Today, Barcelona is one of the main tourist destinations in Europe and there are plenty of reasons for it. The city has known how to maintain its identity without renouncing

coexistence has excelled in design without losing traditions and has become a cosmopolitan capital without forgetting its customs. We are in a privileged city, one that evolves

and reinvents itself without ever losing the core of what it really is.

Barcelona is a fantastic city with lots of things to do and see. Below you will find some of the most important Barcelona tourist

attractions. Getting around Barcelona is easy once you have a basic understanding of how to differentiate the city's many

neighbourhoods. Locals are very proud of the Eixample's urban perfection, a neighbourhood where traffic runs up and down

alternate streets and where getting lost is nearly impossible. However, not every area in the city follows this pattern. The old

centre of town, for example, is a network of narrow and disorganised streets that are full of charm but can easily turn into a

maze for anyone who isn't familiar with the surroundings.

The first thing you have to do to navigate Barcelona successfully is to start thinking like a local. This means knowing that street numbers start at the seaside and go up as they

approach the mountains. It also means opting to get around the city centre without a car. An understanding of four key thoroughfares in Barcelona can also help. The Passeig

de Gràcia and the Rambla de Catalunya run parallel to one another, connecting Plaça Catalunya with Avenida Diagonal

as well as crossing the entire length of the Eixample. The Gran Via and Diagonal run from one end of the city to the other: the

former extends from Plaça de les Glòries until Plaça Espanya, and the latter starts at Zona Universitaria and ends at the

recently renovated area surrounding the Forum.

Once you have a good grasp of the main streets, it is time to take a closer look at the main neighbourhoods that you will be

exploring during your walks. Starting at the city centre and moving down towards the sea and up towards the north, Barcelona

can be roughly divided as follows:

Gothic Quarter

This is the heart of the city. The reason it is one of the most frequently visited areas in the city is largely due to two squares. One is a square aptly named for the cathedral that

rises up from its centre; the other is Plaça Sant Jaume, Barcelona's administrative centre and home to the City Hall and the seat of the Generalitat (Catalonia's autonomous

government). The GothicQuarter, where past and present intertwine, is the ideal area for a romantic stroll, a day out with friends or a cultural tour. Palaces, important landmarks

from the city's Jewish cultural heritage, streets specialising in handicrafts and medieval squares exist along side myriad shops, some bearing historical significance, others

leading the way in new trends, such as Custo Barcelona, located on Carrer Ferran.

The Raval For a long time this was a rather marginalised area. Nowadays a few troubled spots still exist in the so-called Barrio

Chino. However, a concerted effort at urban rehabilitation changed the face of the Raval and set out to draw attention to the cultural

points of interest that this area has to offer. The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Centre for Contemporary Culture or

CCCB) and the Museu d’Art Contemporani dBarcelona (Museum of Contemporary Art or MACBA) are the clearest examples of this

change, which is also reflected in the growing number of art galleries and designer boutiques.

The Raval is a diverse and constantly changing neighbourhood. It has become the centre for a large proportion of the city's immigrant population. This piece of the cultural

puzzle, which includes people of all ages and nationalities, is the reason why many consider the Raval one of the city's most interesting areas.
 

The Born and La Ribera

Can the oldest part of a city is reborn as the centre for everything that is modern and fashionable. In Barcelona, it can definitely happen. In the

past, this area was home to many traditional artisans and, during medieval times, this was the city's hub of activity. Nowadays, stylish designer

boutiques, modern, minimalist restaurants and trendy bars line the streets. The Born and La Ribera are the latest examples of Barcelona's modern

transformation, places filled with striking contrasts. The Mercat del Born (Born Market), the Santa Maria del Mar Church and the ancient Roman

city wall are the backdrop for the most upscale shopping by day and the most cosmopolitan crowds by night. This blend is anything but a

nuisance and has turned the area into a hot spot for young in-crowds.

Barceloneta This is an authentic fisherman's neighbourhood where you can still experience the somewhat old-fashioned, seafaring atmosphere that once permeated the entire

city. Here youcan find the old Drassanes de Barcelona, which now house a museum in one-half and are amongst the best examples of Gothic architecture in the city.

The area surrounding the harbour underwent a radical transformation when the city was gearing up to host the Olympic Games. This era gave birth to the Rambla de Mar (Sea

Promenade), the Maremagnum shopping centre, the IMAX cinema and the aquarium. These buildings rejuvenated the appearance of the promenade that until then was largely

comprised of rather random buildings, originating from a time when the authorities cared little about urban design or aesthetic. However, Barceloneta still smells and tastes like

the sea, and appropriately enough the neighbourhood ends at the beach, a reminder that we are in one of the greatest capitals of the Mediterranean.

Poblenou This is one of Barcelona's large-scale urban rehabilitation efforts. The Poblenou has changed from a mere memory

lane to its textile and industrial past to a modern area that combines the atmosphere of a traditional village with modern and

upscale apartment buildings along the beachfront. 1992 was its lucky year. Whereas previously there were only the decaying

ruins of old factories, 1992 ushered in the birth of new businesses in the area such as technological companies, offices,

shopping centres and even the design studios of people like Javier Mariscal, one of the most relevant designers working in

Barcelona. The beach was also rehabilitated. Barcelona gained kilometres of coastline and an underground that provided easy

access to the beach.

