Everyone knows the Sagrada Família and Park Güell, but these places in Barcelona usually stay off the radar: a modernista house with no queue, a cemetery that doubles as a sculpture museum, a supercomputer in a chapel, and the Collserola hills with a funicular, trails and abandoned buildings. They all come from my list of saved places on Google Maps. The descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews; where I have my own notes, I write them myself.
Prices and hours are from Google, valid as of 1 October 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.13.
In short
- Free and almost tourist-free: Cementiri del Poblenou, a cemetery full of sculpture with a marked route from the gate.
- A supercomputer in a chapel: Barcelona Supercomputing Center. Free tours if you book, mostly in Spanish.
- Modernisme without the queues: Casa Comalat on the Diagonal. You can't go in, but both façades are visible from the street.
- Up into the hills by funicular: from Peu del Funicular to Vallvidrera Superior, then the Collserola trails or bus 111 to Tibidabo.
- For fans of abandoned places: the ruins of the Rabassada casino and an old tuberculosis sanatorium. Honestly, an acquired taste.
In the city
Casa Comalat
Eixample · modernista apartment building
Google Maps · website · Av. Diagonal, 442
A 1911 apartment building by the architect Salvador Valeri i Pupurull, inspired by Gaudí. According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 690+): one of the most underrated modernista buildings, with an undulating stone façade on the Diagonal, a carved wooden door with cut glass, and an equally striking rear façade that's worth walking round the block for. The catch: it's private, the interior is closed to the public, and residents can get upset when tourists step into the lobby, so admire it from the street.
Cementiri del Poblenou
Poblenou · cemetery · daily 8:00–18:00
Google Maps · website · Av. d'Icària, 204
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 270+): a huge, quiet cemetery that many call the most impressive they've ever seen. A map at the entrance sets out a route past the finest tombs, with signs naming the sculptors; the star is a winged skeleton known as the Kiss of Death. Entry is free, and the high walls give shade even on hot days. The only warning: keep an eye on closing time.
Barcelona Supercomputing Center
Les Corts · supercomputer in a chapel · Mon–Fri 8:00–19:00, closed Sat–Sun
Google Maps · website · Plaça d'Eusebi Güell, 1-3
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 530+): Spain's national supercomputing centre, housed in a beautiful old chapel. Tours are free but must be booked in advance, and they include a small museum of old machines, reportedly with a few pieces that appeared in Jurassic Park. Tours are usually in Spanish and fairly technical, though guides sometimes sum up the key points in English for foreign visitors.
Santa Eulàlia
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat · L1 metro station
Google Maps · L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Strictly speaking this isn't Barcelona but neighbouring L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. This is where you'll find the triangular windows of the railway tunnel. According to Google Maps reviews (4.0 from 210+): one of the historic metro stations, opened in 1932 on what is now line L1, next to the oldest metro depot in Barcelona, in use since 1922; one review warns about pickpockets in the area.
Collserola: funicular, trails and views
Peu del Funicular
Vallvidrera · train and funicular station
Google Maps · Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
This is my lift up to the trail I run on. According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 170+): a stop on FGC lines S1 and S2 and the bottom end of the Vallvidrera funicular; you change to the funicular up a staircase without leaving the station. The platform is short, so ride in the middle or rear cars, and one review notes the funicular was shut for almost a month in summer.
Vallvidrera Superior
Vallvidrera · upper funicular station
Google Maps · Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 180+): the top station of the funicular. The ride is short, quick and smooth, and up here there are views and plenty to explore. The church on Tibidabo is about 1.5 km on foot, or take bus 111 from right outside the station; some people walk back down from Tibidabo in about twenty minutes. Families of wild boar are sometimes spotted along the way.
Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola
Collserola · nature park · daily 9:30–14:30 (per Google)
Google Maps · website · Ctra. de l'Església, 92
An 8,000-hectare nature park right above the city, with cycling, trails, birdwatching, historic sites and guided walks. According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 19,400+): great for hiking, running and cycling, with easy, uncrowded trails and views over Barcelona. Wear proper shoes, as some stretches are rocky and slippery after rain; summers are hot and there are no drinking fountains, so bring water. Wild boar are about, and one visitor was let down by a neglected pond.
Mirador del Turó d'en Corts
Sant Just Desvern · viewpoint
Google Maps · Sant Just Desvern
Technically this is no longer Barcelona but neighbouring Sant Just Desvern. According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 430+): breathtaking views and the smell of pine that makes you forget the noisy city. You get here on foot, either via Vallvidrera (the harder walk) or along the Carretera de les Aigües (the easier one). It's lonely up here, and one visitor felt uneasy on their own, so go with someone.
Collserola: ruins and abandoned places
Ruins of the Rabassada Casino
Collserola · casino ruins · open 24 hours
Google Maps · website · Carretera de l'Arrabassada, km 6.5
According to Google Maps reviews (3.9 from 320+): the spooky remains of an old casino with an interesting past. Much of it has been demolished, but quite a lot survives if you know where to look; rather than starting from the road, it's easier to come up from the gardens, head for the viaduct and follow the signs to Font de la Rabassada. The honest downsides: it's abandoned, there's a lot of rubbish around, the trek is hard and not the safest, and some visitors left disappointed, thinking it had all been knocked down.
Sanatori Antituberculós
Collserola · abandoned sanatorium
Google Maps · Carrer de Júpiter, 7
According to Google Maps reviews (3.9 from 60+): an abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium, a find for urbex fans and a sad example of neglected architecture. You can get there by public transport, but from the railway it's a very steep climb up stairs; by car it's easier. The building is surrounded by a high wall, you can't get inside, and it's empty anyway, so many found it underwhelming. It's for people who are specifically after abandoned places.
One last thing
Collserola makes an easy day out: take the S1 or S2 train to Peu del Funicular, ride the funicular up to Vallvidrera Superior, then walk the trails or catch bus 111 to Tibidabo. In summer bring water, as there are no fountains on the trails, and check the funicular is running before you go: one year it was shut from late July to late August.