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The city’s grand opera house, founded in 1847, brought Catalan opera stars such as Montserrat Caballé to the world. Twice gutted by fire, it has been fully restored.

Pointing resolutely out to sea, this statue of Christopher Columbus (1888) commemorates his return to Spain after discovering the Americas. An elevator takes visitors to the top for sensational views. See City Views.

A cacophonous shrine to food, this cavernous market has it all, from stacks of fruit to suckling pigs and writhing lobsters.

Will the real Rambla please stand up? Amid the here-today-gone-tomorrow street performers and tourists, the true Rambla old-timers are the flower and bird stalls that flank the pedestrian walkway. Many of the stalls have been family-run for decades.

Ensure your return to the city by drinking from this 19th-century fountain, inscribed with the legend that all who drink from it “will fall in love with Barcelona and always return”.

Splashed on the walkway on La Rambla is a colourful pavement mosaic by Catalan artist Joan Miró. His signature abstract shapes and primary colours unfold at your feet.

Constructed by the viceroy of Peru in 1778 – the name means “Palace of the Viceroy’s Wife” – this Neo-Classical palace hosts a range of temporary exhibitions, from sculpture to photography to video.

Once the hallowed haunt of rosary beads and murmured prayers, this former 17th-century monastery was reborn in the 1980s. Thanks to a massive government-funded facelift, it is now a cutting-edge contemporary art centre. Temporary exhibitions run the gamut from large-scale video installations to sculpture and photography.

Once an umbrella factory, this playful, late 19th-century building is festooned with umbrellas.

A relic from a time when the Catholic Church was rolling in pesetas (and power), this hulking 17th-century church is a seminal reminder of when La Rambla was more religious than risqué.