Barcelona Block by Block (Signed Copy)

It is not first time I have bought this collection of book. They are amazing guides. Not only do I learn and enjoy discovering new places, but I also use them for my English classes.
My students are in love with the style and learn how to write reviews for their exams.
I love travelling and I normally buy guide books. These are in my top as they are simple and beautiful but also contain valuable information. And the fact of having the map of the city all the time makes you end up learning the place.
I couldn’t recommend them more!

THis is a terrible book. It is useless. The pictures are too small. it has almost no information. It is like put out only to sell Barcellona stores atc. like a Chamber of Commerice piece. It does not even go block by block as the title would have you believe. UghI completely wasted my money on this . Where is the trash can.

Very pretty book that will quickly date in some sections - cafes for example.Purchased for my Catalan partner for St Jordi’s Day to browse together for places familiar to him.Be aware that while this is a picture book the images are small and a bit crowded in the chosen layouts. You will need to go to the author’s Instagram account for a better view of her lovely drawings.

This is mainly for people looking for pastries. It's really beautiful and I want to love it but as a guide book it really didn't help me at all. I have little need for a guide to where to find pastries and there's not much else in this except some bookshops and parks.

This book is a fun illustrated look at the city of Barcelona. The book is divided into four sections that look at different aspects of the city. The first section looks at the city through the lens of food, both through various local specialties and through restaurants. The next section looks at different sections of the city and their distinctive features. The third section looks at different interests and activities in the city. The final section explores Barcelona through the lens of seasons. The book is interesting and engaging. It is not especially deep, but it holds your interest. The book is completely illustrated with fun and whimsical illustrations. Do note that everything is an illustration, so there are no photos of the city. For the price, this book is a good value. It is nicely printed and well bound.

I’d love to go to Barcelona, and hope it happens someday, but in the meantime, this book is wonderful! It’s not a traditional travel guide (different feel, less information, and not laid out in the same way), but I love the style of this book as it gives a real feel for the city, and places that would be worth visiting! It is arranged into four general categories: Food, Local, Interests, and Season. Then within each category are specific topics like Chocolate, the Gothic Quarter, Beaches, and Barcelona in Spring—to share one from each section. I like this organization as it’s interesting to see lists by theme, and then start piecing together a trip. For example, if I were planning to visit in the winter, I’d want to start with the Barcelona in Winter and Festive Treats chapters, and then look into my favorite things: maybe Bookstores, Best Views, Museums, and Bakeries, and go from there to look each one up online and fill in the missing information, since each entry is just a brief taste of what to expect, along with an address. I found the Local section particularly interesting as it goes through different districts, neighborhoods, or cities of Barcelona featuring a mixture of different kinds of popular places to visit, which is a little more practical for planning purposes. It’s an inspiring book, and the illustrations are lovely!

This was such a fun one to flip through. I didn’t expect it to feel so personal, but each page kind of invites you to explore the city like a local. I’ve been to Barcelona once before, and this made me want to go back. The illustrated format works really well, not just for looks, but because it makes the neighborhoods and their personalities more vivid. This isn’t a comprehensive guide in the traditional sense, and that’s what I liked most. It highlights places you might not have known to seek out, and the visual style is charming without being cutesy. I’ve looked at a lot of city guides, and this is one of the few I’d keep around as a keepsake. The book feels good in hand too, it’s not too heavy or oversized. If you’re a planner like me, it’s not going to replace Google Maps, but it adds context and character to the places you might want to visit. Definitely something I’ll reference again.

This is a really nice book. If you love Spain or are interested in Spain this book has a good amount of information. My husband loves Spain and this brought some memories back. It is beautifully illustrated and really is a nice guide of Barcelona.

I love to visit my relatives in Barcelona, and I've come to love the city as well. This is a charming illustrated guide to the city, defined by its foods, its neighborhoods, and its attractions. Each section has a small collage-style header page, and each listing of a shop or restaurant has its own tiny drawing as well. The illustrations are small, cute, and precise, and have a vintage style to them.This is a great book while you are either planning (or daydreaming about) your upcoming trip, or to have as a souvenir to remember it by.As an actual travel guide, I don't think it's a very practical book. The hardcover format makes the book even heavier than it could be as a paperback, and the information is not going to be relevant and current for very long, given the transitory nature of city businesses. I can see having this on the coffee table of an AirB&B in Barcelona, or in a waiting room, but I would not want to rely on the book over the flexible nature of the internet while actually trying to navigate the city.

