La Ramblas,Barcelona
The most famous street in Europe, the wide tree-lined boulevard known as La Ramblas, is a long continuous pedestrian avenue that changes names five times as it cuts through Barcelona's 'old city', the Barri Gotic, from the Placa Catalunya to the city's port. It is lined with cafes, restaurants and shops, and is usually thronged with leisurely walkers enjoying the sights and sounds. Whilst walking around it is worthwhile to note some attractions along the way, including Gaudi's Guell Palace, his first big architectural assignment, and the pretty square, Placa Reial.

Picasso Museum,Barcelona
On Carrer Montcada, a street known for its elegant medieval structures, two palaces dating from the 15th century have been converted into the Picasso Museum, home to one of the most complete collections of works from his youth and formative years as an artist. Pablo Picasso spent his early years in Barcelona (between 1901 and 1906), and the museum is now the city's top attraction. The collection includes a number of childhood portraits and paintings, as well as engravings, drawings and art from his Blue and Rose Periods.

Admission:
EUR6 for main exhibition - extra for special showings. Free days on 18 May and 24 September

Opening time:
Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 8pm

Guell Park,Barcelona
Barcelona's famous architectural son, Antonio Gaudi, left his mark on the city nowhere more prominently than in the gardens of the Parc Guell. The park, sited on Camel Hill offering splendid views of the city, was originally planned to be a garden city suburb, but only two houses were completed before it was turned into a public recreational park. The gardens are festooned with examples of his work, including flights of stairs, columns and a plaza decorated with mosaics. The pink fairytale house standing at the entrance to the park was once home to Gaudi and his niece, but is now a museum containing some Gaudi-designed furniture, décor, drawings and portraits of the architect.

Admission:
Free

Opening time:
Daily from 10am to 7pm (closing times vary depending on the season)

La Sagrada Família,Barcelona
One of Catalonia's most intriguing landmarks, the bizarre Church of the Holy Family designed by modernist architect Antoni Gaudi, was started in 1882, but it remains unfinished and an object of controversy. Gaudi worked on what was considered his masterpiece until his death in 1926, imbuing the structure with his characteristic fantastic Art Nouveau styling. Work has continued sporadically since, but Gaudi left no plans for its completion and the continued construction has run rampant. The church site stands at the junction of Marina and Provenca streets in the central city area.

Admission:
EUR8, lift EUR2; concessions available

Opening time:
Daily from 9am to 6pm (October to March), 9am to 8pm (April to September)

Montjuic,Barcelona
Montjuic is a hill overlooking the city centre of Barcelona on which are sited some of the city's show-pieces, including the main sites of the 1992 Olympics; the Poble Espanyol (a replicated Spanish village displaying art and architecture); the Joan Miro museum; and the National Art Museum of Catalonia. There are also some leisure attractions and cool green parks festooned with fountains, popular for strolls on summer evenings. The magical fountains of Montjuic are a popular attraction that entertain on summer evenings with displays of light, colour and music. Accessible by cable car from Montjuic the Barceloneta port district is below the hill. This former fishing village is now renowned for its seafood restaurants and beach, which is lined with boardwalks and cafes.

Tibidabo,Barcelona
Barcelona's second landmark hill is Tibidabo, about four miles (6km) northwest of the city in a wooded range that forms a backdrop to the city. Tibidabo can be reached by funicular, and is particularly popular at weekends with locals because it is home to the Parc d'Atraccions, an amusement park with some thrill rides and renowned house of horrors. Tibidabo also features the soaring Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower, which offers visitors the chance to ride in a glass lift to an observation platform 377 feet (115m) high to enjoy a spectacular view. There is also a large, interesting church called Temple del Sagrat Cor surmounted by a giant Christ statue, which also offers a lift to a rooftop viewing platform.

Montserrat,Barcelona
One of the most visited sights in Catalonia is the monastery at Montserrat, 35 miles (56km) northwest of Barcelona. The monastery is surrounded by strange rocky crags and caves, and was founded in 1025 to celebrate local visions of the Virgin Mary. It has become one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Spain, sitting atop a 4,000-foot (1,200m) high mountain and housing about 80 monks. Its main claim to fame is a 12th century Romanesque wooden sculpture of a black Virgin Mary known as La Moreneta, which thousands come here to see and touch. The monastery on its mountain perch is reached by cable car.

Admission:
Entry to the monastery is free, but the funicular ride to the Holy Grotto is EUR6

Tossa de Mar,Barcelona
The medieval town of Tossa de Mar, 56 miles (90km) north of Barcelona, is the most attractive town on the Costa Brava, offering lovely sandy beaches and a lively atmosphere. Once the main port for exporting cork, Tossa is now dependent on tourism. Visitors are drawn to its 12th century walled town, Vila Vella, the ancient walls, battlements and towers enclosing a quaint historical labyrinth. There are four beaches within the town itself and numerous others flanking Tossa on either side.

Carnival,Barcelona
Lent is traditionally a time of fasting and denial, and Carnival is the period before Lent to celebrate pleasures, extravagance and indulgence with an abundance of feasting and dancing. Street parades, float processions, and parties fill every street and plaza in the city and revellers come dressed in rich costumes. A mock funeral procession on Ash Wednesday marks the end of the festivities.

Date: 31 January to 6 February 2008

Barcelona Summer Festival,Barcelona
The Barcelona Summer Festival, popularly known as the Grec Festival, is the cultural highlight on the summer calendar, and one of the most important arts festivals in the world. Every summer the city is filled with some of the finest national and international theatre, dance and music performances aimed at promoting different types of contemporary music and performance arts, as well as classical and ancient music and traditional acts. It is famed for its creativity and attracts a wide variety of visitors and locals alike. For more information email bcnfestival@mail.bcn.es.

