Beautiful, buzzy BARCELONA

Barcelona, capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, has it all, including stylish bars, parks and architecture

- LYDIA SWINSCOE

Thanks to the city’s main thoroughfare, Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s party city reputation precedes it, but once you get into the quieter areas of town, it’s hard not to fall head over heels in love with the place, just like artists Miró, Gaudí and Picasso did.

Barcelona has a large collection of well-designed places to stay, cuisine from around the world, and reasonably priced authentic tapas (if you know where to look). It also has some of the world’s most celebrated architectural gems, from Park Güell to Casa Vicens.

Art everywhere