A guide book of Barcelona.What an interesting book! Firstly, the physical qualities of Barcelona, Block by Block make it an ideal gift book. It has a robust, hardwearing, cover that will endure being stuffed into a rucksack, whilst being beautiful enough to be retained in the home as a coffee table book too. At the risk of being oxymoronic, there’s a naive sophistication to the illustrations, making the book visually appealing and accessible. I thought Barcelona, Block by Block afforded the actual traveller, and an armchair traveller, a true insight into what is available in authentic Barcelona.I thought the way the book was organised was ideal. Each section, such as restaurants, hiking or Barcelona in Spring, for example, has a brief one page introduction and then the rest of the section is a condensed gazetteer offering all kinds of locations, ideas and suggestions. Whilst I won’t be taking to a bicycle when I next visit Barcelona, I will be visiting the places suggested in the Gaudi cycling tour. I especially liked the Gardens section as an inspiration as I’ve never visited any in Barcelona before. Equally important to me was Children’s Barcelona. I always try not to encounter children when I’m away so I now know which areas to avoid!Whilst some of the entries may date or become unavailable in future years, none-the-less, Barcelona, Block by Block will remain an excellent starting point and inspiration for visiting the city. I have found several new aspects, places and experiences to explore and think Barcelona, Block by Block would make a lovely gift book for anyone thinking of visiting the city who is looking for insider information and fresh ideas of things to do.

I would have preferred the book to be organized by region/neighborhood than by type of attraction. Unfortunately, it’s not very useful as an actual guide during your travel or as a way to plan ahead of time except if you’re looking for some general information to get an idea of what you should expect to see and eat while in Barcelona.By the time this book was printed, it was outdated, and it won’t age well over time from a practical standpoint.HOWEVER, as a memento or a way to explore the possibilities of a trip to Barcelona, not the literal restaurants and experiences you will have, this book is a delightful little journey through a wonderful city that I adore.

It’s so nice!!!

Barcelona, Block by Block is a beautiful book and I really wish I had it with me when I visited Barcelona last year. The illustrated maps show the neighborhoods in a clear and fun way, and flipping through it now reminds me of the areas we explored. It also works well as a coffee table book since friends often pick it up and ask about our trip. The mix of artwork and details makes it enjoyable to look through and it has become a nice way to relive those memories at home. I would love to pick up more books from this series to add to the collection.

This book is absolutely adorable! It’s packed full of interesting facts about Barcelona and has tons of colorful illustrations that keep the reader engaged. The pages are high-quality and durable and it's ideal for all types of readers, whether they’re planning a trip or just learning about the city from home. It covers a wide variety of places so everyone will find something they like. It's arranged a little differently than most travel books and goes block by block. In this era it'd be best paired with an internet search or AI help to make sure the recommendations aren't outdated, but it's a great starting point!

Like the breakdown of Barcelona in terms of places to see and things to do, for different interests, categories, and it even has coverage for the kids for a family trip.Some information you might already know or find online, like the main tourist attractions, but this book is quite a compendium with information you might not have known as was the case for me, for things that are more niche and less known.

As part of a European vacation two years ago, we visited Barcelona for a couple of days hitting all the major Guadi attractions and doing a bike tour of the city. We did not really spend much time in local shops or restaurants/cafes. This guide would have been quite helpful in that respect. It's full of recommended local activities, shops, and restaurants. It also has some info on the major tourist attractions, but I see the real value in this book as a supplemental travel guide to help locate those hard-to-find local gems. The illustrations are very cute and, combined with the choice of fonts used for the titles and some of the body text, give the book a whimsical and fun style.

It is definitely sturdy and well made/illustrated. I just wish there were more full page illustrations in it. The book is divided into sections and sub-sections that cover food, local districts, interests, and seasonal interests. My biggest issue with the book is how quickly it could be outdated, especially in today’s economy where shops are closing that have been staples in communities. It does cover a wide variety of places to experience that I think anyone could use this to plan a vacation to Barcelona. I would just suggest verifying that some of these places are still open using google maps or something similar.

I like this book, Barcelona Block by Block.  It's a really neat 5.5" x 7.5" hardback volume with some art throughout (not photos).  This lists many different things to do and see in Barcelona, separated by foods, neighborhoods, or interests.  As a hardback book, this is kind of chunky, so, for our use, this works great as a nice, coffee table book to read at home before we leave on a trip.  It helps us plan beforehand to pick and choose the sites and experiences that are most important for us to get to while we're there.  This is wonderful for preplanning, cutting out a lot of the details of a guide, and leaving a clear list of choices.  And after our travels will be a nice reminder of our trip.

