Barcelona
Set inside the futuristic Edifici Fòrum, whose angular facades look like sheer cliff faces (with grand strips of mirror creating fragmented reflections of…
Must-see attractions in Barcelona
L'Eixample
Though fascinating on the outside and made all the more enticing by its leafy gardens, this 1893 creation by Domènech i Montaner is especially spectacular…
Monestir de Sant Pere de les Puelles
La Ribera
It was around this much-remodelled Romanesque church, founded in 945, that settlement began in La Ribera. In 985 a Muslim force under Al-Mansur largely…
La Ribera
The headquarters of the Art of Silk Association is housed in a handsome 18th-century mansion covered in caryatid sgraffiti, overlooking Via Laietana. The…
Barcelona
Sir Norman Foster designed the 288m-high, 1992-completed Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower on the slopes of Tibidabo. An external glass lift…
L'Eixample
Originally built for a rich banking family by Enric Sagnier in 1902–05, the stunning, carefully restored Modernista Casa Garriga i Nogués has been taken…
El Raval
This broad boulevard was laid out in 2000 as part of the city's plan to open up this formerly sleazy neighbourhood, with some success. Now lined with palm…
L'Eixample
Designed by Joan Rubió i Bellver for businessman Macari Golferichs, this quirky 1901 Modernista villa is an oddity of another era on one of the city’s…
Barcelona
On the eastern side of the Park Güell, this spired dusty-pink house is where Gaudí lived from 1906 until his death in 1926. Furniture and ironwork he…
La Ribera
Photography lovers should swing by this minimalist-design nonprofit foundation in El Born, which hosts thought-provoking, regularly changing exhibitions…
Barcelona
Construction on this striking church began in 1878 and was completed in 1884. It was designed by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, Gaudí's protégé, but it's…
L'Eixample
Puig i Cadafalch let his imagination loose on the Casa Serra (1903–08), a neo-Gothic whimsy today home to government offices. With its central tower…
L'Eixample
Although a university was first set up on what is now La Rambla in the 16th century, the present, glorious mix of (neo) Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic and…
Barcelona
Book ahead for an evening tour (English available) of this organic brewery. Over the course of two hours, you'll taste the malt, hops and cereals and,…
Barcelona
This impressive arts space is housed in a renovated 19th-century thread and textile factory, with high ceilings and exposed brickwork. Fabra i Coats was a…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Opposite the southeast end of La Catedral, narrow Carrer del Paradís leads towards Plaça de Sant Jaume. Inside No 10, an intriguing building with Gothic…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Accessed within the Museu d'Història de Barcelona, this is the chapel of the old Gothic Palau Reial Major (Grand Royal Palace). Outside, a spindly bell…
Barcelona
First built for the 1929 Expo, this cable car strung across the harbour between La Barceloneta and Montjuïc provides an eagle-eye view of the city. The…
Barcelona
Opened in 1888, the ‘Market of Liberty’ was covered in 1893 by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres (1866–1914), Gaudí’s long-time assistant, in typically fizzy…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Observe what naughtiness people have been getting up to since ancient times in this museum, with historical relics such as Indian bas-reliefs showing…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
A rare example of post-baroque building in Barcelona, the Palau de la Virreina is a grand 18th-century rococo mansion (with some neoclassical elements)…
L'Eixample
Domènech i Montaner’s 1905 contribution to the Illa de la Discòrdia, with Modernista carving outside and a bright, tiled lobby in which floral motifs…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Across Carrer del Bisbe from La Catedral is the 17th-century Bishop's Palace. Virtually nothing remains of the original 13th-century structure. The Roman…
Barcelona
Just east of its namesake neighbourhood, Barceloneta's main beach is a golden-brown strip of sand where, during warm months, pool-party promoters, mojito…
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
El Raval
A complex of auditoriums, exhibition spaces and conference halls, the CCCB opened in 1994 in what was formerly an 18th-century hospice, the Casa de la…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Barcelona's town hall has been the seat of power for centuries. The Consell de Cent (the city’s ruling council) first sat here in the 14th century, but…
L'Eixample
A singular neo-Gothic effort, this church is interesting because it was designed by Joan Martorell i Montells (1833–1906), Gaudí’s architecture professor…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
On La Rambla with Carrer del Carme, this church was constructed in baroque style for the Jesuits in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to replace a…
La Ribera
Standing at the northern end of Carrer de Montcada, on the corner of Carrer dels Corders, this much-meddled-with Romanesque chapel was once a wayfarers’…
Barcelona
With copper-hued stainless-steel scales sparkling at sunset, this 35m-tall, 56m-long fish sculpture at the foot of the swish Hotel Arts Barcelona looks…
Barcelona
Rotating exhibitions of portions of this private collection of mostly 20th-century art (some 1300 works in total) offer anything from Man Ray’s…
Barcelona
At the far southern end of the beach fronting La Barceloneta, this is a handy stretch of white-gold sand for a bit of sun and surf action when you need a…
Barcelona
Dedicated to Mediterranean flora, these hillside gardens have a collection of some 40,000 plants and 1500 species, including many that thrive in areas…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
This small square flanking the majestic Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi is one of the prettiest in the Barri Gòtic, with its bars and cafes attracting…
Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta
Barcelona
On Barceloneta's seaward side are the first of Barcelona's beaches, which get packed in summer. The broad 1.25km promenade from Barceloneta to the Port…
Barcelona
From the Parc Montjuïc cable car station on northern Montjuïc, these glass cabins zip you up to the Castell de Montjuïc via the mirador (lookout point),…
Barcelona
Opened in 1922, these soothing terraced gardens just west of the Fundació Joan Miró are linked by paths, stairs and wisteria-clad walkways, with pretty…
Barcelona
An icon by the waterfront, this eye-catching 15m-high primary-coloured sculpture was designed by famous American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
The Centre de la Imatge is an exhibition space that forms part of the Palau de la Virreina. It hosts mainly – but not exclusively – photography shows.
Barcelona
With a small nudist strip, soft blonde sands, some water sports and a skate park, Platja de la Mar Bella is popular with an LGBTQI+ crowd.
