What to buy in Barcelona: best souvenirs and memorable gifts. Products, alcohol, clothing & accessories, ceramics, what else? What to bring back home from Barcelona for kids, women and men, where to buy – explore good Time for Trip.
All good things, including travels, eventually come to an end and it’s worth being prepared for. Especially if you have the opportunity not only to cherish pleasant moments in memory but also to acquire some souvenirs and other things as a keepsake!
So, when you’re going on a trip, or well before its beginning, explore the matter what you should bring back home? For example – from Barcelona?
The brilliant and so attractive fore anyone capital of Catalonia? Rightfully one of the main tourist spots in the world?!
So we advise you to think about some gifts from Barcelona for relatives and friends not only when you are packing for the return journey. Because quickly orienting yourself to buy something truly worthwhile is quite challenging.
What charming souvenirs can you buy in Barcelona, where to find them, how not to get lost in the variety of shops? In our overview, we will present our point of view on all of this matters. And even if it will seem somewhat subjective, we hope you also find some useful information in our review.
Edible Souvenirs from Barcelona
The capital of Catalonia is a great and truly authentic city. And bringing back from it soulless Chinese trinkets seems inappropriate. So, first of all, we would recommend focusing on products, wines, other beverages that may not be stored for a long time, but will help you remember your trip to Barcelona.
Especially since they are as diverse as delicious: to find and buy jamon, Manchego cheese, original chocolate or cava in Barcelona is possible in almost any store. Even in a supermarket, although an aesthete or gourmet will undoubtedly want to spend a few extra euros in a specialized (preferably family-owned) shop.
Ham and Meat Delicacies
Spaniards love meat delicacies, with dry-cured ham (jamón) standing at the top of their preferences. The best and most expensive variety is Iberian ham, made from black pig breeds.
Due to its high price, it’s not an everyday dish – unless you earn a lot of money. But on major holidays, such as Christmas, in Barcelona, they buy a whole leg.
As for Serrano ham, a meat product from white pig breeds, it is much cheaper and can be present in the daily menu
Ham is sold both sliced and as whole legs. Naturally, a tourist would prefer bringing back from Barcelona such an edible souvenir in vacuum packaging. As:
- Firstly, it is almost guaranteed not to spoil on the way
- Secondly, it will last a long time.
It’s also worth buying in Barcelona the signature dry-cured sausage made from pork. The most popular varieties are:
- Chorizo: a sausage with paprika in a natural casing
- Salchichón: a smoked sausage made from pork, sometimes with the addition of beef and spices
- The most original meat gift from Barcelona, in our opinion, is Fuets, thin Catalan sausages made from pork, covered with white “noble” mold.
Cheese
As is well known, travelers like to bring back cheese from France or Italy. However, Spain produces some unique types of this product.
Manchego is a widely known variety of Spanish cheese in the world
Manchego is a hard cheese, aged for a long time. So, no need to worry you can bring it to your homeland.
Manchego is originally produced in Spain in Castilla-La Mancha. But in Barcelona, of course, you can buy this cheese: both in the large stores and in family-owned shops.
By the way, note that the designation “curado” on the packaging means aged for a minimum of 6 months. And “viejo” means a cheese that has matured for at least 10 months
To the fine cheese connoisseurs we advise to try Cabrales, Asturian cheese with blue mold. It matures in limestone caves near the homonymous town for several months, and has a unique smell and taste.
We also recommend taking home from Barcelona a round of soft cheese Tupí. It is made from cow’s milk with the addition of aguardiente and olive oil.
Alcohol
Catalans like their wine, although the local appellations are not very well-known overall. In the region, there are 12 wine-producing areas.
Eleven of them, including popular ones like Montsant or Terra Alta, have DO (Denominación de Origen) status.
Only one has DOC (Denominación de Origen Calificada) status – Priorat
A bottle of wine from these regions is a highly symbolic souvenir from Barcelona! Catalan wine is mostly white, with rosé being less common.
A great gift for yourself (and friends) from Catalonia will be Cava, the local equivalent of French champagne. This sparkling wine has been produced in the region not so long ago, since the 19th century. But managed to gain huge popularity!
Best-known local brand of Cava is Codorníu. If you won’t bring a bottle of this sparkling wine from Barcelona, at least try it on place.
A more common brand of cava is Freixenet, which is widely available in supermarkets throughout Europe.
Olive Oil
This product, as you may know, is certainly present in the diet of people who practice a healthy lifestyle. And Spain is traditionally at the top of the list of leaders in the production of olive oil.
