If you want to escape the heat and noise of Barcelona, there is no better place to do it than Montjuic. This expansive ‘green’ belt’ is perched high above the city and despite hosting countless intimate parks and gardens, a handful of the city’s top attractions, and breathtaking city vistas at every turn, it is surprisingly under-used by locals. When the city’s beaches are packed to the hilt, head on up to Montjuic for some fresh, pine-scented air. On Montjuic’s uppermost peak is a formidable fortress-castle (best reached by cable-car from the port), which has the most panoramic views and is a great place to let kids run wild. The rest of Montjuic’s architecture stems from the two major events. The 1992 Olympic Games’ heritage is the ‘Olympic Ring’; the stadium (now mainly used for large-scale musical events), water-sports facilities and the Palau Sant Jordi a striking auditorium designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. At the Plaça Espanya end of Montjuic’s landward, the 1929 Universal Exhibition left a string of pretty pavilions, now the locations of some of the city’s best museums, including the National Museum of Catalonia, the Archaeology and Ethnographic Museums. Also here is the Poble Espanyol, ...

One of the biggest draws to Barcelona is its architecture. From stunning showpieces such as Jean Nouvel’s Torre Agbar to the robust beauty of the Gothic quarter, the architectural variety in Barcelona is quite remarkable. But if there were one singular style that could be termed truly ‘Barcelonese’ it would be modernisme. Most people may be aware of the modernisme through the fluid, almost organic works of Antoni Gaudí, the movement’s most famous exponent. But there are many more notable contemporaries of the great architect, and most of their work can be seen in the neighbourhood of the Eixample (or ‘Extension’) the 19th century, grid-like ‘new town’ that spans northward from Plaça Catalunya. And the best way to see it is on foot. Start your modernisme walk is the Passeig de Gràcia, a high-end shopping strip that is paved with hexagonal-shaped, grey-blue tiles designed Gaudí. Head to the cross street with C/ Aragó and you will be standing in front of the zenith of modernisme: the Manzana de Discòrdia (or ‘Block of Discord). These three buildings are all showstoppers: built for a chocolate baron, the Casa Amatller resembles a fairy-tale Flemish townhouse, whilst the Casa Lleó Morera (now occupied by ...

Back in 1970, a job was advertised for five girls to go and work in a bar in Ibiza, a place unheard of by me at the time. I was lucky enough to be selected for one of the positions. I thought I had landed in paradise, as it was just such a beautiful island. I made goods friends with one of the other girls and we decided that we would leave the Ibiza after five months and go and explore mainland Spain. We caught the ferry from Ibiza to Barcelona and then hitched a lift further up the coast, stopping at lots of small towns, each with their own distinct personalities (and each one with their own trademark fountain) ending up in Tossa del Mar. At this point we decided to go all the way back down the coast again, stopping once again at all the little towns and discovering more of the secret streets we missed the first time round. We met some really lovely people who were kind enough to stop and give us lifts. Every day was a sunny, happy day with lots of laughs and filled with the excitement of what was to come. ...

Antonio Gaudí is not someone I’ll forget easily. When I explored this wonderfully clean and vibrant city, I never knew quite where the artistic hand and unfettered genius of this remarkably gifted man would pop up. His architectural creations are, quite simply, unavoidable. Roaming around Las Ramblas, the city’s best-known landmark, inhaling the smell of tapas and paella, caught up in the strolling crowd, I stumbled across the Güell Palace. Designed by Gaudí for a rich industrialist and subdued by the architect’s standards, there is but a hint of what was to come from the pen of the great man. Pausing on the Passeig de Gràcia, my eye was deceived by Casa Batllo’s complete lack of edges and corners. At ground level, huge pillars resemble the feet of some giant elephant. The roof reminded me of the backbone of a gigantic dinosaur. Between the two, a number of small, elegantly curved balconies glue themselves to the front of the house like birds' nests on a cliff face. I was amazed at the colours and intricacy of the building; blues, golds and purples. Casa Mila – known as ‘The Quarry’ by Barcelonians – was even more astonishing. At least Gaudí acknowledged the straight ...

