Attraction
Sagrada Família
Antoni Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica in the Eixample, Barcelona's defining landmark, with a forest-like nave, two sculpted façades and climbable towers.
Many of the things to do in Barcelona centre on the architecture of Antoni Gaudí, including the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. The Gothic Quarter is the oldest part of the city, with narrow lanes around the cathedral, while neighbouring El Born has the Picasso Museum and the church of Santa Maria del Mar. The Eixample district, laid out on a grid, holds many of the modernist buildings, and Gràcia has small squares and a village feel. Barceloneta and the beaches lie along the seafront, and the hill of Montjuïc offers museums, gardens and views.
Food is a strong reason to visit. Tapas bars, the Boqueria and Santa Caterina markets, seafood restaurants near the port and Catalan dishes such as pa amb tomàquet and crema catalana are easy to find. Locals eat late, with dinner rarely starting before 9pm. Three to four days is enough for the main Gaudí sites, the old town and some time on the beach. A longer stay allows day trips to Montserrat, Sitges or Girona.
Attraction
Antoni Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica in the Eixample, Barcelona's defining landmark, with a forest-like nave, two sculpted façades and climbable towers.
Attraction
Gaudí's hillside park in Gràcia, where mosaic-covered terraces, a serpentine bench and gingerbread-style lodges look out over Barcelona to the sea.
Attraction
Gaudí's remodelled townhouse on Passeig de Gràcia, famous for its bone-like balconies, shimmering tiled façade and dragon-scaled roof, now an immersive house museum.
Attraction
Gaudí's undulating stone apartment building on Passeig de Gràcia, best known for its rooftop of sculpted chimneys and its recreated early-20th-century flat.
Attraction
A museum spread across medieval palaces on Carrer de Montcada, tracing Pablo Picasso's formative years in depth alongside his later Las Meninas series.
Attraction
Catalonia's national art museum, housed in the domed Palau Nacional on Montjuïc and renowned for its collection of Romanesque church murals.
Café
The original coffee bar of Nømad, the Barcelona speciality roaster founded by Jordi Mestre, tucked into a quiet passage near the Palau de la Música.
Café
A historic café on La Rambla opposite the Liceu opera house, trading on this site since the 19th century and open from breakfast until late.
Café
A Gothic Quarter café and shop, opened in 1998, selling sweets and treats made by monasteries and traditional artisans to century-old recipes.
Hotel
A Ritz-Carlton tower hotel on the Port Olímpic seafront, with two outdoor pools, a fourth-floor spa and the two-Michelin-star Enoteca Paco Pérez.
Hotel
A luxury hotel on Passeig de Gràcia with a rooftop terrace and pool, a spa and restaurants overseen by chef Carme Ruscalleda.
Hotel
Barcelona's grand old luxury hotel, originally The Ritz, on the Gran Via near Passeig de Gràcia, with a rooftop garden, spa and Rafa Zafra's Amar restaurant.
Hotel
A four-star hotel on La Rambla in the former headquarters of the General Philippines Tobacco Company, with a rooftop pool terrace and spa.
Hotel
A 20-room boutique hotel in Poble Sec at the foot of Montjuïc, with a small pool and sauna and a relaxed, design-led style.
Hotel
A four-star design hotel from the Mallorcan shoe brand Camper, set in El Raval close to MACBA and La Rambla, aiming to feel more like home…
Bar
An El Born speakeasy reached through a fridge door at the back of a pastrami bar, named number one in The World's 50 Best Bars in…
Bar
A tiny Art Deco cocktail bar by La Rambla, opened in 1933 by Miguel Boadas and still devoted to expertly made classic cocktails.
Bar
A cellar music club under the arcades of Plaça Reial, mixing nightly concerts of jazz, blues and more with late club nights.
Bar
An El Born cocktail bar that calls itself a laboratory, distilling and infusing many of its own spirits for an ambitious, ingredient-driven menu.
Bar
A large Poblenou music venue with five rooms, hosting touring bands in the evening and multi-room club nights afterwards.
Restaurant
Three-Michelin-star restaurant in the Eixample run by former elBulli chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, serving long, playful tasting menus.
Restaurant
Martín Berasategui's three-Michelin-star restaurant in the Monument Hotel, where head chef Paolo Casagrande cooks precise, seasonal tasting menus.
Restaurant
A lively El Born counter bar where cooks at the griddle send out a stream of seafood-led small plates to diners perched along the bar.
Restaurant
A grand Catalan restaurant near Port Vell, open since 1836 and known above all for its paellas and rice dishes, served daily from lunch until midnight.
Restaurant
A Barceloneta institution dating from 1903, serving fish, shellfish and rice dishes in an old-fashioned dining room a few streets back from the beach.
Restaurant
A buzzing tapas bar just off La Rambla serving traditional Spanish tapas built on Catalan market fish and seasonal vegetables, from a long counter and a…
Thing to do
Barcelona's best-known food market, entered from La Rambla under a wrought-iron arch, packed with produce stalls, fishmongers and busy counter bars.
Thing to do
A Civil War anti-aircraft battery on the Turó de la Rovira hilltop, now a free history site with one of the widest panoramas over Barcelona.
Thing to do
A historic hilltop amusement park on Tibidabo, the highest point of the Collserola ridge, combining vintage rides with sweeping views over Barcelona.
Thing to do
A long-running flamenco tablao on La Rambla, staging intimate evening performances of flamenco dance, guitar and song, with dinner options from its own restaurant.
Thing to do
A neighbourhood food market near the cathedral, renovated by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue and crowned by a wave-shaped roof of coloured tiles.
Tour operator
A family-run Barcelona walking tour company founded in 2010, best known for its donation-based Gothic Quarter and Gaudí tours starting from Plaça Reial.
Tour operator
Barcelona's historic harbour boat company, sailing since 1888 from the quay opposite the Columbus Monument on short port and coastal cruises.
Tour operator
A Barcelona company running architecture walks led by architects, with themed tours on Gaudí, urbanism, the waterfront, the Olympic city and contemporary design.
Tour operator
A Barcelona bike tour company offering four-hour, off-the-beaten-track rides with local guides in groups of no more than eight, starting at Port Olímpic.
Tour operator
A Barcelona social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to guide walking tours of the Gothic Quarter and El Raval.
Three to four days covers the main Gaudí buildings, the Gothic Quarter and some beach time. Five days or more allows for a day trip to Montserrat or Girona.
The Eixample is central and well connected, while the Gothic Quarter and El Born are close to the main old-town sights. Gràcia is quieter and more residential.
The Aerobús runs from both terminals to Plaça de Catalunya. Metro line L9 Sud and the R2 Nord train from Terminal 2 also connect with the city.
Barcelona costs less than Paris or London but more than many other Spanish cities. Set lunch menus (menú del día) and tapas bars help keep food costs down.
Barcelona is generally safe, but it has a reputation for pickpocketing on Las Ramblas, the Metro and the beaches. Keep bags closed and phones out of back pockets.