Spain's second-largest city isn't exactly arrogant, but it is definitely ready to show off its full charm, especially for visitors wondering what to do in Barcelona.
It wants to be recognized in the travel world as more refined than Madrid, more forward-thinking than Paris, and far more efficient than Rome.
And it pulls it off beautifully.
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From the modernist sculptures on the beach to Antoni Gaudi's melting-effect buildings, this is a destination that thrills first-time visitors and still delights those who have been coming back for 30 or 40 years.
The veterans will tell you what to do in Barcelona and just how much the city has changed over two decades.
Hotels
Luxury
W Barcelona
A beacon on Barcelona's beach, the W building gazes out at the Mediterranean like an immodest, big-bellied bather getting ready for its first summer dip.
From the outside it grabs your attention; inside it's spacious, bright and superb at looking after guests happy to pay extra for sweeping sea views. There's a pool, a choice of restaurants and, on the 26th floor, the chic Eclipse bar.
For anyone wondering what to do in Barcelona, one of the city's most popular beaches sits at the foot of the tower, and plenty of restaurants, narrow streets and squares in the Barceloneta district are just a few minutes' walk away.
Majestic
Around 100 years ago, the Majestic hotel looked down with a certain gravity onto Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona's main shopping avenue.
With its grand staircase, marble columns and softly lit ground-floor bar, the place has a classic feel to it.
From the rooftop bar terrace you can see how the city spread out from its neatly gridded center and swallowed up rural areas such as Gracia, which climbs the hill behind the hotel.
Mid-Range
Casa Camper
A hotel inspired by footwear, or at least by the Camper brand. Like the shoes they make, the first Camper hotel aims to be stylish and practical. The rooms are unpretentious, and the hotel is conveniently located.
Camper provides bikes for guests who want to use them, though there's plenty to see on foot thanks to its spot near the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas.
Budget
Chic and Basic Born
A soothing retreat from the center of Barcelona, Chic and Basic is a study in cool, with clever lighting in comfortable modern bedrooms and a creamy-white color scheme.
If you're looking for what to do in Barcelona, the Born district is packed with restaurants and bars.
Chic and Basic also sits very close to the Picasso Museum. Sadly, it can't help you skip the often long line to get inside.
The "Basic" in the hotel's name is a bit of a misnomer. This place is a cut above.
Dining
Casa Calvet
Casa Calvet comes recommended for two main reasons: first, the building itself. And second, chef Mikel Alija.
Antoni Gaudi designed the place in the early 19th century for a textile company. Today you dine beneath high ceilings and admire striking stained-glass windows. It creates a formal atmosphere, though the staff are very welcoming.
They welcome detailed questions about the menu. The poultry dishes are usually excellent (everything chef Alija makes is excellent), and there's a good selection of the finest local Penedes wines.
If you want to know what to do in Barcelona, start with dinner here.
Botafumeiro
This is one of the best spots for seafood, with a wide range on offer. In the kitchen there's Galician know-how in the person of chef Moncho Neira, from the northwest of Spain. His touch shows in the preparation and the choice of shellfish.
Here you can try some of the more unusual Iberian delicacies, such as percebes (gooseneck barnacles).
Botafumeiro gets lively in the evenings, so book ahead. Then treat yourself to half an hour over a glass of Cava at the long bar right by the main entrance.
La Gavina
A lovely spot for the warmer months (which can often include March and November) to sit outside and watch the boats in the harbor and the flow of people passing by along the seafront.
La Gavina does a good paella and, even better, a more Catalan take on the dish, fideua, which is made not with rice but with thin, short noodles.
Elisabet's
Elisabet's offers excellent value for money, and it's worth a short wait for a table at lunchtime. With a bit of luck you might be seated in a cozy corner booth.
The menu of the day is full of Catalan staples: stews with botifarra (blood sausage) and plenty of pulses; hearty seafood soups and simple fresh fish. The place is right in the Raval district, so it's always buzzing.
