Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

The bustling city streets of Barcelona, a coastal city in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, are home to more than 1.6 million people. The city layout, consisting of a strict grid pattern of equally sized blocks, is considered by many architects to be the epitome of successful city planning. Famed for its colourful and quirky architecture, this bohemian city seamlessly blends the old with the modern. The two most important styles of architecture you’ll find here are Catalan Gothic, a medieval style, and Modernisme, a movement led by Antoni Gaudí.

Spend the sun-soaked days exploring the Picasso Museum (the artist spent his formative years here), Gaudí’s revolutionary Casa Milà, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you can’t miss La Sagrada Familia, a giant basilica which is arguably Gaudí’s greatest work. With a vibrant art scene, serene parks, a golden shoreline, tasty tapas and a youthful populace, Barcelona seemingly has it all.