The Unusual Barcelona: the magazine-guide that rediscovers the city through a creative lens

26.09.2025

Barcelona is a city that never runs dry. Every corner has its own heartbeat, every street breathes history, and each neighbourhood offers a unique experience. But how can you truly capture that boundless essence without falling into the same old clichés? The answer lies in The Unusual Barcelona — an independent, soulful editorial project that, in its 4th edition, reinvents itself to become much more than a travel guide: a 128-page magazine-guide that blends the inspiring spirit of contemporary lifestyle magazines with the practicality of a curated, alternative urban guide.

Site: www.citycurator.es

Curated by Cecilia Camacho, editor and creative director of CC/magazine, this new edition is a statement of intent: to see, feel and experience Barcelona through an aesthetic, emotional and honest lens. The Unusual Barcelona goes far beyond simply recommending places; it weaves a living narrative of the city through stories, interviews, illustrated maps, and high-quality editorial design. It is, in equal measure, a collector’s item, a source of inspiration, and a unique tool to discover — or rediscover — Barcelona from the inside out.

“This 4th edition becomes a magazine-guide that blends editorial inspiration with handpicked recommendations.”

A step forward: from alternative guide to editorial hybrid

What began as an alternative guide for curious travellers has now evolved into a hybrid editorial format — broader in scope and deeper in meaning. The 4th edition of The Unusual Barcelona marks a significant transformation: 128 pages printed on premium Fedrigoni papers, with exposed spine Japanese binding, and presented in a recyclable PET vacuum-sealed sleeve. Each copy comes with a specially designed postcard exclusive to this edition.

Behind this carefully crafted format lies a clear philosophy: to make the act of reading and exploring a truly memorable experience. This guide becomes a magazine you can savour at home, read like an art and culture book — but also carry with you, to accompany your urban wanderings through a fresh perspective.

Over 400 handpicked recommendations, curated with care and sensibility

One of the most distinctive features of this magazine-guide is its editorial curation. It’s not about collecting endless addresses, but about carefully selecting more than 400 updated recommendations, organised by district and category.

You’ll find restaurants, cafés, bakeries, wine bars, shops, galleries, museums, hotels, bookshops, artist studios and those hidden corners only known to those who truly love the city.

Everything has been designed to offer an intimate and contemporary cartography of Barcelona. A guide not only for first-time visitors, but also for locals who wish to reconnect with their city through a different sensibility.

Because there are many Barcelonas within Barcelona — and this publication invites readers to discover the ones that speak to us, move us, and reflect our most personal vision of the city.

Inspiring voices: interviews and creative perspectives of the city

What truly sets The Unusual Barcelona apart from any other guide is the inclusion of local voices offering a personal and emotional take on the city. Within its pages you’ll find interviews and features with prominent figures from Barcelona’s cultural, artistic, design and lifestyle scenes.

People like Nuria Val (@nuriaval__), Helena Agustí (La Culture House), Verònica Fuerte (Hey Studio) and Inés Sans (Casa Bonay) share their favourite places — those that form part of their personal map of the city. These stories offer more than just recommendations: they open windows onto a lived, felt and creatively reimagined Barcelona.

Each interview brings a different perspective and helps build a collective, more diverse and personal vision of the city.

Features and interviews that capture the soul of Barcelona

In addition to the recommendations, the magazine includes stories and interviews that invite readers to look at Barcelona through different lenses: art, architecture, design, everyday life… Content designed to inspire, move, and connect with what makes this city truly unique.

“Includes interviews, features and voices from local artists, designers and creatives.”

This edition features interviews and articles with figures such as photographer Salva López, artist Chidy Wayne, architecture studio Mesura, and the experimental floral stylists Flowers by Bornay. Their insights and stories offer emotionally resonant perspectives that connect with the reader and capture the most authentic, vibrant side of Barcelona.

Design, sustainability and attention to detail

Every edition of The Unusual Barcelona is designed not just to be read, but to be appreciated as a design object. This time, with double the page count, we’ve chosen a Japanese exposed spine binding, Fedrigoni papers and recyclable PET vacuum-sealed packaging — which also serves to protect and preserve the magazine-guide.

This edition also includes stunning photography by talents we admire, such as Martina Matencio (@lalovenenoso), Fabrizio Colque, Guillaume Lavrut, Marta Vidal, among others; an illustrated map by Carmen Casado (@holasoykaaa); and inspiring quotes woven throughout its pages — all of which enhance both the reading and visual experience.

A magazine to read, gift, and return to

This 4th edition is designed to stand the test of time. It’s a magazine to be enjoyed slowly, and a guide to carry with you. A publication that invites you to see Barcelona through a different lens, and that preserves stories, recommendations and visions worth holding onto.

A different way of seeing the city

The Unusual Barcelona was born from deep affection and respect for a city in constant transformation.
It’s more than a guide —it’s a celebration of the spirit that defines Barcelona: its architecture and light, its creative pulse, its people, and the quiet beauty hidden in the everyday.

Each page is a tribute to the city’s ability to surprise, move, and inspire —a reminder that its magic lies not only in its landmarks, but in the texture of daily life: a morning coffee on a tiled terrace, the sound of laughter spilling onto the streets, the creativity that seems to bloom in every corner.

This publication celebrates the local, the authentic, and all those details that often go unnoticed yet leave a lasting mark. It’s a curated journey through a city that continues to evolve without ever losing its soul. Because a city isn’t just visited —it’s lived, felt, and remembered through the stories we carry with us.