Nightlife
CDLC
To be known simply by your initials, you usually have to be pretty cool. Carpe Diem Lounge Club, to give it its full name, has become ultra-fashionable for Barcelona's young and not-so-young residents and regulars.
It's on the beach, and until midnight it's a bar and restaurant. Then it transforms into an open-air space for dancing, sipping drinks and admiring the Asian-inspired decor.
Late at night, this is the place to be and the thing to do in Barcelona.
Luz de Gas
Set in an old cabaret theater with live music every night, this is the place where you have the best chance of spotting local celebrities: footballers, actors, models and musicians.
There are rooms to suit most tastes and ages. The clientele tends to be Catalan rather than one-off visitors to Barcelona.
One tip: don't dress too casually. The lines can be long, and nobody wants to be turned away for looking too casual after a long wait.
The Pipa Club
A kind of cross between an old-fashioned gentlemen's club and the apartment of an eccentric academic, this is the place to head after an evening in Born or on Las Ramblas.
There's a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere, billiard tables for those who fancy striking up a competitive friendship, and comfortable sofas and armchairs for guests who just want to unwind.
Around 3 a.m. it can get crowded.
Shopping and Sights
You've already eaten and drunk your fill, at least for a day or two. Now here's where to go and what to do in Barcelona during the day.
Mercado Santa Caterina
Most of Barcelona's big warehouse-style markets are a joy, not only for the mix of aromas and exotic local delicacies (in Catalan cuisine there's hardly a part of the pig that doesn't find a use) but also for the vendors.
The ways they compete for your business border on flirting. Santa Caterina, in Born, has been remodeled, but it has kept its old stall system and much of its charm.
Park Guell
Here you'll find a strange, Through-the-Looking-Glass world created in the early 1920s to delight children and celebrate the chameleon-like vision of Antoni Gaudi.
Whether it's the multicolored tiled lizards that catch your eye, or you simply want to listen to the peculiar way the wind whistles through the eerie tunnels, Park Guell is enchanting.
From the top of the hill there are wonderful views over the city.
A Tribute to Catalonia
Barcelona sees itself as more than just a provincial capital. Catalonia aspires to be a nation-state, free from Spanish interference.
Decades of compulsory schooling in Catalan mean the language is thriving, even if on the streets of Barcelona you'll hear as much Spanish as Catalan.
Catalans take pride in their cultural distinctiveness from their neighbors. They celebrate the things they believe make them unique.
Here's what to do in Barcelona if you want to see Catalanism at its proudest:
FC Barcelona, Camp Nou
"Catalonia is not Spain."
So read a huge banner at the Camp Nou stadium, home of the sports club that, more than any other Catalan institution, has come to represent the self-confidence of this independent-minded region.
They play the world's most popular sport better than any other team on the planet: they are winners of the UEFA Champions League (Europe's most prestigious club competition) and have never been relegated from Spain's top division.
While most teams are content with a double and dream of a treble, Barca, as they're also known, once won a sextuple: six titles in a single season.
The stadium museum is the most visited of all Barcelona's museums, and although recent success has made match tickets hard to come by, you can usually get into all but the biggest games.
Miro Foundation
The finest works of Joan Miro, the painter, sculptor and thinker, are housed in this elegant building near the top of Montjuic hill.
Miro's style may not be to your taste, but he lived a fascinating and important life during a period that was turbulent for his beloved city.
There are several ways to reach Montjuic. There's a cable car from Barceloneta, a funicular extension of the metro from Paral·lel station, or a pleasant walk from Plaza Espana.
Cava Country
Cava, the sparkling white or rose wine made in a method similar to Champagne, is Catalonia's national drink. And the Catalans are proud of it.
The main Cava producers come from the Penedes region, about half an hour's drive from Barcelona, best reached by car.
Tours and tastings can be arranged by phone at Codorniu and elsewhere.
Alternatively, you can simply order a chilled glass somewhere you can sit out in the open air and feel the sea breeze.
