Stylish Barcelona is one of Spain's most captivatingly modern cities. Traces of the city’s long past are still gorgeously visible (fragments of a fourth-century Roman wall, anyone?) but artistic Barcelona is well known for pushing boundaries in everything from architecture to cuisine. It is also the first city of Catalonia, one of a number of Spanish regions consistently agitating for a greater measure of independence from Madrid.
Barcelona City Guide Introduction

For a city that prides itself on its cultural institutions, Barcelona is strikingly physical. Most of its excitement happens outside, on La Rambla, at the beach and on the streets, against the backdrop of stunning, quirky architecture like the encrusted Temple de la Sagrada Familia or Gaudi's fabled apartment blocks.
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From our Barcelona blog
Are you planning a trip to Barcelona and worried about looking like a blundering tourist? That’s natural, of course. But don’t get too hung up on this — you’re visiting the city and taking in its bigg ... read
Planning a trip to Europe this year and deep in the list-making process? Now’s a great time to quickly review your itinerary and “trip strategy” to make sure that you’re not about to make any comm ... read
When it comes to Barcelona, Gaudi is just the beginning. The Catalan capital has much more to offer than Modernista masterpieces (not that there’s any shortage of them here) — including plenty of possibilities for bu ... read
For the first couple of years that I lived in Barcelona, La Boqueria (or “Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria”, as it’s formally known) was my main market. I went there two or three times a week for fr ... read
The Barcelona hotel scene offers something for everyone from super cheap dorm beds to fancy penthouse suites. Cheapos have plenty of options but it can be hard to decipher between hotels, hostels, hostals, and a variety ... read