It’s hard to believe it’s over 30 years since Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé first recorded their duo, ‘Barcelona’. Though decades fly by, Antoni Gaudí’s city – like the song – continues to enchant.

Will you stay beachside in stylish La Barceloneta, off pulsating Las Ramblas, in the historic Barri Gòtic, or in Eixample with its excellent shops and restaurants? Whether you choose five-star Hotel W, a chic Airbnb, or Best Western Dante on Caller de Mallorca where I stayed last time, you’re well-placed to explore this city of Gaudí’s Catalan Modernism, amazing food and ‘Barça’ – just don’t mention their arch-rivals Real Madrid or A.C. Milan!

Packed with treasures

For a weekend or a week, Barcelona is packed with treasures. With thirty million visitors a year, the city can be busy, but savvy travellers know that March, May and autumn promise good weather and smaller crowds while meeting the barcelonés.

The city is very walkable, so comfortable shoes and a money-saving Barcelona Pass are your keys to exploring – from Port Vell to the Sagrada Familia, and Plaça de Catalunya to kaleidoscopic Mercado de La Boqueria off Las Ramblas. Don’t miss Hansel and Gretel-inspired Parc Güell’s stunning vistas either, or its signature (but smaller than expected) mosaic ‘el drac’.

Of course you’ll visit Barcelona’s headline sights: FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium; buildings such as Casa Milà/La Pedrera; Frank Gehry’s golden fish; and skyscraping Mirador de Colom. Make time for the less well-known gems too: Museo Nacional de Arte de Catalunya; picnic-friendly Jardins de Rubió i Lluch where Gaudí died after being hit by a tram in 1926; or fourteenth-century Monastir de Pedralbes along Metro line ‘Tres’.

Delicious Catalan cuisine

In between discovering contrasting ‘barrios’ (neighbourhoods) be sure to sample Barcelona’s delicious cuisine. Tapas is king, so follow discerning locals to gems like Bar Ramon or Los Toreros. As well as diverse Iberian and international cuisine, savvy gourmets choose Catalan noodle-based fideuà (over ‘standard’ Valencian paella), bunyols de bacallà (cod fritters) and botifarra sausages with romesco sauce – with a glass of Priorat or a Moreneta Blonde craft beer.

There’s enough in Barcelona to occupy the most energetic city explorer for days. But for different perspectives, remember it’s also a great base for excursions to other Catalonian attractions such as Santa Maria de Montserrat.

Visit Barcelona soon

Mercury and Caballé will delight forever, and so will Barcelona. But don’t wait; if you’ve never been, make sure to visit soon. It’s brilliant – or as the locals would say, «genial».