La Rambla

Where to go and what to see in Barcelona – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.

Spain’s cultural heart has unforgettable architecture, a pioneering arts scene, creative cuisine and nightlife that buzzes till dawn.

Gleaming white museum housing a cutting-edge collection of international and Catalan contemporary art.

This vibrant market is a Barcelona institution, packed with almost a thousand stalls selling fresh produce or dine-in tapas.

The former home of the Batllo family, Gaudí’s shimmering, colour-drenched townhouse is a Modernista masterpiece.

Absorbing collection of early and late works by Picasso, in a beautiful Gothic palace. The collection includes Picasso’s 58 paintings inspired by Velazquez’s Las Meninas.

Catalan’s gorgeous Modernista concert hall, Palau Musica, is a must-see for its extraordinary architecture. It’s now a UNESCO world heritage site.

This massive pile is Catalan Gothic at its most grandiose, full of wonders: lavishly ornate chapels, Renaissance sculpted choir stalls, and crypt of patron saint Eulalia. The cloister is especially charming.

Barcelona’s Gothic jewel was built in the 14th century by the sea-faring community in only 50 years – hence its rare stylistic harmony. During the Spanish Civil War, its accumulated Baroque decorations burned, leaving behind the bare bones of its sublime interior.

Barcelona’s seafaring past comes to life in this venue set in the city’s 14th-century shipyards, starring a life-size model of Don Juan’s flagship at Lepanto.