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At the foot of the Columbus statue (La Rambla), this long-time café is a choice spot to soak up the rays, knock back a beer and people-watch.

A boisterous tapas bar serving champagne, pitchers of cider and generous portions of tapas.

This soothing eatery offers vegetarian Indian main dishes and delec-table desserts, but no alcohol.

By day, this stylish little store sells designer clothes; by night it metamorphoses into a mellow lounge bar with cocktails, where DJs spin ambient house.

A cool local joint playing DJ-spun funky R&B tunes on Sundays, and everything from house to fusion jazz the rest of the week.

The hippie origins and 1970s glamour at this club are as popular as ever.

This lovely outdoor café, hidden upstairs at El Mercadillo (El Mercadillo), is shaded by trees and vine-covered walls.

Dominating the heart of the old town is this magnificent Gothic Cathedral, with a soaring, elaborate façade and a graceful, sun-dappled cloister containing palm trees and white geese. See Barcelona Cathedral.

Barcelona’s magnificent Gothic cathedral boasts an eye-catching façade and a peaceful cloister. (Barcelona Cathedral).

From the heart of the Barri Gòtic, the Cathedral rooftop offers one of the least changed vistas in the city. Look out over the ramshackle rooftops – some dating to the 12th century – and the narrow alleys that spill out in all directions. There is a small charge for the elevator to the top. (Barcelona Cathedral).

Barcelona’s most visited museum is a must for fans of the beautiful game. With football memorabilia of every conceivable kind, you can learn all about the club’s history. Work donated by some of Catalonia’s leading artists is also on display. Admission includes access to Barca’s 120,000-seater stadium, an impressive monument to the city’s love-affair with the game.

Tickets to see this first-division side are rare; 4,000 are sold a week before matches – call to find out when to queue.

The stately Palau Nacional is home to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), which holds one of the most extensive collections of Romanesque art in the world. The works were rescued from churches around Catalonia in the 1920s. See Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.

A verdant oasis in the city centre, Barcelona’s largest park is criss-crossed with pleasant paths. It boasts a zoo, two museums, and a lavish Modernista fountain. See Parc de la Ciutadella.

Barcelona’s largest landscaped park offers a serene antidote to city life. Once the location of the 18th-century military citadel, this lovely 19th-century park is now home to the zoo, the Catalan parliament, two museums and a boating lake. There is an inviting café in the Hivernacle (winter greenhouse), which hosts occasional live music. (Parc de la Ciutadella).

Take the 100-year-old funicular up to the top of Tibidabo’s 517-m (1,695-ft) mountain to visit this traditional amusement park, which first opened in 1908. Although there are a couple of stomach-churning, white-knuckle rides, the real attractions are the quaint, old-fashioned ones, including a beautifully conserved carousel and a Ferris wheel. Here also is the Museu dels Autòmates (Top 10 quirky museums/Monuments), with automatons, mechanical models and a scale model of the park.

For some of the city’s most breathtaking Modernista gems, walk the length of Pg de Gràcia south to north, past the Mansana de la Discòrdia (Mansana de la Discòrdia) and La Pedrera (La Pedrera). Turn right onto C/Mallorca, which leads to Gaudí’s Sagrada Família (Sagrada Família). Take a left along C/Marina, past the church’s awe-inspiring Nativity Façade, and head up Av Gaudí to Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau (Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau).

An avenue lined with sculptures by Frederic Marès and Ernest Maragall is the main delight here. The garden also has the last of the city’s ginjoler trees.

A portside warren of narrow streets, small squares and ancient bars, this traditional neighbourhood of pescadors (fishermen) and mariners (sailors) seems worlds apart from the megamalls and disco lights of nearby Port Olímpic. A refreshing foray through this tight-knit community yields a glimpse into the way Barcelona was 150 years ago. Older couples still pull chiars out onto the street to gossip and watch the world go by, and small seafood restaurants serve a menú del dia of whatever’s fresh off the boat. Running the length of Barceloneta’s western edge is Passeig Joan de Borbó, which is lined with restaurants serving mariscs (shellfish) and paellas.

Fancy a splash in the Mediterranean? Trot down to the end of La Rambla, wander along the palm tree-lined Moll de la Fusta, down restaurant-packed Passeig Joan de Borbó, et voilà , the sea beckons. Over four km (2.5 miles) of blue flag beaches stretch north from Barceloneta to Port Olímpic and beyond. Facilities are top-notch, including showers, deck chairs, beach volleyball courts and lifeguards. Convenience, however, means crowds, so finding a spot among the masses of oiled bodies can be a challenge, particularly in the summer.

Come face to face with the teeming marine world of the Mediterranean at Barcelona’s impressive aquarium, the largest in Europe. The highlight is an 80-m (262-ft) long underwater tunnel equipped with a moving walkway that transports visitors through the deep blue unknown, while sharks glide menacingly close. A huge hit with the kids is the new Explora! floor, with interactive activities that allow you to explore the ecosystems of the Mediterranean.

One of Europe’s biggest aquariums, this underwater kingdom is made up of 21 enormous tanks brimming with nearly 400 marine species. The highlight of a visit is the Oceanari, where a walk-through glass tunnel will bring you face to face with three huge grey sharks – named Drake, Morgan and Maverick – lurking in 4.5 million litres (990,000 gallons) of water.Port Vell, Barceloneta & Port Olimpic

The zoo has an enormous adventure playground where children can run wild. There are also dolphin and whale shows in one of the aquariums. Other activities for children include guided tours and workshops. The “farm” area has goats and rabbits that younger children can stroke. See Parc Zoològic.

See Barcelona’s port activity from a different perspective, either from the air or the sea. The telefèric cable cars offer sweeping, bird’seye views of Barcelona and its coast, while the old-fashioned Les Golondrines boats and the Orsom Catamaran sweep you around the port area.

