This year’s poster, created by Barcelona muralist and visual artist Cinta Vidal, is entitled, “Barcelona unfolded: a city of perspectives, routes and discoveries.” After controversies over previous posters, it was approved by “virtually unanimous approval from residents,” according to local residents.

In many ways, the result is a salute to Barcelona’s legacy of people-focused urbanism. The poster includes recognizable landmarks such as the cathedral, Plaça del Rei and Parc de la Ciutadella, but they are stacked on top of each other and all are pointing in different directions. People inhabit the abstract spaces. Oversized elements of Barcelona culture are embedded in the scenes, including espadrilles, an oil cruet and a baritone horn.

“Just like Barcelona, the poster cannot be understood from just a single perspective,” the city notes in its description.

The city’s site describes the poster as “an open scene full of possible routes which encourage viewers to participate.” Vidal’s work will live on as a permanent large-scale mural in the Francesc Candel Library.

“I wanted to depict a city that cannot be seen from just a single place but is discovered by walking it, a Barcelona made of diverse connections, encounters and perspectives which is transformed into a huge shared space during La Mercè,” Vidal says.

Barcelona does a great job of chronicling the creation of the poster and mural.

You can find past posters here:

Merce Posters

La Mercè is always at the end of September and starts this year on Sept. 23. One less endearing tradition: they never release the final program until days before the festival, apparently in an attempt to limit international tourists. You can find info as it becomes available here.

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In its latest move to address the impact of tourism on the city, the Barcelona City Council has decided to ban private bike-sharing programs, such as Lime, Bird, Bolt and Voi.

The Council says it will continue to expand the oft-criticized city-operated bike-sharing program, Bicing, which is only available for residents. But the private bike services are a “mess” that are doing more harm than good, Mayor Jaume Collboni said at a recent press conference.

Data shows that 90% of rentals on the “dockless” private programs are by tourists, the city says. And confused bike-renting tourists are apparently careening around the city, causing accidents and cluttering the sidewalks and parking areas with discarded bikes, city officials say.

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A thriving community of writers is chronicling life in Spain on Substack. They are sharing stories of history, culture and the horrors of finding an affordable rental, bringing their own perspectives to every tale.

The one universal topic is food, specifically the flavors, animal parts and traditions that make Spain’s culinary world fascinating and smelly. Every dish has a story behind it. Every recipe and ingredient tells us something about the region and the people.

Here is a sampling of recent articles from Substack writers, capturing some of the elements that make Spanish food special.

Easily the best story I’ve read recently about barnacles. It turns out there is a festival, the barnacles are really expensive and geese aren’t really involved.

“The goose barnacle is one of the ocean’s strangest-looking delicacies and one of the most expensive in the world. If you squint hard enough, the long, leathery neck and prehistoric-looking ‘claw’ looks a little like a barnacle goose - at least that’s what people thought when the birds turned up for the first time in Scotland in the 12^th century.”

Read "The Roncudo Goose Barnacle"

Margaret Gypsy takes us into the world of sardines, a staple of Spanish menus. You’ll also learn about garum , a “fermented fish sauce.”

“Size is not important here. What is important, is the freshness of the fish. A fresh sardine should be shiny and not floppy. When cooked, the meat is soft and flakey, with a sweet and rich flavor.”

Read "A Simple Sardine"

“Slushies” make me think of a convenience story sludge. That’s not this. Rachel Drummond shares the recipe for a simple, refreshing Spanish summer favorite that may or may not work for mojitos.

“Keeping with the citrus theme, this year we’re making citrus granizados, or lemon-lime slushies. Granizados get that we need copious amounts of ice to cool off and hydrate. They’re only available in some bars: look for the hand-drawn sign outside, or make your own at home.”

Read about "Citrus Granizado"

More from Galicia. Miguel Balsa Campos shares the background and recipes for the famous Galician octopus dishes, Pulpo Á Feira and Pulpo A La Gallega (I write about my favorite Galican octopus spot in Barcelona here.)

