Busabout Adventures

Plaça de Catalunya is the heart of the city and marks the divide between historic and modern Barcelona. From here, the long pedestrian boulevard Las Ramblas shoots southeast to the sea, with the busy Barri Gòtic and El Raval district hugging it on either side. To the northwest of the plaza is L’Eixample, the vast grid-like district where you’ll find some excellent shopping areas and the bulk of the city’s offices and residences.

Las Ramblas
Spain’s most famous street, the pedestrian boulevard of Las Ramblas is exploding with life. Stretching from Plaça de Catalunya to the waterfront, this one-time creek bed is lined with street artists, news kiosks, vendors and more.

The colourful Mercat de la Boquería (93 318 25 84; Las Ramblas 91; 8am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Liceu), a fresh market with a modernist entryway, is one of Las Ramblas’ highlights. Nearby, stop for a tour of the Gran Teatro del Liceu (93 485 99 14; Las Ramblas 51-59; adult/student €6/4; 10am-1pm; Liceu), the city’s fabulous opera house.

Cross Las Ramblas to stop in at Plaça Reial, a grand 19th-century square surrounded by arcades and a few good restaurants. At the end of Las Ramblas stands the Monument a Colom (adult/child €2.20/1.40; 10am-6.30pm Oct-May, 9am-8.30pm Jun-Sep; Drassanes), a statue of Columbus atop a tall pedestal. A small lift will take you to the top for panoramic views.

Barri Gòtic
Though essentially a Gothic creation, Barcelona’s looming cathedral (93 315 15 54; Plaça de la Seu; museum €1, combined ticket museum, choir, rooftop & crypt €4; church & cloister 8am-1.15pm & 4.30-7.30pm, museum 10am-1pm; Jaume I) was built on top of the ruins of an 11th-century Romanesque church. The richly decorated main façade was added in the late 19th century (to a 15th-century design), while the rest was built from 1298 to 1460.

Not far from the cathedral is pretty Plaça del Rei and the fascinating Museu d’Història de la Ciutat (93 315 11 11; Plaça del Rei; adult/student €4/2.50; 10am-2pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun Oct-May, 10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun Jun-Sep; Jaume I), where you can visit a 4000-sq-metre excavated site of Roman Barcelona under the plaza. The museum encompasses several historic buildings, including the Palau Reial Major (Main Royal Palace), once a residence of the kings of Catalonia and Aragón, and its Saló del Tinell (Great Hall). In summer, outdoor concerts are often held in the plaza.

El Raval
To the west of Las Ramblas is El Raval district, a once-seedy, now-funky area overflowing with cool bars and shops. Visit the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA; 93 412 08 10; Plaça dels Àngels 1; adult/student €7.50/6; 11am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, 10am-3pm Sun Oct-Jun, 11am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun Jul-Sep, closed Tue; Plaça Catalunya), which has an impressive collection of international contemporary art.

La Ribera
Home to Barcelona’s bustling textile industry and to its wealthy merchants, La Ribera was the city’s most prosperous medieval quarter. Now it’s a trendy district exploding with boutiques, restaurants and bars.

The palaces where some of those wealthy merchants once lived have been converted into the Museu Picasso (93 319 63 10; Carrer de Montcada 15-23; admission €6; 10am-8pm Tue-Sun; Jaume I), home to more than 3000 Picassos, most from early in the artist’s career.

The heart of the neighbourhood is the elegant Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar (Plaça del Santa Maria del Mar; 9.30am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm; Jaume I), a stunning example of Catalan Gothic.

The opulent Palau de la Música Catalana (902 442 882; www.palaumusica.org; Carrer Sant Francesc de Paula 2; tour €8; 10am-3.30pm; Urquinaona) is one of the city’s most delightful modernist works. Designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1905, it hosts concerts daily.

La Ribera is bordered to the east by the sprawling Parc de la Ciutadella (10am-dusk; Barceloneta), a park ideal for strolling or picnics. It’s home to a small, kid-friendly zoo (93 225 67 80; www.zoobarcelona.com; adult/child €14.50/8.75; 10am-7pm Jun-Sep, 10am-6pm Mar-May & Oct, 10am-5pm Nov-Feb).

L’Eixample & Modernist Architecture
Modernisme, an architectural and cultural movement loosely defined as the Catalan version of Art Nouveau, transformed Barcelona’s cityscape in the early 20th century. Modernisme’s most famous architect was the eccentric Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), a devout Catholic whose work is full of references to nature and Christianity. His masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (93 207 30 31; www.sagradafamilia.org; Carrer de Mallorca 401; adult/student €8/5; 9am-6pm Oct-Mar, 9am-8pm Apr-Sep; Sagrada Familia), is a work in progress and Barcelona’s most famous building. Construction began in 1882 and should hopefully be complete in 2020.