As I tentatively stepped off the plane onto the runway I was hit by a surge of warm air. It was the height of summer and at just 17 I was going it alone! Unaccompanied, I had booked up a 2 week break in Barcelona to experience the dazzling lights and sounds of this amazing city for the first time. With only the first night’s accommodation booked, a funky hostel just off Las Ramblas, I made the journey by train into the city centre, weighed down by the contents of my wardrobe. I crashed into my dorm to be greeted by a lively group of friends who'd already settled on their chosen beds. We quickly got chatting and made plans to go out for food that night. We settled on a beautiful floating restaurant by the marina. The night was warm and the wine flowing as we sat and enjoyed our surroundings. It was my first introduction to paella, which has since become a favourite, a traditional Spanish meal famous in the region of Catalonia. As we hit the main drag back into town around midnight we watched before our eyes as the city began to wake from its slumber. People gathered ...

With dozens of bike hire services and an increasing network of cycling lanes, seeing Barcelona by bike is becoming enormously popular, especially along the city’s waterfront. Barceloneta, the city’s salty, maritime neighbourhood is the best place to start off on your two wheels. (You could even hire them from Barceloneta Bikes, C/ Mestrança 49). With the Port Vell – the city’s main marina – on your right, head down Passeig del Borbón, Barceloneta’s main drag and home to dozens of famous fish restaurants, like

El Raval is Barcelona’s largest neighbourhood, and by far it’s liveliest. Demarked by the Las Ramblas and containing many star attractions such as the MACBA museum and Boqueria market, visitors to the city are likely to spend a fair bit of time in El Raval. The buzz in El Raval gets louder at night, when countless bars roll up their shutters for business. In streets like Joaquím Costa (the epicentre of Raval bar culture) the Rambla del Raval and Riera Alta you can pretty much hop from one to another, taking in the distinct personality of each along the way. To get you started, here are some of our favourites: Marmalade, Riera Alta 4-6 This large, New Yorkian-style locale with ad-hoc furniture and pool table is known for its friendly, up for it crowd and nicely-priced cocktails (most of them are around 5€). Many people meet up here before hitting the clubs, and it’s a good place to pick up flyers and invites.

It’s been called ‘the greatest market in the world’ and in many ways it is. Barcelona’s Boqueria market is the largest in Europe and the best in the city. Located right on Las Ramblas, La Boqueria goes beyond a place to do your weekly shop; it is a showcase for the Spain’s vast array of seasonal produce, an inspiration for local chefs, a stage for local community events and increasingly a top tourist attraction. Traders of all sorts have been peddling their wares at La Boqueria’s site since the 17th century when the city was still walled, though the soaring glass and iron structure you see today dates from the mid-19th century. Inside, there is logic to the market’s layout; in the centre you’ll find the ‘illa de peix’ (island of fish) where pearly-white cuttlefish, bucket-loads of prawns and scary-looking monkfish glisten on seas of ice. Around the edges you’ll find fruit and veg, with exotic fresh fruit juices sold at the Rambla-facing stalls. In between you’ll wander through everything in-between, from tiny paradas selling only eggs or bananas and another with every sort of fungi under the sun (Petras, Nº 867, they also specialise in edible insects). Perhaps logically ...

Barcelona - My Favorite! It is one of the best tourist spots in Spain. Here are some of its highlights. The Cathedral of Barcelona is dedicated to the Saint Eulalia. It has beautiful carvings on the choir and on the tomb of Saint Eulalia that is housed in the crypt. There are street performers, many vendors and cafes around the cathedral. It took a very long time to build this religious structure. Work began in 1298 and went on till 1913 as civil wars and plague disrupted its construction. The National Museum of Catalonian Art (MNAC) is located near the Parc de Montjuic and has a beautiful collection of works from the Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, Rococo and Modern periods. Lectures are also held to educate the tourists about art history. The museum is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and from 10am to 2:30pm on Sundays. The Picasso Museum is based in central Barcelona (in the historical Born district) and is easily reached by metro. Out of the five Picasso Museums in Europe, this one was the first to open (in 1963). It features the beautiful works of Picasso that were made by ...