“Pulpo á feira literally means “fair-style octopus”, while pulpo a la gallega means “Galician-style octopus”. In practice, many people use the names almost interchangeably outside Galicia, but although they refer to the same dish, both names have different literal meanings. The dish consists of round slices of boiled octopus dressed with paprika, olive oil and salt. It’s pretty simple.”

Read “The Camino’s Most Iconic Dish”

What to Bring Home from a Spanish Supermarket (and What to Leave Behind)

You need help from a local. I can be that local.

You’re in a Spanish market and looking for a few items to take home. Blanca Valencia offers helpful information for excellent items to stuff in your suitcase that will live in your kitchen for months.

“My list includes extra virgin olive oil that smells of fresh tomato leaves and cut grass, tinned fish with labels that belong in a design museum, legumes and rice with a sense of place wrapped in sackcloth.”

Read "What to Bring Home From..."

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In honor of Barcelona’s year-long celebration commemorating the 100^th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death, LEGO is releasing a Sagrada Familia set designed to “reflect both the scale and spirit of Gaudí’s vision.”

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Barcelona’s city government last week fired a salvo across the bow of the cruise industry, voting to double taxes on transit passengers and reduce the number of available terminals. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all cruise ship stopovers in the city, Mayor Jaume Collboni told reporters, in the biggest move yet to change the paradigm of mass tourism in the city.

While the pronouncement will certainly induce some eye rolling —another example of wacky Barcelona’s anti-tourism campaign! —Barcelona’s leaders are taking real action to stem the flood of tourists swamping the streets. Last year saw record activity in cruise activity, with 832 calls and more than 3.9 million passengers wandering La Rambla and lining up for tour buses.

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The latest report from Mark Stücklin at Spanish Property Insight suggests the Spanish government’s campaign against foreign property buyers is starting to have an impact. New data from the Spanish Notaries Association shows home purchases in 2025 by non-resident buyers from outside the EU — think Brits and Americans — were down 17% year-on-year.

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Substack is hotbed of talented and engaged writers chronicling their travels and life in Spain. Each brings their own perspective and insights as they share stories of the culture, history and communities they are experiencing.

Here are a few that recently grabbed my attention. In typical Substackian fashion, they cover a wide range of topics, from a closed brothel to the power of urban design.

Spending Saturday in Jail in Segovia

Andrea Eschen / Snippets from Spain

“Thirty others also decided to pass a spring morning inside this prison, now called the Democratic Memorial of Segovia. It pays tribute to the men and women of this city, and of other places around Spain, who were locked up and tortured here for resisting Generalissimo Francisco Franco’s dictatorship and his Fascist regime. Usually, one doesn’t think of jail and democracy together.”

Snippets from Spain

Snippets from Spain

I spent last Saturday in jail in Segovia. Thirty others also decided to pass a spring morning inside this prison, now called the Democratic Memorial of Segovia. It pays tribute to the men and women of this city, and of other places around Spain, who were locked up and tortured here for resisting Generalissimo Francisco Franco’s dictatorship and his Fasc…

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6 months ago · 16 likes · 10 comments · Andrea Eschen

What the Mixing of Everything Tells You About a City

Rocco Pendola / How It Works (and Why It Doesn’t)

“Cities that work mix ages, not just buildings… In places like Valencia, nobody is pushed out of the public realm because of their age, their schedule, or their stage of life. Everyone simply occupies the city together.”

How It Works (and Why It Doesn’t)

What the Mixing of Everything Tells You About a City

When my wife’s 22-year-old daughter visited last year, she went outside to call her friend at like one in the morning…

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6 months ago · 12 likes · 3 comments · Rocco Pendola

King to Mexico: “We’re sorry” (Kind of)

Ian Mount and Adrian Bono / The Bubble

“King Felipe VI (aka F6) raised a few eyebrows this week after casually acknowledging that there was “a lot of abuse” and “ethical controversy” during the Spanish conquest of the Americas.”