Date: 26 June to 4 August 2007
Venue: Various locations around the city

European Balloon Festival,Barcelona
Thousands of spectators gather to watch as the sky is filled with a wonderfully colourful display of hot air balloons from around the world. Market stalls are set up to complete the festive atmosphere of one of the biggest ballooning events in Europe. For more information phone +34 (0)93 804 2202 or email jm@ultramagic.com

Date: 12-16 July 2007
Venue: The town of Igualada, located about 31 miles (50km) inland from Barcelona

St John's Eve (Sant Joan),Barcelona
Midsummer in Barcelona is celebrated with a big bang as fireworks colour the sky in a festive prelude to the national holiday of the Feast of John the Baptist. Ancient traditions observed the summer solstice as the most important event of the solar year and fire was celebrated as the symbol of abundance, purity and fertility. So too today, the solstice festivities have fire as their central focus. Each neighbourhood stages fireworks and all-night bonfires are fuelled by collections of old furniture, but the biggest celebration is at Montjuic with a fabulous fireworks display and a colossal bonfire. There are dances and celebrations in the squares, street parties, music and entertainment throughout the city, and in all the homes traditional cake or 'coca' is eaten and sparkling wine is drunk.

Date: 23 June 2007

Festival of La Mercè,Barcelona
The Festival of La Mercè is dedicated to the patron saint of Barcelona, the Virgin of Mercy, and involves a fabulous assortment of popular Catalan traditions and mythology. The city celebrates by hosting one of the biggest parties of the year with street music and dancing, fairs, theatre, concerts and parades. Firework spectacles light up figures of dragons and devils, and gigantic folklore icons of Catalonia ('gegants') are paraded through the city centre, while traditional teams of 'Castellers' build human pyramids in St Jaume Plaza. For more information contact the Institute of Culture on +34 93 301 7775.

Date: 24 September 2007
Venue: Various squares and open places around the city

Spanish F1 Grand Prix,Barcelona
The fifth race of the Formula One season, the crowds gather to watch the thrills, spills and speed that accompany a spectacle of this nature. Formula One is the king of motor sports and attracts the best drivers from around the world.

Date: May 2008, TBC
Venue: Catalunya

Primavera Sound Festival,Barcelona
Primavera is one of Spain's biggest music festivals and sees some of the world's principal pop and rock stars grace the Summer stages for a fiesta of fun and music in the glorious sunshine.

Date: 31 May to 2 June 2007
Venue: Port Area

Botafumeiro,Barcelona
Widely considered to be the best seafood restaurant in Barcelona, Botafumeiro consistently presents the finest regional cuisine of Galicia and prides itself on the freshness of its fish, clams, mussels, lobster, crayfish and scallops, which are either kept in large tanks near the entrance or flown in daily from Galicia. The impeccable treatment of customers and the private atmosphere makes this a perfect dining experience for both business and pleasure. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Reservations essential.

Location: El Gran de Gràcia 81

Can Gaig,Barcelona
An old favourite, Can Gaig was started in 1869 by the great grandmother of the present owner as a travellers' inn and today its stylish appearance retains an old hospitable atmosphere that is celebrated for the quality of its market-fresh ingredients. Cuisine is based on traditional Catalán home cooking that the chef combines with modern, innovative ideas and the menu includes specialities like roast partridge with Iberian ham, as well as game and seafood dishes. Desserts are also superb. Lunch daily, dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Closed in August.

Location: Carrer Arago 214

Agut,Barcelona
For almost a century this restaurant has been a family-run business and today the homey atmosphere still welcomes with its old-fashioned wooden panelling, and time-tested culinary fare. Catalán paintings from the 1950s serve as reminders of Agut's time as a meeting place for artists and writers. The hearty food includes such dishes as sweet and sour wild duck, layers of pastry filled with Catalán sausage and mushrooms, or soufflé of monkfish with shrimp, while desserts are light and creative. Not to be confused with the Agut d'Avignon restaurant nearby. Closed Monday; no dinner on Sunday. Closed in August.

Location: Gignàs 16, Ciutat Vella (Gothic Quarter)

Jean Luc Figueras,Barcelona
On the short list of Barcelona's top restaurants, Jean Luc Figueras ensures that the 19th-century townhouse continues to produce an award-winning cuisine by using only the freshest in-season ingredients. The Catalán dishes are enhanced with a subtle French emphasis, with a prominence of seafood on the menu evident in outstanding creations such as the fried prawn and ginger pasta in a mango and mustard sauce. Meat dishes are just as good like the pork with goats cheese and peach honey, and there is also a selection of homemade breads and sumptuous desserts. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Reservations essential.

Location: Santa Teresa 10

Jaume de Provença,Barcelona
Celebrity chef Jaume Bargués has developed a well-earned reputation for deliciously original variations on traditional Catalán cuisine blended with southern French cooking, and this cosy little restaurant is a favourite of the King of Spain. The menu features such dishes as sole stuffed with mushrooms, pigs' trotters with plums and truffles, or rabbit loins. An extensive wine list covers Spain, France and Catalonia. Closed Monday, Sunday evening.

Location: Provença 88, Eixample

Can Majó,Barcelona
On the beachfront, Can Majó serves delicious seafood that can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. Specialities include paella, but the fish is also superb. Choose from a daily catch including barnacles, prawns, crab, oysters and clams. Reservations required. Closed Monday. No dinner Sundays.

Location: Almirante Aixada 23, Barceloneta