During my time abroad, I was blown away by the concept of “nightlife” in Europe. I thought I had experienced some pretty crazy nightlife in the United States, but I was far from prepared for a night out “European style.”
In particular, the nightlife in Barcelona was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. A typical night out in Barcelona begins around midnight and ends around 7:00am for most locals. In the United States, most bars and clubs shut down around 2:00am, however, Barcelona is a city that never sleeps with bars and clubs staying open till the wee hours of the morning. And even after the bars and clubs shut down for the night, most locals hit the beach to watch the sunrise before throwing in the towel and heading home. For me, it was unrealistic to stay out that late every night, but I made it my goal to stay out at least one night until the sunrise. Although, I spent most of the next day in bed sleeping, the experience of hanging out on the beach waiting for the sun to rise was unforgettable.
The number of nightclubs lining the beach was overwhelming because I wanted to make sure I could experience each and every one. I quickly realized this was nearly impossible to accomplish, but I was able to visit a variety of unique nightclubs and bars.
Of all the nightclubs and bars I visited while in Barcelona, my favorite was Ice Barcelona. Before going abroad, I was amazed by the concept of an ice bar and knew I wanted to experience one before returning to the States. For those of you who don’t know, an ice bar is exactly what it sounds like: a bar made entirely out of ice. Before entering, each person is given a heavy-duty coat and gloves to wear as the bar typically remains around negative thirty degrees. You are also given a cup made out of ice to drink out of while at the bar.
Inside the ice bar, there are numerous ice sculptures scattered around including chairs and tables made completely out of ice. Below is a picture of my friends and I at Ice Barcelona posing with one of the many ice sculptures!
The ice bar was honestly one of the coolest experiences I had during my time abroad and I would encourage each of you to visit an ice bar during your upcoming travels! There are ice bars all around the world in various countries, not just Barcelona, so make sure to do your research!