Unusual things to do in Barcelona: 16 different ideas (2026)

If you’ve already done the Sagrada Família and Park Güell, or you live here and want something different for the weekend, these are my unusual things to do in Barcelona. They’re all on the Mapa Inspira, with the address and how to get there, and I’ve grouped them by type of plan.

The basics
The strangest
a Civil War bunker under Poble-sec
The best-kept secret
a free museum hidden in the Llotja
To leave the city without leaving it
the Pantà de Vallvidrera, 15 minutes from the centre by train

Looking for something for today or this weekend? Have a look at my things to do in Barcelona, which I update every day.

Underground and up in the air

Refugi 307. A Civil War bunker under Poble-sec that you visit with a guide. If you like it, I’ve got more in underground Barcelona.
Port Cable Car (Telefèric del Port). It’s been running since 1931 and crosses the port through the air, from Barceloneta to Montjuïc, via the Torre de Jaume I. Careful: it’s not the Telefèric de Montjuïc, which goes up to the castle.
Mirador de Torre Baró. A castle that was never finished, high up in Nou Barris, with a view that stretches from the Sagrada Família to the sea. Best at sunset and with a jacket, as it gets windy up there.

Museums hardly anyone knows

Casa Rocamora. An Isabelline mansion in El Putxet where the collector Manuel Rocamora lived, which you visit exactly as he left it. Entry costs €19.
Museu de la Reial Acadèmia de Belles Arts. Hidden on the first floor of the Llotja, opposite the port. It’s free and only opens on weekday mornings: make the most of it and see the Gothic courtyard.
Museu Frederic Marès. The most eccentric museum in the city, next to the Cathedral, with the collection of a sculptor who was obsessed with objects.
White Rabbit. An “off-museum” of more than 1,200 m² with 10 immersive works by Barcelona artists about Catalan traditions, from the caganer to the castellers.

I’ve got ten more museums in the most curious museums in Barcelona, hearses and firefighters included.

Hidden corners in the centre

Passatge de la Pau. A 19th-century passage in the Gòtic that still has its arches, and where there’s total silence right in the centre.
Courtyard of the Casa de l’Ardiaca. A Gothic courtyard a stone’s throw from the Cathedral, with a fountain and a palm tree. Look for the letterbox at the entrance, with swallows and a tortoise, by Domènech i Montaner.

Out of the centre, without taking the car

Pantà de Vallvidrera. A 19th-century reservoir hidden in Collserola. Take the FGC (S1 or S2) to Baixador de Vallvidrera and follow the woodland path for about 15 minutes.
BesArt. An open-air street art museum along the Besòs river, in Santa Coloma de Gramenet. You get there by metro (L1, Santa Coloma) and you can explore it by bike.

Experiences to do once

Tarantos. Flamenco in Plaça Reial: shows of about 40 minutes of singing, dancing and guitar. Perfect before dinner.
Phenomena Experiència. A cinema with a giant screen, Dolby Atmos sound and cult screenings. Check the special screenings, sometimes with restored classics.
EVEREST in virtual reality. 40 minutes recreating the first ascent of Everest, in 1953. From €19, ages 8 and up.
Le Petit Chef. A multi-course dinner with 3D projections onto your plate, starring a miniature chef. From €99.
A sewing class at Atelier Meravelles. A workshop in El Born where you learn to sew from scratch, on courses or in group workshops.

More plans by theme

If you like small theatres, my boutique theatre venues.
To string together cinema, dinner and drinks in one neighbourhood, my evening plans.
Without spending, my free things to do in Barcelona.
And all my things to do in Barcelona, with what’s on today and this weekend.

Know an unusual plan that isn’t here? Message me on Instagram @barcelonainspira and I’ll add it.

Frequently asked questions

What unusual things are there to do in Barcelona?

Visit Refugi 307, a Civil War bunker under Poble-sec; cross the port on the Port Cable Car (Telefèric del Port), which has been running since 1931; head to the Pantà de Vallvidrera in Collserola; watch flamenco at Tarantos, in Plaça Reial; or step inside Casa Rocamora, an Isabelline mansion you visit exactly as its owner left it.

What unusual free things are there to do in Barcelona?

The Museu de la Reial Acadèmia de Belles Arts, tucked away in the Llotja, is free on weekday mornings. The Passatge de la Pau, the courtyard of the Casa de l’Ardiaca, the Pantà de Vallvidrera and BesArt, the open-air street art museum by the Besòs river, are free too.

What unusual things are there to do in Barcelona on a rainy day?

Refugi 307, Casa Rocamora, the Museu Frederic Marès, the Everest virtual reality experience or White Rabbit, a museum of immersive works about Catalan traditions. They are all indoors.