W Barcelona

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.

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

Luminous museum of modern and contemporary art, housing the world’s top collection of works by Joan Miro. Set in a striking rationalist-style building, designed by Josep Lluis Sert.

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

Barcelona’s aquarium, one of Europe’s biggest, has 11,000 sea creatures, plenty of sharks and an underwater tunnel.

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.

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.

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.

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