Barcelona, Catalonia

Barcelona's many restaurants and bars offer the best of Catalonia's diverse cuisine. Other Mediterranean countries, like France and Italy, have heavily influenced Catalan cooking, which features lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, pork and veal.

Catalans love cold meats or (embutidos) of all sorts, especially pork sausage (butifarra). The staple dish is butifarra amb mongetes, a stew of pork sausage and white beans. Escudella is a traditional stew made with sausage, chickpeas, pasta and a giant pork meatball. It's generally eaten at Christmas time and followed by crema catalana, a sweet egg custard topped with caramelized sugar that has become a popular dessert throughout Spain. Fish is also a major part of the Catalan diet. Zarzuela is a tasty seafood casserole that originated in Barcelona and spread to other parts of the country. Bacallà a la llauna is cod cooked in a tin dish. In summer, you can enjoy lighter dishes like escalibada (red peppers mixed with eggplant and onions) and esqueixada (red peppers with cod and onions). Or head for one of the many farmhouse (masía) restaurants on the outskirts of the city and try some traditional dishes. If you're lucky, the restaurant will serve calçotada, a sauce (calçots) made from tender spring onions served on an oven-fired tile, followed by grilled meat. Catalan dishes are usually accompanied by pan con tomate, country-style bread smeared liberally with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt.

There are eight different areas in Catalonia that produce good quality wines. The region is famous for its white wines from the Penedés area and cava, sparkling white wines. There are also quality red wines, particularly from the Priorato area.

Gothic Quarter, Raval & La Ribera

Basque cuisine is served in Irati and Zure Etxea. You'll find three famous traditional Catalan restaurants worth visiting in the area around Monumento a Colón (Columbus Monument): Ca l'Isidre, Botafumeiro and Casa Leopoldo. For bullfighting memorabilia and tapas, try Los Toreros on Calle Xuclà, close to Las Ramblas. There are also some seafood restaurants with great views in the Maremàgnum, an ultra-modern shopping center by the harbor, close to Las Ramblas.

This part of town is also great for drinks - you'll find traditional, old-fashioned bars and cafés as well as trendy, modern places with stylish interior decor, like Glaciar at the Plaça Reial. Nearby, check out Sidecar. There's a good selection of pubs on Calle Escudellers on your way into the well-known Plaça George Orwell. For pure modernist style inside and out, try El Ascensor. If you want to sit outside and enjoy an impressive view with your drinks, try the square that looks on to Santa María del Mar, Plaça del Pi or Sant Felip Neri.

L'Eixample

This part of town has quite a few Galician restaurants like the famous Beltxenea, which offers a variety of traditional dishes. Don't miss the finger foods at Tapa Tapa.

Barceloneta & The Born

There are plenty of reasonably-priced seafood restaurants down by the harbor that specialize in paella and the Catalan equivalent, fideuà, which is noodle-based rather than rice-based. Arròs negre is a kind of paella cooked in a stock of squid's ink. Can Ramonet and Set Portes are two of the best places for rice dishes in this district. Munch on great tapas at Moncho's.

If it's drinks you seek, Passeig del Born is lined with trendy bars and the adjacent streets are full of well-preserved medieval houses and mansions. This area attracts couples and groups in their 30s and 40s looking for sophisticated, relaxing and intimate bars like the Miramelindo, Salero and Gimlet.

Port Olímpic

The seafood restaurants at Port Olímpic display their fresh fish in cases by the door and many offer sea views.

Horta, Guinardó & Alfons X

Lots of informal tapas restaurants are located along Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla Catalunya. Traditional tapas are small portions of things like pescaíto frito (mixture of deep-fried Mediterranean fish), patatas bravas (chunks of potato, deep-fried and served with spicy garlic sauce), calamares a la romana (squid rings fried in batter) and boquerones en vinagre (marinated anchovies). For the best tapas in the whole city, try La Esquinica. However, make sure you come early because there is a line every night.

Plaça Catalunya

It's tapas central at Ciudad Condal, but this bustling square knows no bounds in terms of culinary diversity.

Barcelona is a stunning city that is full of historic and entertaining sites. If you simply walk down any street in Barcelona you'll stumble upon hidden gems and wonders. Whether you have a guided tour or a self-guided tour, you'll be sure to be amazed.

Las Ramblas

The best way to get a feel for Barcelona is to take a walk along Les Rambles (Las Ramblas in Spanish). Start from Plaça Catalunya and head down Rambla de Canaletes, which gets its name from its 19th-century iron fountain. Carry on into Rambla dels Estudis, named after the university that was here until the early 18th century. Locals call it Rambla dels Ocells (Street of the Birds) because the caged birds for sale keep up a noisy chatter all day long. Across the Rambla, on the corner of Calle Portaferrissa, you'll see the late 18th-century Palau Moja. This former palace, now headquarters of the regional government's contemporary history and culture department, has an excellent bookshop. When you come to the third street, Rambla de Sant Josep, you'll suddenly be hit by a wave of color. Flower sellers have been a feature of this pedestrian area for over 200 years, hence the popular name for it, Rambla de les Flors (Street of Flowers). Carry on through Plaça de la Boqueria, past Joan Miró's huge mosaic in the middle of the pavement, and into the fourth street, Rambla dels Caputxins, where you'll find Gran Teatre del Liceu. At the top of the fifth and final street, Rambla de Santa Mònica, you'll come to Teatre Principal. You'll also find the Museu de Cera (Wax Museum) to the left and hordes of pavement artists, performers and musicians in the center of the pedestrian area. Finish your walk by going to the top of Monumento a Colón (Columbus Monument) for aerial views of the city. Or carry on into the harbor area of Port Vell and Maremàgnum, a modern shopping center.