So when returning from Barcelona, be sure to bring 1-2 bottles of Spanish olive oil with you
The following brands are worth special attention:
- Santuario de Mágina
- Oro Bailén Picual
- Valdenvero Hojiblanco
As an original gift, you can also buy at supermarkets in Barcelona canned olives in tin or glass jars. Some gourmets prefer to purchase olives exclusively at markets
Sweets and Chocolates
Some people buy Catànies, a typical local chocolate sweets, right after arriving in Barcelona – what can we say, sweet tooths! These very tasty and original candies with white chocolate and almond filling in caramel were invented by a Catalan confectioner named Josep Cudié.
Since then, they have become a kind of sweet symbol of the region. You can find them almost everywhere, including, for example, in supermarkets Corte Inglés.
A small box of Catànies makes an excellent gift from Barcelona for rids and women (who do not constantly monitor their weight)
We will also advise you to purchase a box of Сhocolate Amatller from a local manufacturer. There are a couple of branded shops in the city, as well as a museum, housed in a beautiful and very recognizable building adjacent to the famous Casa Batlló.
Those with a sweet tooth will undoubtedly appreciate a box of cookies from the Spanish brand Birba as a present. Not only delicious on its own, but also packaged in a tin box with the recognizable image of the Sagrada Familia.
Glass and Ceramics
Even if you don’t drink wine, bring home a porrón jug – an extremely authentic gift from Catalonia and Barcelona itself. You can proudly show it off at some celebration or a big family gathering.
You can buy rather expensive but inherently original handmade ceramics at Art Escudellers stores in Catalonia. The selection is vast, some works, their shape, and color are inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s creations
Dishes for olives, jugs, vases, sets, various kitchen accessories purchased in this network in Barcelona will undoubtedly add a recognizable Catalan touch to your home interior.
Clothing and Accessories
Anyone who comes to Barcelona in March should definitely go shopping. Because, in principle, there is still a chance to buy something at a discount in the closing winter sales season in Spain.
Inexpensive and practical clothes can be purchased in stores of the Inditex Croup: you should buy yourself some items of brands: Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka.
Those who want to please themselves with something premium, should to pay attention to Desigual, Adolfo Domínguez or Pedro del Hierro
Leather accessories made in Spain are also often the target of foreign tourists looking for something original. So you may well explore the range of major brands like Bimba y Lola and Loewe.
It should be taken into account that in Spain, excellent leather goods are produced by small family companies. So, going into some shop far from central streets in Barcelona, you may buy a high-quality inexpensive thing there.
Good summer or pre-season shoes can be tried on and purchased at the stores of the local Casas chain. We recommend women to look for Camila’s brand, that manufactures both casual and sporty, as well as exclusive leather shoes.
Kids’s Clothing
Surprisingly, Canada House, a brand of children’s clothing, has been successfully developing in Spain for more than a century. In Barcelona alone, the number of stores of this chain has exceeded 10.
The quality is better than in Zara. And if you are lucky enough with discounts, there will be no reason to complain about the prices.
Textile
Very high-quality, original and stylish textiles from the original Barcelona brand La Mallorquina will give a highlight to your home interiors. Definitely giving it a charm, which is difficult to achieve if you decorate the house exclusively from IKEA stores.
La Mallorquina updates its collections of blankets and pillows, bed linen, living room accessories, curtains and carpets, night and homewear twice a year. And by Christmas, its designers are developing exclusive decorations for the house – if you happen to be in Barcelona in November, be sure to check out the brand store.
By the way, items of La Mallorquina are available only in the capital of Catalonia and nowhere else!
Souvenirs from Barcelona For Fans
A cap or T-shirt, a scarf with the logo of one of the biggest football (and basketball) club will be a wonderful gift for a sports fan. The one, of course, who does not root for the eternal rival of the main Catalan team, Real Madrid.
Items with the symbols of Barcelona can be bought in many local shops.
But original products are available only at official points of sale. Including the Camp Nou
Tax-free
To qualify for a VAT refund in Spain there is no minimal purchase amount. Moreover, if you apply through the Global Blue company, you can even sum up the receipts from several acquisitions.
It is only important that they are made during the calendar year in the same store – globalblue.com/en/shoppers/how-to-shop-tax-free/destinations/spain
The average amount to be refunded, taking into account the operator’s commission, usually does not exceed 15% of the purchase amount.
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