Just like Gaudi's crazy houses, Barcelona is flamboyant, packed with detail, and just a little outrageous. And just like Gaudi's architecture, almost everyone loves it.
The biggest and most outrageous monument of all is the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's immense, unfinished church. Smothered in bizarre, baroque plants and animals on one side, and clean and abstract sculptures added 100 years later on the other, this is a work in progress. Inside you can see the cavernous interior slowly being pieced together - no hurry boys - it's only taken 126 years.
| Much of its charm lies in the inconspicuous tapas bars... |
If by now you are hooked on Gaudi, then you must also visit Casa Batló, La Pedrera and Palau Guell - all colourful chimneys, tortured waves of stone and bright blue and green tiles, conjuring up fanciful images from fairy tales. At Parc Guell you can catch some fresh air and great views of the city, as well as more of Gaudi's genius.
However, it's not always the grand and the conspicuous that makes Barcelona such a great city. Much of its charm lies in the inconspicuous tapas bars tucked down the narrow, mediaeval streets of the Barri Gótic district. Or in the fresh produce piled high and sold with cheerful banter at La Boqueria, the city's most well known food market. Or in watching the geese pecking for food in the soothing cloisters of La Catedral. Explore the area of El Born, and you'll discover fashionable bars and edgy boutiques, as well as the Picasso Museum, where you can immerse yourself in the artist's 'Blue Period'.
When you need to escape the streets of the city, fly up to craggy Montserrat on the exhilarating cable car to visit the monastery and hermitage caves. Or climb to Montjuic, to see amazing photos and memorabilia of the 1992 Olympic Games at the museum. Here you'll chance across tranquil gardens planted with water lilies and tropical species, where you can hit the pause button.
It may sound bizarre, but perhaps the most moving way to wind up a summer's day, is by watching a fountain. La Font Magica pumps multicoloured spray high into the night sky from a whole series of fountains to the tune of Tchaikovsky or Abba - it's unforgettable - just like Barcelona.
Hotels in Barcelona are busy for most of the year, so it is always wise to book in advance. Barcelona hotels are available at all levels, from basic hotels to wonderful luxury hotels, but the popularity of the destination is such that any hotel is likely to be on the pricy side at any given level of comfort. Most visitors tend to stay in hotels in the area around La Ramblas, the 'spine' of the Ciutat Vella (old town), but better value for money can probably be obtained elsewhere. For a cosmopolitan atmosphere, try elsewhere in the old town; otherwise consider the Sants neighbourhood, a working class area at the southern boundary of Barcelona that has superb public transport to the city centre.
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