Barcelona City Guide

Barcelona Sights

The art spills from the galleries and into the streets.

The wild and whimsical architecture of Gaudí enlivens the streets of Barcelona and makes for some of the finest city-walking in the world. The art will beckon you from museums and streetsides. The vibrant central drag, La Rambla, will lead you to the city's marvellous medieval quarter, Barri Gòtic.

Barcelona Nightlife

Sundown's the starting gun for a tornado of good times.

Barcelona is bursting with pubs, hedonistic gay bars and frenetic clubs, and the whirr of live jazz, rock, flamenco and salsa is never far away. The calendar is crammed with holidays and festivals, and Barcelonins are usually buzzing with the anticipation of an upcoming event.

Shopping Barcelona

A good place to do in your piggy bank.

It may not have been the lure of shopping that brought you to Barcelona, but it will be one of the reasons you come back. You can load up on international and local jewellery and designer threads, or hunt down antique shops and artisan workshops stocking whole worlds of engaging junk to sift through.

Jardí Botànic

Garden

Concentrating on a 'Mediterranean' flora theme, this botanic garden features thousands of species that thrive in similar climates all over the world, from Spain to Turkey, Australia to South Africa and California to Chile.

Museu de Cera

Museum

With a collection of 300 wax figures of familiar faces from around the world, this is just as creepy as any other wax museum. More horrible than any display of twisted medieval torture are the figures of Prince Charles with Camilla.

Circuit de Catalunya

Outdoors, Sports, Archaeological site

The motor-racing circuit at Montmeló, 20km northeast of the city, hosts the Spanish Grand Prix in late April or early May. Contact the Circuit de Catalunya for details.