1. Listen to music at Festival del Mil·lenni

Returning to Barcelona for its 15th edition, the Festival Mil·lenni brings you some of the best music of the year. Look for Nana Mouskouri in February, Goran Bregovic in April at the Palau de la Música, and many others. Tickets go for between €13 and €79. Their ‘Pack Flamenc’ is a bargain, offering three flamenco concerts for €50. We don’t always recommend flamenco in Barcelona, but this is one to see.

2. Eat piles of grilled green onions, a Catalan delicacy

Food festivals and traditions are always good excuses for visiting a city. Come to Barcelona (and Catalonia) this winter to eat barbecued calçots, a sort of fat green onion available until late March. Valls is the top spot to eat calçots, but you will also find them all over the city at restaurants and in vegetable markets.

3. Sip a craft brew at the Barcelona Beer Festival

Barcelona has quite the burgeoning craft beer scene, so much so that the Barcelona Beer Festival is holding its third annual event this year from April 11th-13th 2014.

4. Save big during post-holiday winter sales

Sales or ‘rebajas/rebaixes’ in Spanish/Catalan are on from January 7th until mid-March. The best deals are to be had now, while your shoe size is still in stock. If you miss these post-holiday winter sales you’ll have another chance to save big in July and August.

5. Get down with hipsters at Primavera Sound

One of the best music festivals in Barcelona, Primavera Sound never disappoints. On in the spring (hence, ‘primavera’) from May 29th-31st 2014, this one brings out the hipsters in full force. The music is always plentiful, as multiple stages are set up around the Forum, the Mediterranean Sea the festival’s stunning backdrop. Festival passes are being sold at a discounted rate until February 7th. Hurry.

6. Feast with friends at the best eatery…in the world!

You may have heard that Celler Can Roca was nominated the best eatery in the world by Restaurant Magazine. Granted, you’ll have a heck of a time getting a reservation these days, but if you manage it, Celler Can Roca is just an hour north of Barcelona in Girona.

7.  Hear unique  guitar sounds

25º Guitar Festival BCN is yet another music festival on in the city from February to May 2014. Femi Kuti and Andrés Calamaro are a couple shows worth buying tickets for in advance.

8. See incredible Barcelona street photography

Joan Colom is one of the most important Spanish photographers of the second half of the 20th century. Now in his 90s, he is known for his black and white photographs of street life in Barcelona. See more than 500 photographs spanning the whole of his career at the MNAC Museum until the 25th of May 2014.

9. Participate in annual city traditions

Apart from these events, there is a seemingly endless list of holidays and traditional festivals held in Barcelona and all over Catalonia every year. Some of the most entertaining are: Sant Jordi’s Day on April 23rd, Sant Joan on June 23rd and 24th, and La Mercè at the end of September.

Plan your jaunt to Barcelona at the same time as one of these functions for an even richer experience. For more tips on exploring the city for less, check out EuroCheapo’s Barcelona city guide.

The post 9 reasons you need to check out Barcelona in 2014 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Free flamenco in Seville (for a drink)

La Carboneria is a hot spot located in the Barrio Santa Cruz, a neighborhood known for its free flamenco shows. Although dismissed by some as a tourist trap, La Carboneria will have you tapping your feet as the dancers stomp to the beat. Its energy is infectious. When the weather is warm, you can take in the free show on La Carboneria’s outdoor patio (tapas and drinks not included).

La Carboneria is open daily, excluding Mondays, from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

For 13 more places to catch free flamenco in Seville, including places that welcome you to join the dancing, check out Explore Seville’s article on flamenco.

Another spot is Lola de los Reyes in Triana (pictured above). It’s not free but it is affordable and lots of fun.

Also see: our list of recommended budget hotels in Seville.

The post Seville: Free flamenco dancing (for a drink) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.