L'Eixample

Start this tour of grid-shaped Eixample, the city's commercial and business district, at Plaça Catalunya. Go up Passeig de Gràcia and look out for Gaudí's hexagonal pavement designs on the way. After crossing Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Consell de Cent, you'll arrive at the so-called "Block of Discord." This name arose because three different architects, with widely differing styles, built the three Modernist buildings grouped here. On the left is Lluís Domènech i Montaner's Casa Lleó Morera, dating from 1906, with its elaborately decorated entrance hall and staircase. A few doors up, at no. 41, you'll come to the striking facade of Josep Puig i Cadafalch's Casa Ametller, dating from 1900. Next door is Gaudí's spectacular Casa Batlló. Turn left on to the wide Calle Aragó, cross over Rambla de Catalunya and you'll see another of Lluís Domènech i Montaner's works that has been converted into Fundació Tàpies. Go back to Passeig de Gràcia, continue north one block and on the right you'll find an extraordinary Modernist apartment building, Gaudí's Casa Milà or Pedrera, whose upper floors and rooftop are open to the public. You can spend all day exploring Eixample and its many other Modernist architectural gems, like Les Punxes or the Conservatory.

Olympic Barcelona

If you want to tour the facilities used in the 1992 Olympic Games head to Muntanya de Montjüic (Montjüic hill). The Montjüic hill, or "hill of the Jews," got its name from the Jewish community that once settled on its steep slopes. One of the best ways to get to the top is by walking from Plaça Espanya, with its luminous fountains, up to the Palau Nacional (National Palace). This building now houses Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), which displays one of the world's finest collections of Romanesque art. Carry on a little further to Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), where Spain's regional styles of architecture have been reproduced. The walk to Castell de Montjüic (Montjüic castle), on the far eastern corner of the hill, is worthwhile for the panoramic views. This 17th-century castle is home to the Museu Militar (Military Museum). In between the Spanish Village and the castle, you might want to stop at the so-called "Olympic Ring" or "Anella Olímpica" (Anillo Olímpico). This is where you'll see the famous sports facilities built for the 1992 games. These include the 55,000-seat Olympic stadium, Estadi Olímpic, and Palau Sant Jordi, a sports and concert hall. On the way along Avenida de l'Estadi towards the cable car, you'll pass a large white building, Fundació Miró. This museum is dedicated to well-known Catalan artist, Joan Miró.

The Gothic Quarter

The medieval Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is officially confined to the area between Avenida de la Catedral, Via Laietana, Calle Jaume I, Plaça Sant Jaume and Calle Bisbe. However, there are points of interest in the streets and squares nearby. Start your walk in the cathedral square (Plaça de la Catedral), opposite the Catalan Gothic cathedral. Take a little alleyway, Montjüic del Bisbe, along to the peaceful square, Plaça Sant Felip Neri. Many of the buildings in this area were built on the old Roman wall, including the Palau Episcopal (Episcopal Palace) in Plaça Nova and 16th-century Casa de l'Ardiaca off Calle Santa Llúcia. The 14th century Casa del Degà and Casa de la Canonja are also located in Plaça de la Seu. From behind the cathedral, go down Baixada de Santa Clara to Plaça del Rei. From here, head for the large Plaça Sant Jaume, one of the most popular squares in the city, where popular demonstrations and gatherings take place. The Catalan regional government headquarters are located here in the 14th-century palace Palau de la Generalitat, alongside the Casa de la Ciutat (Ajuntament) (Town Hall).

Barcelona is a beautiful and breathtaking city and you can easily enjoy the sites on your own; however, professional tours have a lot to offer. These tours can provide you with more historical information and can take you to locations you might not have known about. If you choose to go on a guided tour there are a lot of options.

Bus Tours Barcelona Bus Turístic (http://www.tmb.net/en_US/turistes/busturistic/busturistic.jsp)

Bike Tours Fat Tire Bike Tours (+34 93 301 3612 http://www.fattirebiketoursbarcelona.com/)

Boat Tours Las Golondrinas (+34 93 442 3106 http://www.lasgolondrinas.com/) Sailing day trip along the Costa Dourada from Barcelona to Sitges (+34 93 285 3834 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1128&AF=51)

Wine Tours Barcelona Tour Guides (http://barcelonatourguides.com/eng/winerytour.htm) Cava Winery Tour from Barcelona (+34 93 285 3834 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1082&AF=51) Parés Baltà (+34 93 890 1399 http://www.paresbalta.com/)

Architecture Tours Barcelona Tour Guides (http://barcelonatourguides.com/eng/allbarcelonaguidedtour.htm) Contrasts of Barcelona's Gothic & Modernist (+34 986 22 1399 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1165&AF=51) Gaudi's Barcelona and Panoramic City Tour (+34 93 285 3834 http://www.euroadventures.net/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=1081)