Tours

Tour 1: Las Ramblas

The best way to get a feel for Barcelona is to take a walk along Les Rambles (Las Ramblas in Spanish). You'll see a cross-section of Catalan society as well as lots of tourists and travellers on this lively boulevard. It's actually made up of five separate streets, all with pedestrian walkways in the middle and jammed with bars, shops and 24-hour newspaper stands. These streets are joined together, running south from Plaça Catalunya to the Columbus monument and the harbour.

Start from Plaça Catalunya and head down Rambla de Canaletes, which gets its name from its 19th-century iron fountain. This is where Barça football fans gather to celebrate their team's victories. Calle Tallers, first on the right, is known for its new and second-hand music stores.

Carry on into Rambla dels Estudis, named after the university that was here until the early 18th century. Locals call it Rambla dels Ocells (Street of the Birds) because the caged birds for sale keep up a noisy chatter all day long. There are also stalls selling tortoises, fish, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, and other pets. You'll find a number of buildings that are worth looking at here, including Teatre Poliorama, built in 1883, and the Philippines Tobacco Company building, completed in 1880. Across the Rambla, on the corner of Calle Portaferrissa, you'll see the late 18th-century Palau Moja. This former palace, now headquarters of the regional government's contemporary history and culture department, has an excellent bookshop. Off to the right is what used to be known as the red-light district, Barrio del Raval. Off to the left are the narrow streets of the medieval Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter).

When you come to the third street, Rambla de Sant Josep, you'll suddenly be hit by a wave of colour. Flower sellers have been a feature of this pedestrian area for over 200 years, hence the popular name for it, Rambla de les Flors (Street of Flowers). At the top of the street, a restored 18th-century baroque palace, Palau de la Virreina, houses the Cambó collection of paintings and an information centre with a ticket office for cultural events. You can join the locals in Mercat de la Boqueria (Boquería Market), which offers an amazing and colourful display of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. Venture into the middle of the market where you'll find cheaper prices.

Carry on through Plaça de la Boqueria, past Joan Miró's huge mosaic in the middle of the pavement, and into the fourth street, Rambla dels Caputxins, where you'll find Gran Teatre del Liceu. This Opera House was completely re-built for the third time after a fire in 1994. Stop for a drink further down the street in one of the cafes in Plaça Reial, to the left. This attractive square, with its tall palm trees, is decorated with iron lamps designed by a young Antoni Gaudí. Come on Sunday mornings and watch dealers bargaining energetically at the weekly coin and stamp market.

At the top of the fifth and final street, Rambla de Santa Mònica, you'll come to Teatre Principal. You'll also find Museu de Cera (Wax Museum) to the left and hordes of pavement artists, performers and musicians in the centre of the pedestrian area. On the weekends, new agers set up stalls selling crafts, clothes and jewellery. Finish your walk by going to the top of Monumento a Colón (Columbus Monument) for aerial views of the city. Or carry on into the harbour area of Port Vell and Maremàgnum, a modern shopping centre.

Tour 2: L'Eixample and Modernism

Start this tour of grid-shaped Eixample, the city's commercial and business district, at Plaça Catalunya. As you head northwest from the square, Rambla de Catalunya cuts the district in two. For the most interesting sights, stick to the right-hand side of the boulevard. Go up Passeig de Gràcia, which runs parallel to the Rambla and features some famous Modernist buildings built between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Look out for Gaudí's hexagonal pavement designs on the way. Take the first right, Calle Caspe, where, at no. 48, you'll come to one of Gaudí's works, Casa Calvet. Return to Passeig de Gràcia and continue northwest towards Tibidabo hill in the distance.

Four blocks up, after crossing Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Consell de Cent, you'll arrive at the so-called "Block of Discord." This name arose because three different architects, with widely differing styles, built the three Modernist buildings grouped here. On the left is Lluís Domènech i Montaner's Casa Lleó Morera, dating from 1906, with its elaborately decorated entrance hall and staircase. A few doors up, at no. 41, you'll come to the striking facade of Josep Puig i Cadafalch's Casa Ametller, dating from 1900. Next door is Gaudí's spectacular Casa Batlló. Turn left on to the wide Calle Aragó, cross over Rambla de Catalunya and you'll see another of Lluís Domènech i Montaner's works that has been converted into Fundació Tàpies.

Go back to Passeig de Gràcia, continue north one block and on the right you'll find an extraordinary Modernist apartment building, Gaudí's Casa Milà or Pedrera, whose upper floors and rooftop are open to the public. You can spend all day exploring Eixample and its many other Modernist architectural gems, like Les Punxes or the Conservatory.