Take a picturesque cruise from Calella and Blanes to Tossa de Mar, stopping at the old town and the castle of Tossa de Mar.

The sea offers a less vertiginous view of the cityscape. Glide out of the harbour on the pleasure boats known as golondrines or try the exhilarating trip under sail on an enormous catamaran. Both trips offer ample views of the city and of the new Port Olímpic area. (Tours & Trips).

The swaying cable cars that glide slowly between the Port and Montjuïc are something of a Barcelona landmark. To those not afraid of heights, they reveal hidden aspects of the city and provide a pleasurable way to get to the top of Montjuïc. (Tours & Trips).

Unlike the nerve-jangling cable-car ride across the port, these smaller, lower-altitude cable car trips are a better option if you have children with you. The ride to the Montjuïc summit also has the added appeal of the castle (Castell de Montjuïc & Museu Militar) at the top, with cannons for the kids to clamber on.

The dramatic mount of Montserrat, with its remote Benedictine monastery (dating from 1025), is a religious symbol and a place of pilgrimage for the Catalan people. The Basilica houses a statue of Catalonia’s patron virgin, La Moreneta, also know as the “Black Virgin”. Some legends date the statue to AD 50, but research suggests it was carved in the 12th century. The monastery itself was largely destroyed in 1811 during the War of Independence, and rebuilt some 30 years later. Montserrat forms part of a ridge of mountains that rise suddenly from the plains. Take the funicular to the mountain’s unspoilt peaks, where paths run alongside spectacular gorges to numerous hermitages.

Catalonia’s holiest place is the region’s most visited monastery. It boasts some Romanesque art and a statue of the “Black Virgin”. (Montserrat).

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, this heady brew of architectural wizardry includes trencadís tiling, a serpentine bench, fairy-tale pavilions, Gothic archways, and the columned Sala Hipóstila (originally intended as a market hall). In true Gaudí style, playfulness and symbolism pervade every aspect of the park. The Casa-Museu Gaudí, where Gaudí lived for 20 years, is dedicated to the architect’s life.

Unmistakably Gaudí, this Modernista marvel seems to grow from the very pavement itself. Fluid and eerily alive, its curving façade sprouts writhing wrought-iron balconies. A cluster of mosaic chimneys keeps watch over the rooftop like shrewd-eyed knights (La Pedrera).

This amazing apartment block, with its curving façade and bizarre rooftop, has all of Gaudí’s architectural trademarks. Especially characteristic are the wrought-iron balconies and the ceramic mosaics decorating the entrance halls. (La Pedrera).

Illustrating Gaudí’s nationalist sentiments, Casa Batlló, on La Mansana de la Discòrdia (Modernista Buildings), represents an allegory of the legend of Sant Jordi see Charming Churches & Chapels. The roof is the dragon’s back and the balconies, sculpted in the form of carnival masks, are the skulls of the dragon’s victims. The polychrome façade reveals Gaudí’s remarkable use of colour and texture.

The enduring symbol of the city and its Modernista legacy is this church, Gaudí’s other-worldly pièce de résistance. Piercing the Barcelona skyline are eight of the twelve planned spires that have so far been built. See Sagrada Família.

Dizzying spires and intricate sculptures adorn Gaudí’s magical masterpiece. Construction began at the height of Modernisme , but is still in progress more than a century later. (Sagrada Família).

Barcelona’s nerve centre is the huge Plaça de Catalunya, a lively hub from which all the city’s activity seems to radiate. This square is most visitors first real glimpse of Barcelona. The airport bus and train stops here, as do RENFE trains and countless metro and bus lines. The square’s commercial swagger is evident all around, headed by Spain’s omnipresent department store, El Corte Inglés (Plaça de Catalunya). Pigeons flutter chaotically in the square’s centre, lively Peruvian bands play to booming sound systems and hordes of travellers – from backpackers to tour groups – meander about. To add to the melting pot, the square is allegedly home to 25 people (mostly homeless immigrants).

Barcelona’s centrepiece, this 1-km (0.6-mile) long, thriving pedestrian thoroughfare cuts a wide swathe through the old town, from Plaça de Catalunya to the glistening Mediterranean. See La Rambla.

Your shoulders will be aching from carrying the kids high above the crowds by the time you reach the end of Barcelona’s main boulevard. Fire eaters, buskers, human statues decked out as Greek goddesses – you name it and it’s likely to be keeping the hordes entertained on La Rambla. Put a coin in the human statue’s hat and be rewarded with a sudden move, or, if you’re a child, the gift of a tiny lollipop. See La Rambla.

From Plaça de Catalunya, stroll the length of Barcelona’s most famous street, La Rambla (La Rambla), stopping en route to enjoy the street performances. Turn left at the port and admire the luxury yachts as you follow the water round to Barceloneta. Continue along Pg Joan de Borbó and turn left down any of the side streets that lead to the sand and sea.

This palm tree-lined, pedestrian walkway is the latest attempt by city planners to spark a similar social environment to that of the city’s famed La Rambla (La Rambla). So far it is off to a creaking start, with barely a fraction of the crowds that ply the original Rambla. Its advocates, however, are quick to point out that La Rambla del Raval is far better than the two dark, run-down streets that formerly existed here. Ambitious building plans, which include new shops, bars and cafés, mean it could well rival its cousin in years to come.

Saunter along the Rambla de Mar, a floating wooden pier that leads to Mare-magnum, a flashy mall of shops, fast-food outlets, restaurants and bars. Nearby the giant IMAX^® cinema shows 3-D films on mega-screens, generally on nature-, adventure-, and sports-related topics.