Eventually there will be 18 towers, all more than 100m high, representing the 12 Apostles, four Evangelists and Mary, Mother of God, plus the tallest tower (170m) standing for Jesus Christ. Climb high inside some of the towers (or take the elevator, €2) for a new perspective.

La Pedrera (902 40 09 73; Carrer Provença 261-265; admission €8; 10am-8pm; Diagonal), Gaudí’s best-known secular creation, houses a museum about the architect, an apartment decorated with modernist furniture and a surreal rooftop with bizarre chimneys. Concerts are sometimes held here in summer.

Just down the street is the glittering façade of the Casa Batlló (93 216 03 06; Passeig de Gràcia 43; admission €16; 9am-8pm; Passeig de Gràcia), an allegory for the legend of St George the dragon-slayer (Sant Jordi in Catalan). On the same block are two other modernist jewels: at No 41 there’s Casa Amatller by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; and at No 35 Casa Lleó Morera by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. This mishmash of architectural styles gave the block its nickname: the Manzana de Discordia, or Block of Discord.

High up in the Gràcia district sits Gaudí’s enchanting Parc Güell (10am-dusk), originally designed to be a self-contained community. The project flopped, but we’re left with a Dr Seuss–style playground filled with colourful tile mosaics and Gaudí-designed paths and plazas. Get here by metro (which involves a steep uphill climb) or on bus 24 from Plaça  Universitat.

Waterfront
Barcelona has two major ports: the Port Vell (Old Port) at the base of Las Ramblas, and Port Olímpic (Olympic Port) 1.5km up the coast. Shops, seafood restaurants and nightlife options are plentiful around both marinas, particularly the Port Olímpic.

Between the two ports sits the triangular-shaped fishermen’s quarter, La Barceloneta. It’s scruffy and a bit worn around the edges, but it’s a great place to escape the crowds and find tasty, affordable seafood.

Barcelona boasts 4km of city beaches. Most central is the pebbly Platja Barceloneta. On all beaches, make sure you keep a close eye on your belongings.

Montjuïc
A forested hill southwest of the centre, Montjuïc serves as a Central Park of sorts and is a great place for a stroll overlooking the city. Public transport is a bit complicated; either hike up, take bus 61 from Plaça Espanya, or catch the funicular railway (one way €1.20; 9am-10pm) from Parallel metro station.

Several city attractions are here:
Fundació Joan Miró (93 443 94 70; Av Miramar 71-75; admission €8; 10am-7pm Tue-Wed, 10am-9.30pm Thu, 10am-7pm Fri-Sat, 10am-2.30pm Sun) Works by Miró and others.
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (93 622 03 60; admission €8.50; 10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2.30pm Sun) Catalan religious art.

Poble Espanyol (93 508 63 30; Av Marquès de Comillas; adult/student €7.50/5.50; 9am-8pm Mon, 9am-2am Tue-Thu, 9am-4am Fri & Sat, 9am-midnight Sun) Mock Spanish village with craft shops and nightlife.

FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Barcelona’s biggest festival is La Mercè, a city-wide party culminating on 24 September. Another red-letter date on the calendar is Sant Joan (St John’s Day, 23 July), when days of endless firecrackers welcome summer. In June and July the El Grec arts festival fills Barcelona with theatre, dance and music.

For discos of every shape, size and variety, head to the Port Olímpic; in summer it’s a nonstop party, and winter weekends are fun too. Expect club entry prices to be €10 to €15. The party gets going around 2am and stays strong until 5am or so.

Nitsa Club (93 301 00 90; Carrer Nou de la Rambla 113; Fri & Sat; Paral•lel) Three clubs in one: you can head for the pop zone, the techno pop zone, or the house and breakbeat zone downstairs. Young, stylish crowd.

Moog (93 301 72 82; Arc del Teatre 3; Fri & Sat; Drassanes) Cool design, groovable music, a mixed crowd out to have a good time…no wonder Moog is a hit.

Magic (93 310 72 67; Passeig Picasso 40; Thu-Sun; Arc de Triomf) One of the city’s top clubs, with fantastic live music running the gamut from techno to classic rock.

Otto Zutz (93 238 07 22; Carrer Lincoln 15; Tue-Sat; Fontana) Playing a mixture of house and hip-hop, this swanky club has one of the city’s top VIP sections.

Gay & Lesbian Venues
The gay and lesbian scene is concentrated in the blocks around Carrers Muntaner and Consell de Cent (dubbed Gayxample by the locals). Here you’ll find ambience every night of the week in the bars, discos and drag clubs.

Party hard at gay discos Arena Madre (93 487 83 42; Carrer de Balmes 32; Tue-Sun; Universitat) and Salvation (93 318 06 86; Ronda de Sant Pere 19-21; Fri-Sun; Universitat).

