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The Palau Nacional is home to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya which exhibits Catalonia’s historic art collections. Boasting one of Europe’s finest displays of Romanesque art, the museum includes a series of breathtaking, 12th-century frescoes, rescued from Catalan Pyrenean churches and painstakingly reassembled in a series of galleries here. See Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya .

One of Catalonia’s most representative painters, Joan Miró (1893–1983), donated many of the 11,000 works held by the museum. Housed in a stark, white building designed by his friend, architect Josep Lluís Sert, the collection – the world’s most complete array of Miro’s work – was recently extended to include 25 new pieces by him. See Fundació Joan Miró

Below the cascades and fountains that splash down from the regal Palau Nacional is the Magic Fountain, designed by Carles Buigas for the International Exhibition of 1929. As darkness descends, countless jets of water are choreographed in a mesmerizing sound and light show. When the water meets in a single jet it can soar to 15m (50ft). The extravagant finale is often accompanied by a recording of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé singing the anthem Barcelona as the fountain fades from pink to green and back to white before silently and gracefully disappearing.

The first stone of this Baroque-style castle, which still dominates Montjuïc’s hill, was laid in 1640. It was for many years a symbol of terror as a prison and torture centre for political prisoners. Today the castle houses a military museum that displays ancient weaponry and is to be converted into a peace museum. There are arresting vistas, especially of the port below, as well as enchanting gardens littered with ancient rusty cannons.

The Olympic Stadium was first built for the 1936 Workers’ Olympics, which were cancelled with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1975: Civil War & Franco). Today, the original Neo-Classical façade is still in place, though the stadium was entirely rebuilt for the 1992 Olympic Games (1992-Present Day: The Olympics & Beyond). It is home to Espanyol football team. See Top 10 Spectator Sports & Events. The Galeria Olímpica holds mementos illustrating the importance of the games for Barcelona.

This beautiful, open-air amphitheatre (Activities in Barcelona) was inspired by the Classical ideas of what was known as Noucentisme. This late 19th-century architectural movement was a reaction to the overly-decorative nature of Modernisme . With its leafy, green backdrop and beautiful gardens, there are few places more enchanting than this to watch Swan Lake or listen to some jazz. The theatre is used for shows during the summertime Festival del Grec (Teatre Grec), when it also becomes home to a luxurious outdoor restaurant.

The star of all the Olympic installations is this spaceship-like, steel and glass indoor stadium (Palau Sant Jordi) designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Holding around 17,000 people, the stadium is the home of the city’s basketball team (Top 10 Spectator Sports & Events). The esplanade – a surreal forest of concrete and metal pillars – was designed by Aiko Isozaki, Arata’s wife. Further down the hill are the indoor and outdoor Bernat Picornell Olympic pools (Activities in Barcelona); both open to the public.

You might wonder exactly what this box-like pavilion of stone, marble, onyx and glass is doing bang in the middle of Montjuïc’s monumental architecture. Years ahead of its time, this surprisingly rationalist gem represents Germany’s contribution to the 1929 Exhibition. Built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886– 1969), the elegant pavilion was soon demolished, only to be reconstructed in 1986. Inside, the elegant sculpture Morning by Georg Kolbe (1877–1947) is reflected in a small lake.

This Spanish poble (village) has been recreated from a hotchpotch of scaled-down famous buildings and streets from around Spain. Although a bit tacky, it has become a centre for arts and crafts, including an impressive glass-blowers’ workshop. There are restaurants and cafés aplenty, and a couple of trendy nightclubs. (Restaurants, Cafés, Bars & Clubs).

The Fundació La Caixa’s impressive collection of contemporary art is housed in a former textile factory, designed by Modernista architect Puig i Cadafalch. The collection began in 1985 and assembles some 800 works by Spanish and foreign artists, which are shown in rotation along with temporary international exhibitions.