, Madrid feels close to almost everywhere.
On the other hand, Barcelona is close to France, which means you can take a short flight and spend the weekend in Bordeaux for some wine culture or Marseille to soak up the grit and grandeur of the famously multicultural port city. Barcelona, on the other hand, is a tourist paradise. Fun fact: much of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter was actually built in the early 20th century as a tourist attraction for visitors to the International Expo.