Information about Barcelona’s public transportation is online at www.tmb.net. You can also call 010 from any city telephone and get detailed transport information.

Barcelona’s metro system spreads its tentacles around the city in such a way that most places of interest are within a 10-minute walk of a station. Buses and suburban trains are needed only for a few destinations. A single metro, bus or suburban train ride costs €1.20, but a T-1 ticket (10 rides) costs only €6.65.

Bookshops
Casa del Llibre (93 272 34 80; Passeig de Gràcia 62; Passeig de Gràcia) Great English section.

Emergency
General Emergencies (112)
Guardia Urbana (City Police; 092; Las Ramblas 43; Liceu)

Internet Access
WTN Internet (Carrer Unió 16; Liceu)

Easy Internet Café (Las Ramblas 29; per hr €3; 8am-2.30am; Liceu) You can get a better rate if you buy multihour time cards.

Laundry
Wash n’ Dry (93 412 19 53; Carrer Nou de la Rambla 19; 7am-11pm; Liceu)

Medical Services
24-hour Pharmacy (Las Ramblas 98; Liceu) There are many 24-hour pharmacies in the city, including another at Passeig de Gràcia 90. See www.farmaciesdeguardia.com (in Spanish) for a full listing.

Hospital Clinic (93 227 54 00; www.hospitalclinic.org; Carrer Villarroel 170; Hospital Clinic) Modern hospital with good services for travellers.

Post
Main post office (93 486 80 50; Plaça Antoni López; 8.30am-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-10pm Sun; Barceloneta)

Tourist Information
Main tourist office (93 285 38 34; www.barcelonaturisme.com; Plaça de Catalunya 17; 9am-9pm; Plaça Catalunya

Barcelona is foodie heaven. It has firmly established itself as one of Europe’s gourmet capitals, and innovative, push-the-envelope restaurants abound. Many of the most creative chefs were students of famed contemporary chef Ferran Adrià, whose innovative cooking techniques fuse science and gastronomy and have notably influenced the city’s cuisine.

Though the city has a reputation for being the hot spot for the ‘new Spanish cuisine’, dishes like  shellfish paella, pigs’ trotters, rabbit with snails and butifarra (a local sausage) are still the backbone of many eateries.

Las Ramblas, Barri Gòtic & La Ribera
This part of town is loaded with restaurants, including the over-priced touristy places on Las Ramblas and fast-food chains along Carrer Ferran. Self-caterers should make a beeline for the wildly colourful Mercat de la Boqueria for fresh food.

Bagel Shop (93 302 41 61; Carrer de la Canuda 25; mains €3.50-8; Liceu) Top your bagel with anything from turkey and cheese to butifarra sausages at this informal café.

Organic (93 342 81 03; Mercat de la Boquería stand 972; mains up to €8; Liceu) At the far back of La Boquería market is this organic, vegan-friendly stall selling tasty food to go. The same folks have a full restaurant on Carrer Junta Comerç 11.

La Fonda (93 301 75 15; Carrer dels Escudellers 10; mains €5.50-10, menú €7.90; Drassanes) Airy and stylish, La Fonda serves Mediterraneanfare. It’s great value, so expect to wait for a table.

Els Quatre Gats (93 302 41 40; Carrer de Montsió 3; mains €15-22, menú €11; Urquinaona) The legendary modernist café where Picasso had his first exhibit, ‘the Four Cats’ now serves excellent (though pricey) Catalan dishes.

Origins 99.9% (93 310 75 31; Carrer Vidrieria 6-8; menú €10; 12.30pm-1.30am; Jaume I) This shop-restaurant combo in La Ribera boasts that ‘99.9%’ of everything sold is from Catalonia. The ever-changing daily menú features local specialities such as escalivada (roasted veggies on bread) and Catalan sausages.

El Raval
Buenas Migas (93 412 16 86; Plaça Bonsuccés 6; mains €3.95-4.95; 10am-11pm Sun-Wed, 10am-midnight Thu-Sat; Liceu) Quiche, focaccias and awesome desserts are served al fresco at this café.

Mamacafé (93 301 29 40; Carrer del Doctor Dou 10; menús €7.40-9.40; Liceu) The slogan here is ‘healthy and creative’, and it lives up to the claim with a refreshing variety of vegetarian-friendly food including soups, salads and couscous with veggies.

Bar Ra (93 301 41 63; Plaça Gardunya; menú €11; Liceu) Just behind La Boquería, Ra is a funky bar, café and restaurant known for its big terrace (ideal in fine weather) and light, international dishes.

