City guide: Barcelona

Fine weather, great architecture and stunning food… heck, there's even a beach. The Catalan capital has it all

WHEN the repression of Franco's reign was swept aside in the 1970s, Barcelona set about reinventing itself as a postmodern, flamboyantly fashionable city.

With its fantastic climate, ground-breaking architecture, delicious food and very own city beach, tourists can't get enough of the Catalan capital. A city of more than 5,000 architects, it boasts no fewer than nine buildings that have been designated Unesco World Heritage Sites, so expect to come home with a crick in your neck.

BEFORE YOU GO
Invest in a copy of Guide to Barcelona (Time Out, £12.99) or the Eyewitness Travel Top 10 Guide to Barcelona (Dorling Kindersley, £6.99). Book ahead if you're going before September as accommodation is scarce in high season – and, as hotels give the best rooms to those who ask, it's always worth requesting a view or a quiet room.

WHEN TO GO
Warm pretty much all year round, the humidity can be overpowering in summer, but in May and June it's perfect. Be aware that the locals go on holiday in August, so that even though the city is full of tourists, many restaurants, bars and attractions close.

PLANES, TRAINS, AUTOMOBILES
British Airways, Iberia and Easyjet fly from Edinburgh, with fares starting at around £83 (alternatively, try www.travelocity.com and www.cheaptickets.com for other airline deals).

GETTING AROUND
Compact and easily navigated, Barcelona is best explored on foot, particularly the old town, the Gracia district and the waterfront. The Metro system is fast and convenient and runs until 2am at weekends; there's also the FGC or commuter railway and clearly marked bus stops. A single fare on all three is &euro1.30 (£1) and there are discount passes available.

TOURIST TRAIL
You can't go to Barcelona and not see Parc Güell, Gaudi's fantastic city garden, or his stunning unfinished temple, the soaring Sagrada Familia. Explore the narrow streets of the Barri Gòtic area, with its ornate churches, ancient ruins, markets, funky shops, cool bars and restaurants, and watch the street performers in Las Ramblas, with its cafés and bars.

Then, when the heat and crowds all become too much, head for the Picasso Museum at Montcada 15-23, the second most visited attraction after the vast cauldron of the Nou Camp, FC Barcelona's impressive stadium at Avda Aristides Maillol, where the guided tours are hugely popular. Or take a trip to the city's beautiful beach, accessed from the Barceloneta Metro station.

Kids will love Gaudi's surreal architecture, particularly when it's modelled in chocolate, along with sculptures of characters from Finding Nemo to Ben Hur, at the Museu de la Xocolata. There are touch-screen computers explaining the history of cocoa, but don't let the kids nibble the exhibits.

Salvador Dali fans might like to take a day trip north to his former home in Port Lligat, a couple of hours' bus journey away.

GO NATIVE
Those in the know avoid the alleys of the old town after dark, when pickpocket gangs are rife, and give confidence tricksters operating 'find the hidden ball' games on La Ramblas a body swerve.

WHAT TO BUY
Go when the sales are on in July and August and shoe lovers will be in heaven, with quality leather goods on offer, while clothes horses will have to rein themselves in at Zara and Mango, branches of which can be found all over town. Make for the Born district and drop into Paramita (Carrer de l'Argenteria), a Spanish chain store whose prints and eye-catching designs are going down a storm with fashionistas. And no, you haven't been overdoing the tapas and tortilla, the clothes sizes are on the small side in Spain. For those back home, why not bring back some turron, Catalunya's traditional nougat sweet?

WHERE TO EAT
For tapas try Inopia (Cass Tamarit, www.barinopia. com), where the classic nibbles include ham croquettes, sardine sandwiches and anchovy-stuffed olives).

Prime seafood can be had at the (somewhat pricey) waterfront restaurants along Passeig Joan de Borbo in Barceloneta, and if it's Thursday, it has to be paella, the traditional day for eating the dish. Signature Catalan dishes are a combination of surf and turf, such as lobster and chicken, and a favourite dessert is custard topped with caramelised sugar.

NIGHTLIFE
Enjoy the canapés at Sagardi, a Basque bar and one of Born's busiest (Carrer de l'Argenteria), or head to Cerveseria Catalana (Carrer Mallorca), where the Catalan Beerhouse serves up a huge selection of brews. Relax at the Cafe de L'Opera (74 La Rambla) and soak up the Ramblas ambience with a cool granissat or crushed ice drink, then boogie till dawn to the house music at Otto Zutz (Lincoln 15).

WHERE TO STAY
Close to the seafront is the four-star H10 Montcada Hotel (Via Laietana 24), in a restored neo-classical building in the Gothic quarter, where doubles and twins start from around £103. For those who like their art nouveau, Hotel Espana is awash with the stuff (9 Carrer Sant Pau, www.hotelespanya.com) and has doubles from £71, while those on a budget should make for the family-run Adagio Hotel (Ferran 21, www.adagiohotel.com), which has twins starting from £87 a night.

CAN YOU DRINK THE WATER?
Tap water is drinkable but it tastes of chlorine so ask for bottled (agua) in a bar or restaurant.