Buzzing Barca has everything for the perfect summer city break – wild nightclubs, edgy art and architecture, beautiful parks and a long stretch of beach lined with bars and cafes. The hostels in Barcelona cater to a fun-loving crowd, and many are close to the hectic main street Las Ramblas and La Boqueria Market.

Cool, cultured, and super-chic, Spain’s second city has a reputation for being a pricey place to visit. If you’re feeling cash-strapped this summer but want a taste of Catalan culture, grab a bargain hostel holiday with HostelBookers. This week (1-5th June) hostel beds in Barcelona are going for only 5 cents, leaving you with way more to spend on a wild night out! To make it a real bargain trip, here’s a list of free things to do in Barcelona.

1. Parc Life
Surreal architect Gaudi has certainly left his mark on the city, and the lush parkland of Parc Guell is the perfect showcase for his dreamy designs. Commissioned to create a park for Barcelona’s aristocracy, Gaudi dotted several sculptures and mosaics across this sprawling hilltop, which boasts panoramic views of the city. You’ll need several hours to explore the entire park – highlights include the iconic tiled Gecko, and Gaudi’s home.

2. Casa Asia
For a taste of the Far East in Spain, visit this cultural center, housed in the breathtaking Palau Baró de Quadras, an ornate palace designed by Puig i Cadafalch, and decorated with lavish carvings and mosaics. Inside are some fascinating exhibits covering Asian art and culture, an oriental cafe, and a cinema showing subtitled films.

3. A Trip to Montjuic
This ‘hill’ rises 213 meters over the port of Barcelona, and since the 1992 Olympic Games was revamped, filled with museums, galleries, gardens and nightclubs. It costs to enter landmarks such as the Palau National, but sights like the Magic Fountain, the pretty gardens and the Poble Espanyol (a village of buildings replicating architecture from all over Spain) are all free to visit.

4. Party in a Cool Club
Danzarama is just one of the free clubs popping up all over the city – the free entry makes up for the eye-watering drinks prices. With a funky restaurant upstairs and basement club pumping out beats late into the night, Danzerama is popular with the cool crowd after hours.

5. Incredible Art
The Fundacio Caixaforum is an art nouveau fortress and former factory, that has been transformed into a free cultural center. With free concerts, galleries and lectures, this is a must for culture vultures.

If you fancy venturing beyond Barcelona to more beaches and Alicante, Benidorm or Torrevieja, check out this blog packed full of Costa Blanca tips and news.

Images- Thanks to vito7, RUDEWORK’S, laura padgett, sueck, baldheretic.