The Bubble Newsletter

🌎 King to Mexico: "We're sorry" (Kind of)

Madrid | Issue #140…

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7 months ago · 6 likes · 4 comments · Ian Mount and Adrian Bono

Spain’s abandoned mermaid brothel: A Mediterranean roadside ruin

Melita Cameron-Wood / Unpack. Pack. Unpack.

A stop at an abandoned club is reminder of the power of getting off the road and exploring.

Unpack. Pack. Unpack.

Spain’s abandoned mermaid brothel: A Mediterranean roadside ruin

The motorbike screeched to an unexpected halt. A pair of pert-breasted mermaid statues greeted us with the hollow glare of spray-painted eyes. We’d been planning on driving back to Valencia after a long day out hiking. But something had caught my then-boyfriend’s eye. He had a thing for abandoned buildings — and the one in front of us was a real show-st…

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7 months ago · 17 likes · 11 comments · Unpack. Pack. Unpack.

The Scent and Flavor of Granada: Eight unmissable Places

Blanca Valencia / Gazpacho Chronicles

“An insider’s tour of Granada’s most aromatic corners, from tea shops to olive oil evangelists”

The Gazpacho Chronicles

The Scent and Flavor of Granada: Eight unmissable Places

Like writer Federico García Lorca’s work, Granada is a perfumed stage set alive with the scent of orange blossom and jasmine. These two particular scents are synonymous with El Albaicín, the hilly UNESCO neighborhood overlooking the Alhambra, where they naturally scent the narrow cobbled streets. Every traditional house or…

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7 months ago · 23 likes · 21 comments · Blanca Valencia

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The city has launched a new portal connecting more than 60 Barcelona museums and cultural organizations on one site. Billed as “a unique digital gateway to the city’s museum network,” the new site offers quick access to all the organizations, which includes public and private venues.

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As part of its on-going effort to shift the dynamics of the tourism industry, the Catalonia government last week approved a 100% increase in the nightly tourist tax charged at hotels and short-term rentals.

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UNESCO has proclaimed Barcelona the “World Capital of Architecture for 2026,” prompting a lengthy program of events throughout the year highlighting the “key role of architecture, city planning, and culture in shaping urban identity and sustainable urban development.”

Barcelona is the third city to receive the UNESCO, following Rio De Janeiro and Copenhagen.

“The city designated becomes a global forum at the forefront of discussions on contemporary urban planning and architectural issue,” UNESCO said in its announcement.

In total, the city will host more than 1,500 activities across 10 city districts, including workshops, debates and exhibitions. Many of the events, including guided tours, will be open to the public.

There is a clear effort to involve Barcelona’s neighborhoods and make this more than an event simply for academics. Throughout the year, activities will focus on the future of Barcelona and the ability of design to alter the city’s quality of life. Discussions will focus on inclusive design that represents the needs and lifestyle of the residents. In districts around the city, children will participate in workshops to imagine the future of city; each group will construct a scale model of their district.

The city’s official site can be found here.

And here’s the program.

As part of the event, Barcelona is also hosting the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026, June 28-July 2, which brings together architects, researchers, and leading professional figures from various disciplines.

More info on UIA 2026.

But the World Capital of Architecture is not the only big architecture event of the year. Barcelona is also marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí with the Gaudí Year, an initiative aimed at showcasing the legacy of the city’s best-known modernist and his “lasting influence on the city’s urban identity.”

Find more info here.

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Tourists will be annoyed to learn that the construction on La Rambla is set to continue for at least another year, as the city progresses on its facelift of the iconic walkway.

The €55.6 million renovation project is entering its final phases, but there is still major work ahead. The goal is to remake the promenade to improve circulation, connect the neighborhoods and ease the omnipresent crush of tourists.

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Love it or hate it, tourism continues to boom in Catalonia. In 2025, hotels posted historic highs in hotel guests and overnight stays, according to the latest data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

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The Spanish government just made it a lot less expensive to travel around the country. A new rail pass, which went into effect Jan. 26, allows unlimited travel on national and state transportation for €60 a month.

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