Barcelona

Busy, buzzy, bold Barcelona is known to many of us as the place the sun always seems toshine; a city and beach merged with slick urban style where architectural remits mingle with countless foodie options, and just across the water lie the Balearic Isles of Ibiza and Mallorca.

Officially though, Barcelona sits as the second capital city of Catalonia on the east coast of Spain. Its peerless reputation as the vanguard of Avant-Garde architecture means it’s often the stopping point for creatives, designers and arty types to admire the deliberate modernisation of a city through its buildings. Look out for American architect Richard Meier’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Norman Foster’s Communications Tower and Jean Nouvel’s Torre Agbar. Local Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill’s buildings can be found around the city including the National Theatre of Barcelona.

Of course, you won’t go far in Barcelona without seeing or hearing about the designs of Antoni Gaudí, a born and bred Catalan architect and designer. Although the Art Nouveau church of Sagrada Família is a piercing landmark which magnetises visitors, his Casa Vicens is just as alluring. The first masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí, the casa was built between 1883 and 1885 as a summer house for the Vicens family and depicts a façade made up of green, red, white and creamy yellow tiles.

Barcelona’s beach and scenic sea front location is a focus for travellers today; historically it gave Barcelona a strong seafaring position with trade links to Mediterranean ports as far away as Athens. In antiquity, Barcelona was used by The Phoenicians as a launch for their rudimentary boats to trade within the Med and later the Romans established Barcelona as an important port and commerce hub. You can still see remains of Roman walls in Barri Gòticand Barcelona’s Maritime Museum sheds light on its storied seafaring heritage.

In between the tapas bars of La Boqueria; the cafes, shops and numerous restaurants of Las Rambla; and the winding alleys of the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona has a wealth of insightful museums and galleries. Notably, the Picasso Museum is probably the most impressive, yet you’ll find modern art gems in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and a museum dedicated to Catalan painter and sculptor Miró at the Miró Foundation.

One of the best things about Barcelona? End every exploratory day on the beach. Truly a city that has it all.