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.
Spain offers a wide mix of city breaks, beaches, mountains and food, and it is one of Europe's most visited countries. Barcelona is a popular starting point for its Gaudí architecture, old town and seafront. Madrid, the capital, is known for the Prado and other major art museums, as well as its food markets and late nights. In Andalusia, Seville, Granada and Córdoba have Moorish palaces, cathedrals and flamenco, while Valencia is the home of paella. The Balearic Islands, including Mallorca and Ibiza, and the Canary Islands attract beach visitors throughout the year. In the north, San Sebastián and Bilbao are known for food and the Guggenheim Museum.
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.
High-speed AVE trains link Madrid with Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and other cities. Domestic flights and ferries serve the islands, and a car helps in rural areas.
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for cities, especially in the south, where summers are very hot. Summer suits the beaches and the north coast.
Popular choices include Madrid, Seville, Granada, Valencia, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Mallorca and the Canary Islands.