No stay in the city would be complete without a visit to Gaudí's two outstanding unfinished masterpieces, Sagrada Família and Parc Güell.

Tour 3: Olympic Barcelona

The city benefited greatly from investment in new road and rail links, parks, and commercial facilities built for the 1992 Olympic Games. You'll find the best examples of these facilities, including Torre de Collserola (Collserola Communications Tower), in the Vila Olímpica (Olympic Village) and on Muntanya de Montjüic (Montjüic hill). The Montjüic hill, or "hill of the Jews," got its name from the Jewish community that once settled on its steep slopes. One of the best ways to get to the top is by walking from Plaça Espanya, with its luminous fountains, up to the Palau Nacional (National Palace). This building now houses MNAC (Catalunya's National Art Museum), which displays one of the world's finest collections of Romanesque art. Carry on a little further to Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), where Spain's regional styles of architecture have been reproduced in a kind of national theme park. The walk to Castell de Montjüic (Montjüic castle), on the far eastern corner of the hill, is worthwhile for the panoramic views. This 17th-century castle is home to the Museu Militar (Military Museum).

In between the Spanish Village and the castle, you might want to stop at the so-called "Olympic Ring" or "Anella Olímpica" (Anillo Olímpico). This is where you'll see the famous sports facilities built for the 1992 games. These include the 55,000-seat Olympic stadium, Estadi Olímpic, and Palau Sant Jordi, a sports and concert hall designed by Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki. Ricardo Bofill's Sports University, the Institut Nacional de Educació Física, and Santiago Calatrava's communications tower are close by. On the way along Avenida de l'Estadi towards the cable car, you'll pass a large white building, Fundació Miró. This museum is dedicated to well-known Catalan artist, Joan Miró.

The old industrial suburb of Poble Nou, on the waterfront close to Barceloneta district, was transformed for the Olympic Games into an Olympic Village and Port Olímpic (Olympic Port). These sports, accommodation and leisure facilities, now open to the public, were built for the athletes and administrators. Two 44-storey skyscrapers dominate the waterfront skyline: one is an office tower and the other is the stylish Hotel Arts.

Tour 4: The Gothic Quarter

The medieval Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is officially confined to the area between Avenida de la Catedral, Via Laietana, Calle Jaume I, Plaça Sant Jaume and Calle Bisbe, However, you'll find lots more of interest in the atmospheric streets and squares nearby.

Start your walk in the cathedral square (Plaça de la Catedral), opposite the Catalan Gothic cathedral. Take a little alleyway, Montjüic del Bisbe, along to the peaceful square, Plaça Sant Felip Neri, where all you're likely to hear is the sound of water from its central fountain. Many of the buildings in this area were built on the old Roman wall, including the Palau Episcopal (Episcopal Palace) in Plaça Nova and 16th-century Casa de l'Ardiaca off Calle Santa Llúcia. The 14th century Casa del Degà and Casa de la Canonja are also located in Plaça de la Seu.

From behind the cathedral, take Calle dels Comtes and stop in for a coffee on the terrace of Museu Frederic Mares. Or go down Baixada de Santa Clara to Plaça del Rei. From here, head for the large Plaça Sant Jaume, one of the most popular squares in the city, where popular demonstrations and gatherings take place. The Catalan regional government headquarters are located here in the 14th-century palace Palau de la Generalitat, alongside the Casa de la Ciutat (Ajuntament) (Town Hall). Today's Town Hall was once the seat of the Consell de Cent, Barcelona's medieval town council. Its grand main entrance, which you can still see, is around the corner on Calle de la Ciutat.

There are many interconnecting squares and narrow streets between the cathedral and Les Rambles. Two of the prettiest squares are Plaça del Pi, with its Gothic basilica, and neighbouring Plaça Sant Josep Oriol. They're both lively places that turn into artist's markets on weekends.

Head back to Plaça de Sant Jaume and follow the street of the same name until you come to busy Via Laietana. Cross this street and you'll arrive in La Ribera district. On Calle Montcada you'll find Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum), Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària (Textile Museum), and many well-preserved aristocratic mansions. Carry on to the end of the street until you reach Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar, an impressive example of Catalan Gothic architecture and the main attraction in Born neighbourhood. From the back of the church, follow Passeig del Born to Born Market, a fine showcase of late 19th-century iron architecture.

Outside the City

For guided adventures in and beyond Barcelona, Classic Journeys offers a guided tour of Barcelona and the Costa Brava.