What to do in Barcelona

The Sagrada Familia is Antoni Gaudí’s legacy to the world. This masterpiece of imagination and inspiration was so ambitious that the building was never completed during the architect’s lifetime and is still being worked on to this day.

Las Ramblas pulsates with life, from early morning when the locals come out to buy fresh flowers and breakfast pastries, until the last of the late-night party animals head for home in the wee small hours.

Plaça de Catalunya is the hub and heart of Barcelona’s city centre. Major shopping and sightseeing districts lie around this grand square, which combines the Ciutat Vella (Old City) and the modern 19th-century district of L’Eixample. The square was built in 1927 under the command of King Alfonso XII, right on the site of the old city walls.

Barcelona’s atmospheric Gothic Quarter contains its fair share of awe-inspiring buildings, but perhaps the most impressive of all is the striking cathedral, where you can visit the remains of Saint Eulalia, the city’s patron saint.

Get a taste of the vibrant coastal culture that draws crowds to Barcelona’s Barceloneta Beach. Just near La Rambla, this Mediterranean shoreline is the major hub of the Barceloneta neighbourhood. Come to people-watch over coffee or swim in temperate waters.

It’s hard to imagine, standing on the Passeig de Gràcia, that less than 200 years ago it was a cart track connecting Barcelona and the rural town of Gràcia. By the early 20th century the sidewalks became promenades for Spain’s most elite families. That atmosphere still pervades the space, as tourists and chic locals pass buildings designed and built by some of the superstars of Catalan Modernism. Shop in the upscale boutiques or just go in search of magnificent homes.

The site of Park Güell in the north of Barcelona was originally earmarked for an up-market residential development by Count Eusebi Güell, Gaudí’s patron. The hillside location was chosen for its fresh air and beautiful views, but in the end only two houses were built and Gaudí moved into one of them. His designs for the 15-hectare park reflect his quirky sense of humour and aversion to straight lines. Construction took place between 1900 and 1914 and the park is now an essential stop-off on the Gaudí trail and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.