L’Eixample
Laie Librería Café (93 302 73 10; Carrer de Pau Claris 85; mains €6-12; Mon-Sat; Passeig de Gràcia) A delightful, sunny café whose delicious buffet and lunch menú is packed with healthy food, local specialities and vegetarian options.

Cervecería Catalana (93 216 03 68; Carrer de Mallorca 236; mains €6-15; Passieg de Gràcia) Arrive early to try the delicious tapas and flautas (long skinny sandwiches) at this classic tavern off Rambla de Catalunya.

Mussol (93 301 7610; Carrer de Casp 19; Plaça Catalunya; mains €5.50-15) Specialising in grilled meats and vegetables, this sprawling informal restaurant offers filling portions and excellent value.

Cinemas
The best cinema to see subtitled rather than dubbed foreign films is Verdi (93 238 79 90; Carrer Verdi 32; Fontana), in Gràcia. Big-budget Hollywood flicks are shown in English at Icària (Yelmo Cineplex Icaria;93 221 75 85; Carrer Salvador Espiritu 61; Vila Olímpica).

LIVE MUSIC
Flamenco
Tablao Cordobés (93 317 57 11; Las Ramblas 35; show €30; shows 8.15pm, 10pm & 11.30pm; Liceu) Barcelona is not the best place to see flamenco, but you can see a fairly authentic show here.
 
Jazz & Rock
London Bar (93 318 52 61; Carrer Nou de la Rambla 34; Drassanes) A popular expat hang-out, hosting concerts almost every night. Groups range from jazz to rock to flamenco.

Harlem Jazz Club (93 310 07 55; Carrer de la Comtessa de Sobradiel 8; Liceu) A guaranteed dose of quality jazz and enough smoke to cook a sausage.

Sport
Football fans can see the FC Barcelona play at Camp Nou ( 93 496 36 00; www.fcbarcelona.com; Carrer Arístides Maillol; Collblanc). Even if you can’t score tickets, stop by for a peek at the museum (gates 7 & 9; adult/student €6.50/5, tour €10.50/8; 10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun).

Theatre
Most theatre in the city is in Catalan, but there are quite a few that stage vanguard drama, including the well-regarded Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (93 306 57 00; Plaça de les Arts 1; Glòries).

SHOPPING
The queen of Barcelona’s shopping districts is the Passeig de Gràcia, north of Plaça de Catalunya, where high-end fashion struts its stuff. El Born, on the eastern edge of La Ribera, was the city’s original textile centre, but is now a hot spot for up-and-coming designers. Check out Carrer del Rec and around. Trendy, cheaper labels are found on Carrer Portaferrisa off Las Ramblas.

Bargain hunters love Els Encants (93 246 30 30; Carrer Dos de Maig 186; 7am-3pm Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat; Glòries), a free-for-all flea market.

Don’t worry, you won’t go thirsty in Barcelona. The city abounds with day-time cafés, laid-back lounges and lively night-time bars. On weekends, bars stay hopping until 2am and most of the places listed here are open for quiet drinks as early as 8pm.

Cafés
Bar El Jardí (Jardins de Rubió i Lluch; 10am-dusk; Liceu) Enjoy teas, coffee, pastries or light lunch fare at this terrace café in the patio garden of the old Hospital de la Santa Creu.

Caelum (93 302 69 93; Carrer de la Palla 8; Tue-Sun; Liceu) All the delectable pastries and sweets sold here are made in convents or monasteries. Head downstairs to the romantic vaulted basement, open evenings only.

Lletraferit (93 301 19 61; Carrer Joaquim Costa 43; Sant Antoni) With a chilled but sophisticated vibe, this is a book-lovers’ café by day and a cocktail bar by night.

Bars
Muebles Navarro (60 718 80 96; Carrer de la Riera Alta 4; Liceu) Funky and decorated like a furniture flea market. Kick back with a cold one and a tapa or two.

Philharmonic (93 451 11 53; Carrer de Mallorca 204; Hospital Clinic) Stop in for football matches, English conversation, British breakfasts and occasional live music at this popular pub.

Miramelindo (93 310 37 27; Passeig del Born 15; Jaume I) One of many popular bars along the Passeig del Born, Miramelindo is a long-time favourite known for its varied music and good drink selection.

La Vinya del Senyor (93 310 33 97; Plaça de Santa Maria del Mar 5; Jaume I) This rom¬antic wine bar sits under the shadow of the basilica.

Virreina (93 237 98 80; Plaça Virreina 1; Fontana) With its intimate plazas and narrow streets, the Gràcia district is the perfect spot for a quiet drink or two. Virreina has a great outdoor terrace and is open day and night.

Alfa (93 415 18 24; Carrer Gran de Gràcia 36; Fontana) This fun bar and dance spot is a long-time favourite. Come to Alfa for the great 1980s and ’90s music and a laid-back feel.