Beautiful, buzzy BARCELONA

Barcelona, capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, has it all, including stylish bars, parks and architecture

- LYDIA SWINSCOE

Thanks to the city’s main thoroughfare, Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s party city reputation precedes it, but once you get into the quieter areas of town, it’s hard not to fall head over heels in love with the place, just like artists Miró, Gaudí and Picasso did.

Barcelona has a large collection of well-designed places to stay, cuisine from around the world, and reasonably priced authentic tapas (if you know where to look). It also has some of the world’s most celebrated architectural gems, from Park Güell to Casa Vicens.

Art everywhere

The city is synonymous with art, thanks to its connections with some of the great artists of our time, including Gaudí, whose architectural gems are dotted all over the city. If your time is limited, you could miss La Sagrada Familia – the basilica that is taking generations to be completed, though it would be a shame – in favour of Gaudí’s Park Güell, a fascinating set of cartoon-like buildings, stone archways and mosaic-covered seating, set within beautiful parkland in the Gràcia district.