Things to See in Barcelona

Delightfully over the top, the biggest of Montjuïc's famous fountains splashes into life with an irresistible summer-evening extravaganza of music and light. Whether it's to the tune of Tchaikovsky or Abba, you'll be mesmerised by the waterworks.

With this commission for wealthy patron Eusebi Güell, Antoni Gaudí first showed what he was capable of. Sombre compared with his later whims, it is still a characteristic riot of styles (Gothic, Islamic, Art Nouveau) and materials. After the civil war, the police tortured political prisoners in the basement. Up two floors you reach the main hall and its annexes. The hall is a parabolic pyramid - each wall an arch stretching up three floors and coming together to form a dome. The roof is a Gaudian riot of ceramic colour and fanciful design in the chimney pots.

This hallucinatory, undulating beast is yet another madcap Gaudí masterpiece, built between 1905 and 1910 as a combined apartment and office block. Formerly called the Casa Milà, it's better known as La Pedrera (the quarry) because of its uneven grey stone facade that creates a wave effect, which is further emphasized by elaborate wrought-iron balconies.

Barcelona's most visited museum shows numerous works tracing the artist's early years and is especially strong on his Blue Period, with canvasses like The Defenceless, as well as ceramics and early works from the 1890s. The rest of the museum traces Picasso's life and travels.

La Sagrada Família is truly awe-inspiring. Even if you don't have much time, don't miss it. The most ambitious work of Barcelona's favourite son, Antoni Gaudí, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy Montserrat.

A wonderfully captivating gallery showcasing the delights of Miró. Miró's friend Josep Lluís Sert designed the gallery and its amazing use of white and light makes it an unforgettable experience. The gallery was Miró's gift to his beloved city. It also houses exhibitions by contemporary artists.

You won't come much closer to a set of shark choppers. The 80m-long shark tunnel is the high point in this, one of Europe's largest aquariums. Some 11,000 fish (including about a dozen sharks) have become permanent residents here in an area filled with 4.5 million litres of water. The restless sharks are accompanied by splendid flapping rays and huge sunfish. Other tanks are devoted to the delights of the Red Sea, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Australia and the South Seas.

The ever-expanding contemporary art collection of the Macba starts in the Gothic chapel of the Convent dels Àngels and continues in the main gleaming white building across the square. It shines as a stage for the best of Catalan, Spanish and international contemporary art. What's on show is in constant, restless flux, although in the chapel you are more likely to see established names such as Alexander Calder and Antoni Tàpies.

A wine-taster's fantasy, this bar has a stunning location looking out over the Església de Santa Maria del Mar. You can choose from almost 300 varieties of wine and cava from around the world and enjoy inventive platillos (mini-tapas) as you sip your drink. Try to grab the table by the window upstairs.

Some of the biggest international names play at this summertime must, which can be relied on for some of the meatiest dance tunes on vinyl (including house, techno-trance and pop-rock) and a clientele comprising extremely high-quality eye candy. Move to 'the terrace' for rejuvenation when you run out of steam. In winter the club moves indoors and becomes Discothèque.

This cavernous place with multiple low-ceiling spaces has been bringing headline jazz and blues acts to Barcelona for decades. Gigs tend to start at 23:00 and end by 02:00, at which time it converts into a club cranking out mostly funk and hippety-hop.

This multi-hall dance space has been keeping the beat in Barcelona since the darkest days of Franco. It frequently stages quality acts, local and foreign, ranging from funk guitar to rock most nights of the week. There are also all sorts of themed club nights to keep the party people sweet, such as 'Hospital Emergency'... nurse, fix me a cocktail!

Inside the unprepossessing entrance is one of the city's oldest cocktail bars (famed for its divine daiquiris). The bow-tied waiters have been serving up their poison since 1933. Joan Miró and - surprise surprise - Hemingway tippled here.

The national blind people's organisation can help with information for the sight-impaired. It has a guide to Barcelona in Braille.

From all corners of the country arrive the carefully prepared sweets and other goods that have been the pride of Spanish convents through the centuries. Tempting and traditional items such as sticky marzipan (made in closed-order convents) and olive oil with thyme find their way into this specialist store. Head downstairs to the cavernous café area, once a medieval Jewish bathhouse. You can also take a seat at a huddle of tables upstairs.

Barcelona's most authentic flea market is 'The Old Charms', where bargain-hunters riffle through everything from battered old shoes and bric-a-brac to antique furniture and new clothes. A lot of it is junk, but it depends on what's fallen off the back of the trucks the day you turn up. Go in the morning for the best choice.

Mallorca's Farrutx is one of the country's top shoemakers. They have been expertly dressing the heels of Barcelona's uptown women for decades, do a nice line in luxury sport shoes and top it off with bags and other leather accessories.

The designer upgrade of the 19th-century Palacio Vedruna has resulted in one of the city's most stylish hotels. It houses an art collection that could grace any gallery of modern art, while rooms are large and luxurious.

The homely smell of laundry pervades this quaint little hostel in a great location close to shore, the Ciutadella park and the nightlife of El Born. The 11 simple rooms are kept spick and span, with nothing much in the way of frills.

This place oozes old-fashioned elegance and much of its 19th-century interior remains intact. Guest rooms have been comfortably tweaked, but the public areas, complete with antique furnishings, retain the grace of another age and there's a wonderful courtyard in which to relax after a long day.

Pull up a stainless-steel pew for terrace dining beneath vaults at this friendly Australian-run place, on the corner of a pleasant square with swings for kids. It does a sturdy line in snacks, mixed salads, filled rolls and hot dishes that change daily.

This warm, friendly family-run restaurant appeals to a sedate crowd that digs its traditional and robust Catalan fare. The suquet de rap (a monkfish stew) is finger-licking good, but succulent sirloin steaks await those in need of greater sustenance.

This boisterous tapas bar brims with energy and personality thanks to Pep, the owner and chef. Get here early for squeezing space at the bar and gourmet bar snacks, such as cloïsses amb pernil (clams and ham - seriously! - at around 12.70). For one of the handful of tables out back, book a long way ahead.

Gilt-framed mirrors and black-and-white tiled floors reinforce the old-world atmosphere of this Barcelona classic, founded in 1836 and renowned for its paella, seafood platters and enormous portions. You might sit in a chair previously warmed by the bum of Einstein, Orson Welles, Picasso or Ava Gardner.

Jean-Luc Figueras is an internationally renowned chef and this restaurant is his most amazing accomplishment. He's overseen every detail down to the crayon-drawn individual menus. Each dish is bewitching - the sum of wonderful ingredients, skill and passion. One of Barcelona's most incredible foodie experiences.