Things you need to purchase before leaving Barcelona
If you are visiting the beautiful city of Barcelona for a limited period of time and if you have been falling in love with the city just like us, you should definitely bring home some memorable items that represent the charming Catalan city. We have listed some of the essential items that will remind you of Barcelona, whether it is practical products, something that tastes good, items that will decorate your home, or something completely different.
Clothing and shoes
In Barcelona, you have the possibility to shop for clothes for a reasonable price and save money before you leave. The city is full of clothing stores and many of them are high street stores which is generally cheaper than many other kinds of stores. See the list of 6 popular high street stores you will find in Barcelona and start the shopping spree! Besides the popular high street stores, there are many local shops in Barcelona where you can find clothing or shoes that are typical Spanish or Catalan. A pair of espadrilles is a traditional cloth shoe that has been worn by people in Catalonia for centuries. The shoe is available in numbers of different models and colours. Other typical Spanish items that can be worn is shawls, a saffron, and sandals. You can discover the high street stores and the local stores in the city centre and in the shopping centres around the city.
Catalan food specialties
Barcelona is the home to delicious food and you have most likely tasted some of its traditional specialities during your stay. Did you fall in love with some of it? Why not bring something with you back home and introduce one of Barcelona’s features: the food, to your friends and family! If you are familiar with Spain, you probably already know about jamón. Spanish people are crazy about the cured ham and in many Spanish homes, restaurants, and bars you will most likely notice a big ham leg sitting on the table or hanging from the ceiling. Taking home an entire leg of ham might be too heavy for your luggage, but you can easily pick up small packets of jamón in supermarkets and butchers. One of the local’s favourite sweets is turrón. It is a candy made from almonds and honey, among other things. It is especially sold for Christmas and has two different types: a soft kind and a hard kind. Turrón can be found in El Corte Inglés supermarkets all year round. Another speciality in Barcelona is the two sauces: romesco and aioli. They are both very tasty and can be used for many different meals. You can find these sauces in glass jars in food shops and in food markets.
Drinks
Something that many locals enjoy doing in Barcelona is having a drink with their loved ones after a long day of work or to celebrate the weekend. Apart from cerveza (beer), which we all know, there are several types of drinks which are very typical to have in this city. One of them is Vermouth, known as vermut in Catalan. Usually, people enjoy it before the main meal of the day with snacks such as crisps, olives or a slice of orange. It is a sweet wine that comes in red or white. Vermouth can be bought in large glass jars in wine and spirit merchants. Some cafés and bodegas even create their own, and if you are lucky, you will maybe be bringing one of their homemade versions back home to your home country. Another drink which is much appreciated in Barcelona is the cava. It is a champagne that comes in rosé and white varieties. 95% of Spain’s Cava is actually produced in Catalonia and is an important part of the local gastronomic heritage. The most popular cava amongst the locals is Brut Extra which has a dry, crisp quality and no added sugars. Bottles of cava can be bought in different wine stores around the city. Tinto de verano means ‘summer wine’ and is actually very similar to sangria, but the locals prefer drinking tinto de verano rather than sangria and it is very well accompanied by tapas. It is red wine mixed with a fizzy lemonade and can be bought in normal supermarkets and in wine stores.
Spanish souvenir
Leaving Barcelona without at least one small souvenir to remind you of a memorable time in the city is not recommended. There are so many shops that have a large selection of Spanish and Catalan souvenirs, and it will not be a struggle to find an item that is suitable for the style of your home. Ideas for typical souvenirs bought in Barcelona is small Picasso posters, a Gaudí inspired items, hand fans, colourful ceramic plates, or a caganer ‘Christmas crapper’ which is a fun Catalan Christmas decoration/figure who has his trousers down and is defecating. The figure symbolizes good fortune for the year ahead. You can purchase the souvenirs in souvenir- shops and markets.
As you are wandering around the city you saw the colourful tile of buildings of Gaudi covering houses and parks. You can also decorate your house with a colourful hand-painted sign stating your name, house number or your most favourite world. You can find in most on every souvenir shop tiles with numbers and letters in order to create a word of your preference. The tiles are hand painted and you can place them on an iron base. Your house now could not be more Spanish with this unique tiles from Barcelona.
Makeup
Makeup does not take too much of the space in your luggage and there are many possibilities to fulfil your demands if you wish to shop either high-end or drugstore makeup before leaving, the city is full of makeup stores. If you are a makeup lover and search for some great quality makeup, you will definitely fall in love with the huge Sephora store in El Triangle shopping centre at Plaça de Catalunya. The big beauty department in El Corte Inglés is worth a visit too. If you wish to purchase cheaper drugstore makeup, there are many stores to visit like Kiko, Nyx, Lush Cosmetics, and Primor that stores many different drugstore brands such as Sleek, Revlon, Rimmel, Essence, Wet n Wild and L’Oréal. If you are on a shopping spree in the city centre or in one of the city’s shopping centres, you will for sure meet more than one makeup store.
Football items
Football is a very relevant topic in Barcelona, one of the reasons why you chose this city might have been to explore the home of FC Barcelona, see the huge Camp Nou stadium, or experience one of the world-famous team’s matches. If you are a fan of the team, or if you know someone from your family or a friend who is, buying an FC Barcelona item would be very well-chosen and obvious. You can buy FC Barcelona souvenirs in one of the many souvenir shops in the city centre or in one of the official FC Barcelona stores. In one of the three official FC Barcelona stores, you can also get your very own customized FC Barcelona shirt with your name or the name of one of your favourite players on it. The shirts come in many different sizes for both adults and children. If you want to experience some of the city’s football spirit before leaving, you should visit one of the best bars to watch a football match in Barcelona!
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