Barcelona travel guide

One of the real cool things about Barcelona is you can mix city sightseeing with beach vacation. The once dilapidated harbour area Barceloneta was transformed into a vibrant beachfront for the Olympics in 1992. A long beach followed by an equal long promenade for walking, bicycling, and roller-skating. Many of the side streets in the old working class neighbourhood have bars or small restaurants. At the far end at Vila Olimpica there are upscale clubs and more restaurants.

Sandwiched between the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) and Barcelonetta lies the neighbourhood of El Born. It's as elegant as the Gothic Quarter with narrow streets and quaint squares, but has more soul and charm - and less tourists and beggars. It's a neighbourhood which can seems a bit sleepy in the first part of the day, but gets more vibrant as the evening approach. There are plenty of both local cafes and restaurants as well as contemporary cocktails bars. Many creatives have their workshop here, so you can get anything from handmade bicycles and tattoos to indy design, along with more classy boutiques. El Born is also home to the Picasso Museum and the church of Santa Maria Del Mar.

Gaudi’s Park Güell is one of the top sights in Barcelona, which means loads of tourists. It was built by industry mogul Güell, who hired Gaudi to design it. Original there should have been 60 houses, but the project was never completed. Today, there are only a few houses, 86 columns, some cave corridors, and of course the famous bench made of mosaic. Entrance tickets need to be bought (do it online to skip the queue) to get access to the rather small section of Gaudi's wicked constructions, but the rest of the park can be visited free of charge. Gaudi's work in Barcelona is enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Since 1845 locals have been going to la Boqueria market to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat - and they still do. Many of stands have been owned by the same family throughout the years and offer an incredible selection not seen elsewhere, including all kinds of Spanish specialities. Some days, the amount of tourists can be a bit overwhelming, but the stands towards the center of the market tend to sell less tourist friendly food items, like whole fish and dry ham by the kilos, so head there for a more authentic experience.

The long pedestrian boulevard, La Rambla, is for many the iconic imagine of Barcelona. A never-ending range of street cafes, flower stands and souvenir shops flanked by more shops and historical buildings, like the opera Liceu and the equal famous food market la Boqueria. The horde of tourists attracts its fair share of beggars, pickpockets and street artists - and during the night, working girls. Nevertheless, La Rambla is an interesting encounter and a mandatory stop on any sightseeing tour of Barcelona.

For a pretty view over Barcelona head up to Mirador del l'Armada. There is an restaurant right at the edge and if you don't feel like hiking up, you can either bus it or take the cable car down from Barceloneta. If you want to continue up to the top of Montjuïc, where the castle of Montjuïc is, you can either hike along the paths or grab a second cable car which starts at Paral-lel further down the mountain.

Barcelona is home to dedicated art museums for two of the greatest painters ever; Miró and Picasso - the Dali museum lies in Figueres, 143 km outside Barcelona. At the museums it's possible to enjoy tens, sometimes hundreds, of paintings by these grand masters of modern art. Even if you're not a great art lover, there is something about looking at a real Picasso just inches from your nose.

Gaudi's half-finished gigant fairytale church is probably the biggest tourist attraction in Barcelona. From the outside the tall spires rise high above the scaffolding, which still cover some of the church. The interior on the other hand is almost finished, so it's well worth to buy the entrance ticket (do it online) to glance at the giant tainted glass and columns that are too tall to measure by eyesight. Even though Gaudi spend the last 43 years of his life on the church, it was only the facade and one spire that were finished when he died in 1926. It's expected that the church will be complete in 2028. Along with Gaudi's other work in Barcelona, it's enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This 38-story skyscraper is very different from anything else in Barcelona. It was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel and completed in 2005. With its slender round bullet shape, Torre Agbar resembles a bit the Gherkin in London. Currently, Torre Agbar's 144 m makes it the highest building in Barcelona, but it will be surpassed by the Sagrada Familia (170 m) once that's complete. Though the public has no access to the inside of Torre Agbar, it's still an impressive sight, particularly at night when the tower is illuminated by 4,500 glass panels. The constant colour change makes it look like a giant lava lamp.