4 activities to do this July without leaving Barcelona

BarcelonaIf you already have holidays but are not travelling, Barcelona is full of activities that can satisfy our desire for leisure and disconnection. To change daily habits without having to make large expenses or undertake risky trips at a time of overwhelmed public transport, we propose some ideas below.

Proud cinema

After the celebration of the International LGBTI+ Pride Day, the Nobu hotel in Barcelona has teamed up with the platform Filmin to program a film series reflecting the lives of people who are part of the community on the terrace of this hotel, always linked to cinema thanks to one of its founders, Robert de Niro. The open-air cinema sessions, which begin at 10 p.m., include a special cocktail made with Grey Goose, Nobu Style popcorn with furikake, and wireless headphones to follow the films in silent mode. In addition, admission includes a menu consisting of edamame with truffle honey, squid, red potatoes, tofu and shiitake mini-burgers, chicken mini-burgers, and wagyu mini-burgers. Also a classic Espresso Martini with Grey Goose. The films are High & low - John Galliano (2023) on July 1st, Cactus pears (2025) on July 8th, and Sauna (2025) on July 16th.

Uppercase art

Until August 16, CaixaForum is dedicating a major exhibition to the art of Henri Matisse, who marked a before and after with his totally innovative conception of color, the critical reformulation of the painting as a pure pictorial surface, and also for the idea he conveyed of being "out of place," both emotionally and politically. Thanks to a wide selection of works mainly from the Centre Pompidou, the exhibition allows us to delight in the artist's way of expressing the break with established norms and his search for a new way of seeing and representing the world. It is divided into eight areas that show his trajectory and evolution, from the German fauves and Russian neoprimitivists to American painting from the 1940s onwards.

A spa from another era

A good way to forget about our day-to-day is to visit a spa that is unlike anything in our surroundings. And even better if it is unlike anything from our era. This is the case with Aire Ancient Baths Barcelona, under the arches of Fontserè and in front of Parc de la Ciutadella. An important disconnection can be materialized there thanks to routes through waters at different temperatures, steam baths, massages, and all kinds of rituals. To disconnect in a few hours, the Hydrating Honey Ritual stands out, which combines a 30-minute sensory massage with jojoba oil – a very nutritious ingredient that helps hydrate and regenerate the skin – and a hair mask enriched with honey that adds softness and shine to the hair. The Hydrating Honey Ritual experience is completed with a tour of Aire's different thermal rooms, a respected brand in this sector and already established in major European cities, always following its aesthetic inspired by ancient Greek, Roman, and Ottoman baths.

A very good glass

Andrea Civettini, at the helm of La Dama Barcelona's bar, is the new best bartender in Spain. The Italian mixologist, located in this iconic venue in the Catalan capital, has just been crowned state champion at the seventeenth edition of the World Class in the European final, held in Rotterdam. In Holland, Civettini beat two bartenders from outside Catalonia with a cocktail bar that defines itself as "of gastronomic roots", "precise in technique" and "bold in ideas". The World Class – organised by Diageo and known as the Oscars of cocktail making – was born in 2009 and is present in more than 50 countries, with hundreds of thousands of bartenders signing up for its programmes every year. In Spain, reaching the highest point requires surviving a fierce selection: hundreds of aspirants each year overcome stages over many months until a minimum elite of finalists remain. Those who want to try what has brought Civettini to the throne of cocktail making in Spain can stop by La Dama for a drink and enjoy its beautiful modernist rooms, in addition to the Italian's promising cocktail creations.