Lonely Planet Best of Barcelona 2019

From sunrise over the Mediterranean to the last dance-fl oor whirl of an actionpacked night, Barcelona holds your attention 24 hours a day. Its combination of natural attractions, hedonism and serious cultural cachet makes it one of the worlds great cities.

Barcelonas architectural treasures span millennia. Temple columns, ancient city walls and subterranean stone corridors provide a window into the Roman era. Then skip a thousand years to the Middle Ages by taking a stroll through the Gothic quarter, all shadowy lanes, tranquil plazas and soaring churches. Later bloomed the sculptural masterpieces of Modernisme, a heady mix of ingenuity and whimsy created by Gaud and contemporaries. La Sagrada Famlia, still under construction, is already one of the planets most sublime buildings.

Barcelona has long inspired artists too, including Salvador Dal, Pablo Picasso and Joan Mir, whose works are on bold display in the citys myriad museums.

Art of another sort adorns the groaning bar tops and stylish plates of Barcelonas tapas bars and avant-garde restaurants. Catalan cooking has a long tradition of using flavourful, market-fresh ingredients, garnished with a soupon of French savoir faire. The molecular wizardry of modern Catalan gastronomy gives it a real twist.

Add to this spending lazy days on the beach, paddling or cruising the deep blue sea, strolling into classy boutiques and quaffing sessions in sociable cava bars and you have just a fraction of the intoxicating cornucopia that is Barcelona.

Barcelona is a place where theres always something happening. Traditional fiestas maintain a riotous blend of popular religion, devil-may-care revelry and time-honoured customs. Meanwhile, concerts, festivals and modern celebrations keep things ticking right through the year.

Barcelonins head to the Pyrenees for action on the ski slopes, while others simply enjoy a bit of post-holiday downtime (school holidays go to around 8 January).

Reis (Reyes)

5 Jan

On 5 January, the day before Epifana (Epiphany), children delight in the Cavalcada dels Reis Mags (Parade of the Three Kings), a colourful parade of floats and music, spreading bonhomie and boiled sweets in equal measure.

Barcelona World Race

12 Jan

This nonstop round-the-world sailing race (www.barcelonaworldrace.com) starts and ends in Barcelona and only happens every two years or so. Two-person crews kick off the next edition here...next stop: Sydney, Australia.

Festes dels Tres Tombs

17 Jan

In addition to live music and gegants (papier-mch giants worn over the shoulders of processionists), the festival dedicated to Sant Antoni features a parade of horse-drawn carts in the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni (near the Mercat de Sant Antoni) every 17 January.