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Boutique hotels

Self-catering properties

Barcelona Overview

Spain

Cityscape
Marvellous Modernism
City life
Energetic and colourful

Basking on the sun-kissed shores of the Mediterranean, the Catalan capital is a city with its finger most firmly on the pulse: Barcelona has always embraced style, bold design and all things new.

From the mountains to the beach, wide tree-lined boulevards unravel into pretty parks with playgrounds and shady squares with tiny, happy bars, where a too-hot afternoon is never wasted. Exploring 2,000 years of history here’s a breeze: a port since Roman times, Barcelona has flamboyant art deco architecture to rival that of Paris; Gaudí’s fantastical façades beckon from every street corner, and the redeveloped beachfront boasts sleek modern buildings. Buzzing bars and restaurants in the Gothic Quarter and El Born ensure the city and her visitors lunch long and party late into the night. No wonder cava is the drink of choice – this is a place with much to celebrate.

Brilliantly

Take a picnic to the beach; ride the funicular up Tibidabo; roam Las Ramblas. Barcelona’s bar culture is renowned – tasty snacking morsels partner delicious drinks, and beautiful people linger over conversation and sharing plates – everyone has their own favourite.

Local knowledge

Taxis
You can hail a metered, wasp-coloured cab from anywhere on the street, as long as its green light is on.

Tipping culture
In restaurants, tip only if the service was good. Catalans leave behind a few small coins in bars. If you really want to tip your driver, give 5–10 per cent max.

Siesta and fiesta
Young folk don’t go out until after 9pm (all the restaurants would be dead), and most of the bars don’t start jumping until well after 11pm. Many businesses also close for an afternoon snooze between 1pm and 4pm.

Packing tips
Swimmers – Barcelona has its own beach.

Recommended reads
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; Barcelona by Robert Hughes; City of Marvels by Eduardo Mendoza.

Cuisine
Cuisine Catalan meals are a surf ’n’ turf love affair, spotlighting fresh and marinaded seafood, grills and cured meats; modern favourites include mar i muntanya – seaside lobster with slope-dwelling rabbit. Look out for places offering a lunchtime menú del dia (set menu) for €10–€15.

Regional specialities
If you’re vegetarian, you might have to do a little restaurant research to find exciting meat-free menus, unless you want to spend your weekend eating olives and manchego cheese (although, washed down with a glass of fino, this is a fine snack). If you have a sweet tooth, visit century-old patisserie Escribà (+34 93 454 7535; www.escriba.es) on Gran Via, where edible skirts, lickable walls and sugar-coated dragons are a speciality.

Currency
Euro (€).

Dialling codes
Spain: +34; Barcelona: 93.

Do go/don't go
Locals leave August to the tourists, as the city can be too hot to handle – even some museums are closed. Avoid public holidays if you can: they trigger a city exodus that means things tend to be shut.

Don't go home without...

…sneaking a peek at Catedral de la Seu (www.catedralbcn.org) in the Barri Gòtic – even church-phobic culture-dodgers will be impressed by its Gothic façade and sun-dappled, goose-enhanced cloisters.