Discover a different side of Barcelona!

Do you want to show your friends another side of Barcelona? Do you want to see the city from a different perspective? We invite you to walk alongside a person who has lived on the street and learn their story. The goal is to take a different tour of the usual touristic routes while discovering the stories and initiatives that work to make #nobodysleepingonthestreet possible in the city.

Homelessness is a problem often invisible in Barcelona, but it affects 1,200 people who sleep on the street every night, according to the latest Arrels census. Behind these numbers are hidden stories of people like Juan Carlos, Hans or Manuel. They lived on the street and are now guides in Barcelona, explaining their experience living in the open. They see it as an important way to raise awareness that reveals an unknown reality, breaks down stereotypes and at the same time gives them the satisfaction of feeling useful.

Why did you end up on the street? What was your first night out in the open like? How are you now that you have a home? These are some of the questions that come up during he tours. Juan Carlos believes they can change people’s perceptions, and explains that anyone could end up sleeping on the street. “When you’re on the street, people see you and run away, some change curbs and are afraid of you. What you can get out of my story is that you don’t always have to stay there. You can change if you want and if they help you. This surprises people, because many of them thought that people lived on the street because they wanted to, but that’s not always the case.”

We invite you to tour el Eixample and Ciutat Vella alongside a person who has lived on the street, like Juan Carlos, Manuel (tours in Spanish) or Hans (tours in English and German), learn about their stories and the places that shaped their experiences. It is an opportunity to discover another side of Barcelona and the resources that exist for homeless people with your friends and family.

• Language: Spanish
• Guides: Juan Carlos or Manuel.
• Duration: About 1.5 hours
• Availability: Tuesday through Friday, in the morning.
• Price: 20 euros/person (from 2 to 9 participants) or 15 euros/person (from 10 to 15 participants).
• Reservations: comunicacio@arrelsfundacio.org.

If you’re visiting, leave a mark on the city

If you have foreign friends who are visiting Barcelona, or if you are a visitor yourself, take a tour that leaves a mark on the city. You will go with Hans, who lived on the street for two years and speaks English and German.

Hans will tell you about the lives of people who sleep on the streets of Barcelona, about his experience and about the places homeless people use to eat or seek shelter. During your walk, you will also learn about the work Arrels does and visit different resources the organization offers, like the Pere Barnés Home, for people who have lived on the street and are in poor health; the occupational workshop and the open center.

It is a chance to see beyond the museums, the beach and the tourist traps in the city and discover something lesser-known but that affects almost 1,200 people who sleep on the street every night. “What I want is for the tourists to stop and think about the problems of homeless people,” Hans explains. “And if they return to their country and end up working with local organizations, the tour was a success to me.”

• Languages: English and German.
• Guide: Hans
• Duration: About 2 hours.
• Availability: Tuesday through Friday in the morning, and Monday through Thursday in the afternoon.
• Price: 20 euros/person (2 to 9 participants) or 15 euro/person (10 to 15 participants).
• Reservations: comunicacio@arrelsfundacio.org.

Help make #nobodysleepingonthestreet possible and leave a mark on the city!