Hotel El Palace Barcelona

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

Marking the culmination of his experimentation with natural forms, Gaudi’s landmark apartment building resembles a giant cliff face battered by the sea. Inside, a remarkable Gaudi-style apartment, an attic filled with architectural exhibits, and the extraordinary roof and chimneys.

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

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.

Design is Barcelona’s middle name, and this museum is a temple to it, filled with old and new fashions, furniture, decorative and graphic arts.

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