A city with so much to offer: art, museums, modernism, Romanesque & Gothic architecture, concerts, beaches and leisure activities. Discover the life and soul of the capital of the Mediterranean.
Barcelona has undergone a seismic change that led to the hosting of the Olympic Games in 1992, an event which completely transformed Barcelona. As well as a string of purpose built sporting developments springing up all over the city - with the epicentre on the slopes of Montjuic - Barcelona benefited from major investments that saw the face of the city dramatically change.
Barcelona has become something of a Mecca for the world's top architects who have flocked here to conjure up an array of modern structures and avant-garde designs. Many have drawn their inspiration from the seminal work of Barcelona's most famous son, the modernist architect Antoni Gaudi, whose unique style can still be savoured around the city in a number of key buildings. His masterpiece is the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral, but his work even can be seen in the lampposts and fountains of Plaza Reial.
Fortunately the rush of new construction has not completely dwarfed the older buildings as the old and new architectural styles harmoniously combine. Barcelona is the kind of city where an avant-garde glass and steel modern office block can rest happily within striking distance of a gothic cathedral, a city where the old port has been rejuvenated without losing any of its charm.
A visit to La Boqueria market (officially Mercat de Sant Josep) off Rambla Sant Josep is an unmissable experience. The market is opened Monday to Saturday 0900-2100 for the sale of fresh fish, meat, vegetables and dairy products. La Ruta del Modernismo links 50 Key Art Nouveau buildings in the city including La Sagrada Familia and sites not usually open to the general public.