Villa Olimpica The Olympic Port is one of the legacies of the 1992 Olympic Games. The architects Oriol Bohigas, Joseph Martorell, David Mackay and Albert Puidomènech in

collaboration with the engineer Joan Ramon de Clascà completed the construction of the entire complex. Their collaborative effort created an entirely new seafront

neighbourhood, characterised by a variety of activities such as leisure, entertainment, business, commerce and dining. The Olympic Port’s most recognisable feature is the two

towers that flank either side of the port’s entrance. One of the two towers is an office building, the other one is the luxurious Hotel Arts, designed by Frank Gehry. The port was

the site of several aquatic events during the Olympic Games. The port was, and still is, a popular place for mooring sailboats.

For those who are not sailing enthusiasts, the port’s boardwalk offers one of the most enjoyable places for taking a stroll or riding a bicycle. In the summer, the beaches

surrounding the port fill up with locals and visitors alike.

At night, the Olympic Port turns into one of the busiest nightlife spots in the city. The port offers an abundance of restaurants, bars, clubs as well as the casino, which opened

its doors a few years ago. At the weekend, a number of open-air stalls can be found along the boardwalk that sell a variety of handmade and artisan products.

Eixample The Eixample route is amongst the city's most popular, not only because it is located in the centre but also because it is the focal point of the Modernist Route,

which includes such noteworthy and unique buildings as Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Casa Lleó-Morera, etc. Other neighbourhoods might have become famous in terms of being

modern and fashionable, but the Eixample maintains its halo of perfect, timeless elegance. This area was the first section of the city to be urbanised in the 19th Century, and the

bourgeoisie soon decided to move their homes up here and settle down in small palatial buildings and mansions. The area is divided into Eixample Dret (Right) and Eixample

Esquerre (Left). The Passeig de Gràcia demarcates the two sides very clearly.
 
Gràcia For a long time, Gràcia was a separate village outside of the city and this gave rise to the independent character that has always

marked the area's way of life. The neighbourhood has always been home to republican, populist and youth movements and inclinations.

Nowadays, the area is a mixture of small, typical, village streets and wider ones that connect commerce, leisure and the latest events and

trends the city has to offer. The most famous street is Verdi, a stretch of stylish, designer boutiques, bars, restaurants and a cinema.

This is the ideal area for strolling leisurely, enjoying a drink at one of the terraces on a summer morning or being acquainted with one of the

oldest Catalan traditions: the rumba. A square in Gràcia is named after Gato Pérez as homage to the famous composer.

Sarriá Sarriá, along with Pedralbes, is the wealthiest districts in the city. Sarriá is a place where acquiring a home was and still is a true

luxury (that being said, it is not much different in the rest of Barcelona nowadays since the price of housing has increased enormously and

proportionately in all areas). The Passeig de la Bonanova and the calle Major de Sarriá are the defining routes on this walk.
 
Barcelona Weather  As many other European regions, Barcelona has well defined seasons in which temperatures and general weather are predictable. Being a coast city, the

relative humidity level is very high, always around 70%. The warmest season is between June and August, with temperatures that sometimes can go higher than 30 degrees

(Celsius), perfect for a holiday close to the sea, holding on to the beaches and pools, walk the city wearing light clothing or just relaxing and having a cold drink at the various

terraces available in the city. However, definitely, the best weather can be found by the end of summer / beginning fall, between September and even part of December, when you

still get a lot of sun, but temperatures are milder than in summer. In winter, Barcelona never gets too cold, with temperatures around 10 degrees and it rarely snows.

Gaudi -Park Güell, one of Gaudi's most symbolic efforts, did not actually start out as a piece of art in and of itself. Really, it began as a commission from Eusebi Güell for the

construction of a garden city that combined housing and urban park areas

-The Sagrada Familia is, without a doubt, Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece; an impressive work of architectural genius to which he dedicated twelve years of his life. He lived and

breathed this project, completely immersed in its construction, when he died in 1926 after being hit by a trolley. More than anything, the Sagrada Familia is a symbolic piece

that celebrates the architect's truly unique imagination. He was inspired by typical, medieval cathedrals and built the church with three monumental facades. Each one

represents a scene from the life of Christ (Birth, Passion and Death and Glory) and ends in one of four tall towers measuring more than 100 metres in height that, when taken

together, represent the twelve apostles. The tower that rises up from the cupola crowning the apse symbolises the Virgin Mary. Of all the planned elements, Gaudí only

managed to complete the crypt and most of the facade depicting the birth of Christ.

-La Pedrera, one of Gaudí's most emblematic pieces, is not just one of the most imaginative buildings in the history of architecture. Many consider it more of a sculpture than a

building and see it as the embodiment of Gaudí's imagination at its freest and most whimsical.

-Casa Batlló, when Antoni Gaudí was asked in 1905, what he hoped to achieve with his work on the Casa Batlló, he replied "a vision of paradise". In his own way, he did

manage to meet his goal. The house is a brilliant example of Catalonian modernism, but when it was constructed, many considered it a "horrible building". Nowadays, it is seen

as one of Gaudí's great, universal treasures and a celebration of modernism, and it still conserves that daring and innovative touch that marked it in the past.

human settlement can be found as far back as the late Neolithic period.