Barcelona, Block By Block: An Illustrated Guide To The Heart Of Catalonia, is a unique travel book to inspire your future trip to Barcelona. The book is divided into four sections made up of the following:Barcelona By FoodBarcelona By LocalsBarcelona By Interest Barcelona By SeasonWithin each section are subcategories that make it easy to find what will interest you. From foods like coffee, cheese, chocolates, and bakeries to neighborhoods like Les Corts, El Raval, and Avinguda de Gaudi, to museums, beaches, and best views, to parks, gardens, and festive treats, you can find a list of locations to choose from. Each specific location is presented in alphabetical order and includes its name, address, a unique drawing, and a one sentence summary of what to expect from the given spot. At the beginning of each section there is a limited number of businesses highlighted with a unique drawing.  One surprising detail for me was that the book did not include one large map in each section that showcased how close (or far) everything was to one another. Could I look up the information on my phone, sure I could but if I am going to reference a book with specific locations, I would expect at minimum an illustrated map of the given neighborhood. The drawings are cute and whimsical and can be found throughout the 176 pages and while it makes the book unique, it really is just a series of lists of potential places to visit with a simple one line description. One of the last pages of the book, Author and Artist Cierra Block provides guidance on a page titled, Tips For Exploring Barcelona. One of the five tips is to book restaurants and attractions in advance. Ironically, none of the listings provide either a phone number or web address to take this recommended step. In addition, the author notes, "Many local shops and restaurants close in the afternoon for a siesta." However, she does not share in general how long a siesta can last nor what time generally does a siesta time start. I realize that the siesta may vary from business to business but it should be noted that it is generally for 3 hours beginning at 2pm. Especially if you have never been to Spain nor are familiar with the general idea of siesta. In the food section, there is no general pricing whether it is a single $ versus a $$$$ location. In the restaurant section, this distinction could also help provide insight/guidance to an overall dress code if it is applicable or not. Overall, it is a cute book that highlights a myriad of locations to visit when you are in the vibrant Heart of Catalonia. Is this a book that I would recommend to others, no, not really. I feel that it has a lot of potential but it is lacking some basic information that would make the book more useful for me.

My husband and I love Barcelona, so this book is a great addition to our library. I love all the illustrated tips and callouts for places of interest and notable shops around the city. Do you need to know where to get tasty churros? Of course you do! The book is hardback, beautifully presented with its illustration style, and small enough to bring on a trip if needed.

This is a very pleasant book to look through. It is very nicely designed and the drawings, colors and typography are easy on the eyes. The content of the book would be helpful if you are physically in Barcelona and curious about where to go for coffee or meals. In this regard, though, my thoughts wondered how often all of the bistros and shops open and close or change owners or menus. I was hoping for actual photographs of this beautiful city and more of a tour-guide approach to remind me of being there, but was disappointed in both those regards. The minimal drawings don't do justice to the incredible beauty of the city, the architecture, the colors, and the people, which are probably all better described with images than words anyway.

Very interesting book and read. If you want to understand more bout Barcelona it's very informative.

Great little travel books full of details & cute artwork. I hope more come out as I would love to collect these for all the places I've traveled.

This is a very cute little hardcover book that would look good on your coffee table or as a gift. The illustrations are cute and the descriptions of places are short and sweet and even have addresses. That said, as someone that's traveled to Barcelona, I feel like there are a few popular destinations that were omitted...like it's missing a few Gaudi locations. I also wish there were even more full page illustrations. Overall, it's a good starting place if you plan to travel to Barcelona.

We've been looking to take a trip over to Barcelona (and Spain in general) and this book has got some great recommendations on locations to visit from restaurants, tourist attractions, and places to visit during each season! The book is divided into four chapters: Barcelona by Food, Barcelona by Locals, Barcelona by Interest, and Barcelona by Season. Each section in the chapters has got its own description about the history and the unique attractions in the city, and each subsection (attraction location) has a small description, its address, and a small icon. The book itself is high quality and durable, where each page feels like a lot of care has gone into designing the artwork and the description of the locations. The section on Barcelona by Locals seems to have some more hidden gems than some of the other tourist-y guides that we've looked at for our itinerary, which is excellent, as we likely wouldn't have found these locations otherwise.While it does give some great suggestions, I'd say having a specific price range or price icon ($-$$$$) would be a nice inclusion if we're looking to go on a trip with a budget. We'd need to look up every location we would be interested in to see its geographic location and price range, but so far this book seems to give out some great suggestions for dining, snack, and dessert locations along with specific attractions that locals know of.